Harold Ballard & Steve Stavros The tough years for any Leaf fan and the end of private ownership

From Ballard to Bay Street: A Tale of Two Leafs Owners

On my walk through Park Lawn Cemetery in Toronto, I came upon the grave of the polarizing and unforgettable Harold E. Ballard, longtime owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Not long after, while walking through Mount Pleasant Cemetery, I found the final resting place of Steve Stavro — the last private majority owner of the Leafs.

Steve Atanas Stavro, a proud Macedonian-Canadian, was more than a businessman. Known as “The Honest Grocer”, he built a retail empire and quietly became one of the most influential sports owners in Canada. Following Ballard’s death in 1990, Stavro — one of Ballard’s co-executors — acquired the Maple Leafs in 1994, purchasing the remaining shares from the Ballard estate for $75 million.

Today, the team is valued at over $2.12 billion — a staggering testament to the transformation of the business of sport.

Eventually, Stavro sold 25% of Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. to Larry Tanenbaum, a key figure who would help usher in a new era of corporate ownership and expansion. Stavro’s full exit from the Leafs marked the end of an era — the final chapter of personal, passionate ownership, giving way to the Bay Street model of sports conglomerates and boardrooms.

Steve Stavro passed away on April 23, 2006, at the age of 79, closing the book on private family control of one of hockey’s most storied franchises.

Two graves, two men — and a pivotal shift in Canadian sports history.

1903-1990 (Harold)

1926-2006 (Steve)