Toronto’s major professional teams date from several eras: the Argonauts began in 1873, the franchise that became the Maple Leafs in 1917, the Blue Jays in 1977, the Raptors in 1995, and Toronto FC in 2006. Between them they hold 13 Stanley Cups, two World Series titles, one NBA championship, one MLS Cup, and 19 Grey Cups, according to league and encyclopedia records.
Each team has a separate origin story, and several moved between buildings that are themselves part of the city’s history. The sections below follow the teams in order of founding, then compare them in one table.
Toronto Argonauts: football from 1873
The Argonauts grew out of the Argonaut Rowing Club, which Harry O’Brien founded in 1872. The football side played its first game on October 11, 1873, according to The Canadian Encyclopedia. The club helped form the Ontario Rugby Football Union in 1883 and left it for the Inter-provincial Rugby Football Union in 1907.
The team won three straight Grey Cups from 1945 to 1947, then went through a long decline from the 1950s to the 1970s before its first Grey Cup in 31 years in 1983. The Encyclopedia lists 19 Grey Cup wins in total, the most of any Canadian football team, with the latest in 2004, 2012, 2017, 2022, and 2024. Its text describes the 2012 and 2017 wins as the 16th and 17th, which fits that count.
The home field changed four times: Varsity Stadium from 1911 to the 1958 season, Exhibition Stadium from 1959 to 1988, SkyDome (now Rogers Centre) from 1989 to the 2015 season, and BMO Field at Exhibition Place from 2016.
Toronto Maple Leafs: from the Arenas to 1967
The NHL’s team history says the franchise was founded in 1917 as Toronto, also called the Toronto Arenas, and was run by the owners of the Arena Gardens. The Arenas won the Stanley Cup in 1918, which made them the first NHL team to take the trophy. In 1919 new owners renamed the team the Toronto St. Patricks, and the St. Patricks won the Cup in 1922.
The team was sold in 1927 and became the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club. Conn Smythe, who bought it that year, renamed it the Maple Leafs. After about 14 seasons at Mutual Street Arena, the team moved into Maple Leaf Gardens in 1931, and it won the Cup in the 1931-32 season. The NHL page counts 13 Stanley Cups for the franchise, the last in 1967.
In February 1999 the team left the Gardens for the Air Canada Centre, which is now called Scotiabank Arena.
Toronto Blue Jays: the 1977 expansion team
Toronto was awarded an American League franchise in 1976, and the Blue Jays played their first season in 1977. The first spring training game was a 3-1 win over the Mets in Dunedin, Florida, on March 11. The first regular-season game was on April 7, 1977, a 9-5 win over the Chicago White Sox in snow and freezing cold before 44,649 fans, with Doug Ault hitting two home runs, according to the club’s own timeline. The first season drew 1,701,052 fans, a record for a first-year expansion club.
The team played at Exhibition Stadium until a 7-5 win over the White Sox on May 28, 1989. SkyDome opened on June 5, 1989, with a 5-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. SABR says that in 2004 the current Blue Jays owners bought the stadium and renamed it Rogers Centre, and the Blue Jays still play there.
Toronto won the World Series in 1992 by beating the Atlanta Braves in six games, and in 1993 by beating the Philadelphia Phillies in six games. Joe Carter’s three-run home run in Game 6 of 1993 ended that series, and Tom Cheek’s call of it, “Touch ’em all, Joe!”, became famous.
Blue Jays ownership
The Canadian Encyclopedia says the American League awarded the franchise in March 1976 to Imperial Trust, Ltd., the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, and Labatt’s Breweries. The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) ownership history gives the split as Labatt 45 percent, the businessman Howard Webster 45 percent, and the bank 10 percent. In June 1995 the Belgian brewer Interbrew took over Labatt, and SABR says it asked Major League Baseball to approve temporary ownership of the team but could not sell it until 2000. The MLB timeline says Rogers Communications assumed control in September 2000, and SABR adds that Rogers acquired the remaining 20 percent in 2004. Some news articles place the Rogers purchase in 1995, which conflicts with both of these sources.
Toronto Raptors: the 1995 expansion
The Raptors were one of two expansion teams that joined the NBA for the 1995-96 season. The 1993 application came from Professional Basketball Franchise (Canada) Inc., led by John Bitove and including David Peterson and Isiah Thomas, as The Canadian Encyclopedia records. The team’s first regular-season game was on November 3, 1995, at SkyDome against the New Jersey Nets, a 94-79 Toronto win before 33,306 fans, according to Wikipedia’s season article. The league’s page for that game could not be read, so these figures rest on a secondary source.
The Raptors played their first two seasons at SkyDome and moved to the Air Canada Centre (now Scotiabank Arena) for 1999-2000. In 2019 they won their first NBA title by defeating the Golden State Warriors in six games in the Finals.
Toronto had top-level basketball once before. The Toronto Huskies hosted the league’s first game, against the New York Knickerbockers, on November 1, 1946.
Toronto FC: Major League Soccer from 2007
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment founded Toronto FC in 2006, and the club entered Major League Soccer in 2007. Its home is BMO Field. In 2017 the club won the Voyageurs Cup (the Canadian Championship), the Supporters’ Shield with an MLS-record 69 points, and the MLS Cup, according to the Canadian Encyclopedia. The MLS Cup final was a 2-0 win over the Seattle Sounders at BMO Field, which made Toronto the first Canadian club to win the title. The Encyclopedia gives the date as December 9, 2017 in one passage and December 10 in another, so the exact day is uncertain.
The five teams side by side
| Team | Founded or began play | Current home | Championships named in this article |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argonauts (CFL) | 1873 | BMO Field | 19 Grey Cups |
| Maple Leafs (NHL) | 1917 | Scotiabank Arena | 13 Stanley Cups, last in 1967 |
| Blue Jays (MLB) | 1977 | Rogers Centre | World Series in 1992 and 1993 |
| Raptors (NBA) | 1995 | Scotiabank Arena | NBA title in 2019 |
| Toronto FC (MLS) | 2006 (first season 2007) | BMO Field | MLS Cup in 2017 |
The Maple Leafs and Raptors share the arena that opened as the Air Canada Centre. The Argonauts and Toronto FC share BMO Field. The Argonauts and Blue Jays both played at the building that opened as SkyDome. For an account of the city that holds these venues, see the overview of Toronto’s history.
Frequently asked questions
When were the Toronto Blue Jays founded?
The franchise was awarded in 1976, and the team played its first season in 1977. Its first regular-season game was on April 7, 1977.
Where do the Blue Jays play?
At Rogers Centre in Toronto, the building that opened on June 5, 1989, as SkyDome. Before that the team played at Exhibition Stadium.
When did the Toronto Maple Leafs last win the Stanley Cup?
In 1967, according to the NHL’s team history, which counts 13 championships for the franchise.
When did the Raptors win the NBA championship?
In 2019, when they beat the Golden State Warriors in six games in the Finals. It was the franchise’s first NBA title.
Which Toronto team has won the most titles?
The Argonauts, with 19 Grey Cups according to The Canadian Encyclopedia, followed by the Maple Leafs with 13 Stanley Cups.
Team histories
- Toronto Blue Jays: history of the team since 1977: The Toronto Blue Jays were awarded an American League franchise on March 20, 1976, and won the World Series in 1992 and 1993. Stadiums and owners.
- Toronto Maple Leafs history: from the Arenas to 1999: Founded in 1917 and renamed in 1927, the Maple Leafs have won 13 Stanley Cups, the last in 1967. Names, owners and arenas from NHL and Parks Canada.
- Toronto Raptors history: from the 1993 bid to the 2019 title: The Raptors joined the NBA for 1995-96 and won the 2019 title. Read the 1993 bid, the SkyDome years, the 1999 arena opening and the parade.
- Toronto Argonauts history: rowing club to 19 Grey Cups: The Argonauts grew out of a rowing club in 1873 and hold 19 Grey Cups. Venues, owners, the 2003 bankruptcy and recent wins, from public sources.
- Maple Leaf Gardens: History of Toronto's Hockey Arena: Maple Leaf Gardens opened November 12, 1931 and hosted the Leafs until 1999. Financing, architects, heritage status and its new life as a store.
Related reading
- CN Tower history, beside the stadium district
- Union Station and the downtown core
- Toronto’s banks and stock exchange
- How the city’s districts grew
- Toronto history overview
Sources
- National Hockey League, Toronto Maple Leafs, “Team History”
- Steve Milton, “Toronto Argonauts,” The Canadian Encyclopedia, Historica Canada
- Major League Baseball, Toronto Blue Jays, “Timeline” (first games, SkyDome opening, World Series, Rogers)
- Society for American Baseball Research, “Toronto Blue Jays team ownership history”
- William Humber, “Toronto Blue Jays,” The Canadian Encyclopedia, Historica Canada
- Adam Francis and Julian Apolinario, “Toronto Raptors,” The Canadian Encyclopedia, Historica Canada
- The Canadian Encyclopedia, “Toronto FC,” Historica Canada
- Wikipedia, “1995-96 Toronto Raptors season” (secondary; first-game details only)
Last verified: October 2026
Cite this page
APA: History of Toronto. (2026, October 25). History of Toronto’s Professional Sports Teams. https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/the-remarkable-history-of-the-toronto-raptors-from-humble-beginnings-to-nba-dominance
MLA: “History of Toronto’s Professional Sports Teams.” History of Toronto, 25 Oct. 2026, https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/the-remarkable-history-of-the-toronto-raptors-from-humble-beginnings-to-nba-dominance. Accessed .
Chicago: History of Toronto. “History of Toronto’s Professional Sports Teams.” Last modified October 25, 2026. https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/the-remarkable-history-of-the-toronto-raptors-from-humble-beginnings-to-nba-dominance.
The pages have no named author, so the site is given as the author. Add the date you read the page if your style asks for it.