Léo Dandurand facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Léo Dandurand
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Dandurand in 1949.
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Joseph Viateur Léo Dandurand
July 9, 1889 |
| Died | June 26, 1964 (aged 74) |
| Nationality | American-Canadian |
| Occupation | businessman, sportsman |
| Known for | Owner of Montreal Canadiens |
Joseph Viateur "Léo" Dandurand (born July 9, 1889 – died June 26, 1964) was a very important person in Canadian sports. He was a successful businessman and a leader in many sports. Léo Dandurand was famous for owning and coaching the Montreal Canadiens ice hockey team. This team plays in the National Hockey League (NHL). He also owned horse racing tracks and the Montreal Alouettes football team. This football team later became part of the Canadian Football League.
Contents
Léo Dandurand's Life Story
Early Life and Moving to Canada
Léo Dandurand was born in Bourbonnais, Illinois, in the United States. His family had moved there from Quebec, Canada. When he was 16 years old, Léo moved to Canada. He went to St. Mary's College in Montreal. There, he was a great athlete. He played baseball, hockey, and lacrosse.
A Career in Business
After finishing college, Léo Dandurand started working in real estate. This means he bought and sold land and buildings. Later, he got into the tobacco business in Montreal. His first big step into sports was buying the Kempton Park racetrack. This was a place where horses raced. After he stopped working in professional sports, he owned a very popular restaurant in downtown Montreal. Léo Dandurand passed away on June 26, 1964, when he was 74 years old. He was buried in the Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery in Montreal.
Leading the Montreal Canadiens Hockey Team
Starting in Hockey
Before owning a team, Léo Dandurand was a referee in the National Hockey Association. He also worked with a minor hockey team called St. Jacques in Montreal. In 1914, he helped start the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. He is even known for creating a rule in hockey. This rule limits how many penalties a team can have at the same time.
Buying and Winning with the Canadiens
On November 2, 1921, Léo Dandurand and his friends, Joseph Cattarinich and Hilarion Louis Létourneau, bought the Montreal Canadiens hockey team. They bought it for $11,000. Under their leadership, the Canadiens became a very strong team. They won the famous Stanley Cup three times! They won in 1924, 1930, and 1931.
Léo Dandurand was also the coach for the team until 1926. He coached again for the 1934–35 season. He was also the team's general manager from 1921 to 1935. This means he was in charge of all the team's operations. In 1930, Létourneau sold his share of the team. Dandurand and Cattarinich continued to own the team until 1935. They sold it for $165,000.
Honored in the Hockey Hall of Fame
Because of all his important work in hockey, Léo Dandurand was honored in 1963. He was put into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He was recognized as a "builder" of the sport. This means he helped hockey grow and become better.
More Than Just Hockey: Other Sports
Horse Racing and Other Ventures
Besides hockey, Léo Dandurand and his partners were very involved in horse racing. In 1932, they bought the Blue Bonnets Raceway in Montreal. At one point, they owned 17 racetracks in different places. These included Quebec, Ontario, New York, Ohio, Delaware, Illinois, Utah, and Louisiana. In 1931, he introduced a new type of bet called the "daily double." This bet encouraged people to come to the early races at the track.
Léo Dandurand was also a promoter for boxing and wrestling events in Montreal. He helped organize these exciting shows. He was also a director for the Montreal Royals baseball team.
Founding the Montreal Alouettes Football Team
In 1946, Léo Dandurand helped start the Montreal Alouettes football team. He did this with Eric Cradock and Lew Hayman. In 1949, the Montreal Alouettes won a big championship. They defeated the Calgary Stampeders 28-15 to win the Grey Cup. This team played in a league that later became the East Division of the CFL.
Léo Dandurand's name is on the Grey Cup because he was the President of the Alouettes when they won. He is one of only six people to have their names on both the Grey Cup and the Stanley Cup! The Leo Dandurand Trophy is a special award in the CFL. It is given each year to the best lineman in the East Division. This shows his lasting impact on football.
