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The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club) are a Canadian professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, that competes in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Maple Leafs are a member club of the league's Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team is one of the "Original Six" league members. They are owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, Ltd. and are represented by Chairman Larry Tanenbaum. In February 1999, they moved to the Air Canada Centre, which replaced Maple Leaf Gardens, the team's home since 1931.
The franchise was founded in 1917, operating simply as Toronto and known today as the Toronto Arenas, as it was operated by the Toronto Arena Company, owners of the Arena Gardens arena. In 1919, the NHL transferred the franchise to new owners who christened the team the Toronto St. Patricks. The franchise was sold in 1927 and was renamed the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club. The team colours are navy blue and white.
The Maple Leafs have won thirteen Stanley Cup championships, second only to the 24 championships of their primary rival, the Montreal Canadiens. They won their last championship in 1967. Their 48-year drought between championships is currently the longest in the NHL.
With an estimated worth of US$1.3 billion, the Leafs are the most valuable franchise in the NHL, followed by the New York Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens. In 2015, they were ranked by Forbes as the 37th most valuable sports team in the world (and the only NHL team to be in the top 50).