Editing Toronto Maple Leafs (section)

=== New owners and a new dynasty (1961–1971) ===
[[File:Johnny Bower in goal.jpg|thumb|alt=Johnny Bower protects the side of the post as a goaltender for the Maple Leafs.|[[Johnny Bower]] was the Maple Leafs' goaltender from 1958 to 1969. He helped the team win four Cups.]]
Beginning in the 1960s, the Leafs became a stronger team, with [[Johnny Bower]] as the goaltender, and [[Bob Baun]], [[Carl Brewer (ice hockey)|Carl Brewer]], [[Tim Horton]] and [[Allan Stanley]] serving as the Maple Leafs' defencemen.<ref name=MLH60>{{cite web|url=http://mapleleafs.ice.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=42186|title=Toronto Maple Leafs History – 1960s|publisher=Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment|year=2017|access-date=June 25, 2017}}</ref> To bolster their forward group during the 1960 off-season, Imlach traded [[Marc Reaume]] to the Red Wings for [[Red Kelly]]. Originally a defenceman, Kelly was asked to make the transition to the role of [[Centre (ice hockey)|centre]], where he remained for the rest of his career.<ref name=MLH60 /> Kelly helped reinforce a forward group made up of [[Frank Mahovlich]], and team captain [[George Armstrong (ice hockey)|George Armstrong]]. The beginning of the [[1960–61 NHL season|1960–61 season]] also saw the debut of rookies [[Bob Nevin]], and [[Dave Keon]]. Keon previously played for the St. Michael's Majors (the Maple Leafs junior affiliate), but had impressed Imlach during the Leafs' training camp, and joined the team for the season.<ref name=MLH60 /> Despite these new additions, the Leafs' 1961 playoff run ended in the semifinals against the Red Wings, with Armstrong, Bower, Kelly and others, suffering from injuries.<ref name=MLH60 />

In November 1961, Smythe sold nearly all of his shares in the club's parent company, Maple Leaf Gardens Limited (MLGL), to a partnership composed of his son [[Stafford Smythe]], and his partners, newspaper baron [[John W. H. Bassett]] and [[Toronto Marlboros]] president [[Harold Ballard]]. The sale price was $2.3 million ({{Inflation|CA|2300000|1961|fmt=eq|r=-3}}), a handsome return on Smythe's original investment 34 years earlier.{{sfn|Shea|Wilson|2016|p=142}} Initially, Conn Smythe claimed that he knew nothing about his son's partners and was furious with the arrangement (though it is highly unlikely he could have believed Stafford could have financed the purchase on his own). However, he did not stop the deal because of it.{{sfn|Smythe|Young|1981|p=217–218}} Conn Smythe was given a retiring salary of $15,000 per year for life, an office, a secretary, a car with a driver, and seats to home games.{{sfn|Shea|Wilson|2016|p=158}} Smythe sold his remaining shares in the company, and resigned from the board of directors in March 1966, after a [[Muhammad Ali]] boxing match was scheduled for the Gardens. Smythe found Ali's refusal to serve in the [[United States Army]] offensive, noting that the Gardens was "no place for those who want to evade conscription in their own country".{{sfn|Shea|Wilson|2016|p=183}} He had also said that because the Gardens' owners agreed to host the fight they had "put cash ahead of class".<ref>{{cite news |title='Cash rated over class' Conn quits |author=McKee, Ken |work=Toronto Star |date=March 8, 1966}}</ref>

[[File:George Armstrong action photo.jpg|thumb|left|alt=George Armstrong in uniform for the Toronto Maple Leafs.|Captaining the team from 1958 to 1969, [[George Armstrong (ice hockey)|George Armstrong]] led the team to four Stanley Cups. Armstrong is the all-time leader in games played with the Maple Leafs.]]
Under the new ownership, Toronto won another three straight Stanley Cups. The team won the [[1962 Stanley Cup Finals]] beating the defending champion Chicago Black Hawks on a goal from [[Dick Duff]] in game 6.{{sfn|Shea|Wilson|2016|p=161–162}} During the [[1962–63 NHL season|1962–63 season]], the Leafs finished first in the league for the first time since the [[1947–48 NHL season|1947–48 season]]. In the following playoffs, the team won their second Stanley Cup of the decade.<ref name=MLH60 /> The [[1963–64 NHL season|1963–64 season]] saw certain members of the team traded. With Imlach seeking to reinvigorate the slumping Leafs, he made a mid-season trade that sent Duff, and Nevin to the Rangers for [[Andy Bathgate]] and [[Don McKenney]]. The Leafs managed to make the postseason as well as the Cup finals. In game six of the 1964 Cup finals, Baun suffered a fractured ankle and required a stretcher to be taken off the ice. He returned to play with his ankle frozen, and eventually scored the game-winning goal in overtime against the Red Wings.{{sfn|Shea|Wilson|2016|p=173}}<ref name=MLH60 /> The Leafs won their third consecutive Stanley Cup in a 4–0 game 7 victory; Bathgate scored two goals.<ref name=MLH60 />

The two seasons after the Maple Leafs' Stanley Cup victories, the team saw several player departures, including Bathgate, and Brewer, as well as several new additions, including [[Marcel Pronovost]], and [[Terry Sawchuk]].<ref name=MLH60 /> During the [[1966–67 NHL season|1966–67 season]], the team had lost 10 games in a row, sending Imlach to the hospital with a stress-related illness. However, from the time [[King Clancy]] took over as the head coach, to Imlach's return, the club was on a 10-game undefeated streak, building momentum before the playoffs.<ref name=MLH60 /> The Leafs made their last Cup finals in [[1967 Stanley Cup Finals|1967]]. Playing against Montreal, the heavy favourite for the year, the Leafs managed to win, with [[Bob Pulford]] scoring the double-overtime winner in game three; [[Jim Pappin]] scored the series winner in game 6.{{sfn|Shea|Wilson|2016|p=194}} Keon was named the playoff's [[most valuable player]] and was awarded the [[Conn Smythe Trophy]].{{sfn|Shea|Wilson|2016|p=195}}

From 1968 to 1970, the Maple Leafs made it to the playoffs only once. They lost several players to the [[1967 NHL expansion draft]], and the team was racked with dissension because of Imlach's authoritative manner, and his attempts to prevent the players from joining the newly formed [[National Hockey League Players' Association|Players' Association]].<ref name=MLH60 /> Imlach's management of the team was also brought into question due to some of his decisions. It was apparent that he was too loyal to aging players who had been with him since 1958.<ref name=MLH60 /> In the [[1967–68 NHL season|1967–68 season]], Mahovlich was traded to Detroit in a deal that saw the Leafs acquire [[Paul Henderson]] and [[Norm Ullman]].{{sfn|Shea|Wilson|2016|p=200}} The Leafs managed to return to the playoffs after the [[1968–69 NHL season|1968–69 season]], only to be swept by the Bruins. Immediately after, Stafford Smythe confronted Imlach and fired him.{{sfn|Shea|Wilson|2016|p=205}} This act was not without controversy, with some older players, including Horton, declaring that, "if this team doesn't want Imlach, I guess it doesn't want me".<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S9ayrsIVAxEC&q=If+this+team+doesn%27t+want+Imlach%2C+I+guess+it+doesn%27t+want+me&pg=PT48|title=The Story of the Toronto Maple Leafs|last=McAuliffe|first=Bill|date=July 1, 2008|publisher=The Creative Company|isbn=978-1-58341-621-1}}</ref>

The Maple Leafs completed the [[1969–70 NHL season|1969–70 season]] out of the playoffs. With their low finish, the Leafs were able to draft [[Darryl Sittler]] at the [[1970 NHL amateur draft]].{{sfn|Shea|Wilson|2016|p=208}} The Leafs returned to the playoffs after the [[1970–71 NHL season|1970–71 season]] with the addition of Sittler, as well as [[Bernie Parent]] and [[Jacques Plante]], who were both acquired through trades during the season.<ref name=MLH70>{{cite web|url=http://mapleleafs.ice.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=42187|title=Maple Leafs History – 1970s|publisher=Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment|access-date=June 27, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427013623/http://mapleleafs.ice.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=42187|archive-date=April 27, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> They were eliminated in the first round against the Rangers.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Toronto Maple Leafs Ultimate Book of Facts, Stats, and Stories|publisher=McClelland & Stewart|year=2015|last=Podnieks|first=Andrew|isbn=978-0-7710-7222-2|page=90}}</ref>