He was a lifetime resident of Gary and attended Wirt High School. He wasn't just talk. When the Leafs traded Sittler's close friend Lanny McDonald to the moribund Colorado Rockies on December 29, 1979, a member of the Leafs anonymously told the Toronto Star that Leafs management would "do anything to get at Sittler"[12] and was bent on undermining the captain's influence on the team. We encourage your input. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. He often fought with league authorities, his employees, the news media, the fans and his children, often chuckling as he moved from battle to battle. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Pennants proclaiming National Hockey League championships, Stanley Cup victories and other triumphs used to hang from the rafters of Maple Leaf Gardens. Weve updated the security on the site. Ballard even claimed to possess photographs of himself drinking beer with corrections officers and wearing one of their uniforms. The biggest loss was goaltender Bernie Parent, a superstar in the making, who was offered a WHA contract with financial terms far beyond what Ballard was prepared to match. Some people took him for a boob, but they didn't realize how bright he was. In the end, they reportedly settled on somewhere between $2 million and $5 million in total, plus two seats at the Gardens. However, Bassett didn't force Smythe and Ballard to sell their shares, and both men remained on the board. She was indeed because I personally witnessed it Harolds companion always.. In 1977, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and into the Canadian Football hall of Fame in 1987. Harold Ballard in California We found 17 records for Harold Ballard in North Highlands, Inglewood and 14 other cities in California. She claimed to have been with Ballard for eight years at the time of his death. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. To use this feature, use a newer browser. He installed himself as president and chairman of Maple Leaf Gardens and governor of the Maple Leafs. Besides, what the hell position can a queen play? Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Just as Ballard's trial was beginning, he told Hockey Canada that they were welcome to use any member of the Leafs on the Canadian team, could use Maple Leaf Gardens for their training camp, and could use the building for any or all of the games in the series, with the Gardens' share of the gate receipts being donated to the NHL players' pension fund. He is survived by three children: William, Harold Jr. and Mary. August 17, 2016 Left to cherish her memory is her loving husband Harold of 65 years and her son Gregory (Sharon); grandchildren, Nicole (Stephen), Eric. One particular weekend, he said, Michigan beat rival Michigan State and the local students were going wild, which stalled traffic. I mean, he didn't get his law degree from a Cheerios box. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame (1977) and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame (1987). Neilson did return, without the paper bag. Davidson had served in the Leafs organization for almost 40 years in various capacities. He would entertain at his Thunder Beach cottage on Georgian Bay, where annually he would lead a trail of boats to Killarney, Ont. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. In regard to spotlights, Mr. Ballard didn't seek them himself. Ballard sold the team to businessman David Braley on February 24, 1989. Make a life-giving gesture In Toronto, one of the most British of Canadian cities, with downtown streets named ''King'' and ''Queen,'' a large picture of Queen Elizabeth used to hang in Maple Leaf Gardens. And so, at the age of 25, armed with a law degree from Osgoode, son Bill stepped in and became director and vice-president of Maple Leaf Gardens. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. One of the key players in the fight was his son Bill, a major concert promoter and something of a chip off the old block what he didn't learn at Osgoode Hall Law School, his father had taught him. Mr. Ballard never remarried, although he kept close company in recent years with Yolanda Ballard, who changed her name from MacMillan to Ballard in 1987. Try again later. At age 68, Ballard won a battle with Stafford's family and bought his shares, giving him a 60 percent controlling interest in the Gardens. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. Oops, we were unable to send the email. Ballard famously had his hand and footprints etched onto a concrete slab and placed it at centre ice of Maple Leaf Gardens, which deteriorated the quality of the Gardens ice. Although she and Harold never married, Yolanda had her name legally changed. Learn . They would not post a winning record again in Ballard's lifetime, going a franchise-record 13 consecutive seasons without a winning record. Even after the NHL-WHA merger was finalized over Ballard's objections, it was only the intervention of NHL President John Ziegler that finally persuaded Ballard to not reclaim Keon's rights (which would have effectively ended his career) and allow him to play three more seasons with the mediocre Hartford Whalers. But they were taken down (on the premise that they were obstructing some customers' views). Try again later. However, he insisted on receiving compensation for Keon, and set the price so high that potential suitors shied away, in effect preventing Keon from joining another NHL team. Their best season in more than a decade has been the current one, during which Mr. Ballard was gravely ill and others assumed control. There was an error deleting this problem. In 1957, Ballard moved up to the Maple Leafs as a member of a committee chaired by Stafford Smythe which oversaw hockey operations after Conn Smythe stepped down as general manager and Hap Day was pushed out of the Leafs organization. Ballard pleaded not guilty to all charges. Please try again later. Mr. Finkelstein's True North record label and artist management company was taking off, and so he withdrew from the concert promotion game. "He brought in televised boxing programs and he brought in basketball's Buffalo Braves for a few games of the NBA season. On the second tour, in 1965, Ballard sold tickets for two shows, even though the agreement had been for only one. Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the. Sittler himself ripped the captain's C off his sweater, later commenting that a captain had to be the go-between with players and management, and he no longer had any communication with management. After Day became coach of the Leafs in 1940, he recommended Ballard to the Leaf organization to run the Toronto Marlboros, the senior and junior teams owned by the Leafs. He was also the owner of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL) for 10 years from 1978 to 1988, winning a Grey Cup championship in 1986. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto In the Olympic Village, Mr. Ballard stole an Olympic flag and brought it home as a souvenir. "Silent runner or not, an incident in 1989 put Mr. Ballard in the public arena, where the light was not always flattering. Years later, he told friends that someone eventually stole it from him. The Leafs barely made the playoffs in 1980, finishing five games below .500. HAROLD BALLARD Years 1972-1990 Leafs record 596-736-207 Stanley Cups The skinny Sole ownership under Ballard proved disastrous both on and off the ice. On October 16, 2016, as part of the Toronto Maple Leafs centennial celebrations, Keon was . Edit your searchor learn more U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 Draft, Enlistment and Service View Record information. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Often he was the guest of Mr. Ballard at the arena's private Hot Stove Lounge, where Mr. Ballard awed all with his epic bouts of dining. There is only one Mrs. Ballard and that was my mother (Dorothy, who died in 1969), said Bill Ballard, who was found of guilty of assaulting Yolanda in 1989 and fined $500. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. October 12, 1925 - November 25, 2016 Salem, Virginia Set a Reminder for the Anniversary of Harold's Passing. His disregard for his father's companion, the convicted fraud artist Yolanda MacMillan, made headlines when he was found guilty of assaulting her during an incident at Maple Leaf Gardens and fined $500. When Day was busy with the Leafs and unavailable for games, Ballard would step behind the bench as acting coach. While touring Europe, the Nationals were involved in several fights, both on the ice and off. Entombment will be in the Floral Hills Memorial Gardens. At the same time, Hockey Canada and the NHL Players Association had negotiated an agreement to hold an eight-game tournament between Canadian professional hockey players and the top players from the Soviet Union. In return, he was given an option to buy Maple Leaf Gardens shares from Ballard's estate. She was a canning manager and was a. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Harold Ballard. Not wanting to unnerve Mr. McDermott with the sight of an empty seat where his dad was supposed to be, Mr. Ballard spent the first half of the concert trying in vain to find a lookalike to pass for the senior McDermott. On November 15, 2019, . He was born on February 28, 1945, in Astoria, Oregon. herculoids gloop and gleep sounds As Imlach was preparing to trade Sittler to the Quebec Nordiques, he had a heart attack in August and was hospitalized. Please reset your password. Angry teammates trashed their dressing room in response. Robert A. Ballard, 82, of Mount Joy and formerly of Landisville, passed away on Thanksgiving, November 24, 2016, at Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, VA. Robert was the loving husband. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Yolanda was obviously a die-hard Toronto Maple Leaf fan to her death, and never missed the home opener., Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Torstar account holder. This browser does not support getting your location. Bill Ballard, right, with singer Tom Cochrane and music publicist James Monaco at the opening of the musical Tommy in Toronto in 1995. - Margaret Mae Hernandez, 85, of Dearborn, Missouri, passed away Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, at her home. [2] Just after the advent of colour television in Canada, the Maple Leafs installed a new lighting system. Obituary James Harold Ballard, of Sharpsburg, passed away Wednesday, December 23, 2020. Mr. Ballard married a minister's daughter, Dorothy Higgs, who died in 1969. Three money-losing seasons later, in January 1978, DeGroote contacted Ballard and sold him the club for $1.3 million. Resend Activation Email. Mr. Ballard was a victor mostly, though nervy, cunning, garrulous, generous, protective of friends, formidable as an adversary and sharp as a tack, by all accounts. Ballard's desire to control players and their salaries also put him at odds with Alan Eagleson, executive director of the NHL Players' Association and a player agent whose clients included Keon's successor as captain, Darryl Sittler. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. He trained at the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) in fine arts. This article was published more than 8 years ago. However, Ballard soon began displaying tendencies that would eventually make him one of the most detested owners in NHL history. I think there was a genuineness (to her caring) about his welfare, Stellick said. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. He could not get enough of his grandma's cooking. Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. Follow Brad Wheeler on Twitter: @BWheelerglobeOpens in a new window. Obituaries - for Lincolnton Lincoln County, Cherryville, Stanley, Denver, Maiden .
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