"The fans really didn't understand the game at first. Neither of the Huskies' head coaches (or their interim coaches) would coach another game in the BAA/NBA after their time in Toronto. In addition, on the Raptors' website, a Huskies banner was introduced and during the game, the team was often referred to as the Huskies, rather than the Raptors.Managing director of the Huskies was Lew Hayman, coach and general manager of the Alouettes and future president of the Toronto Argonauts and the Canadian Football League, who had been a star basketball player at Syracuse University. By the time their meeting ended, they had agreed to an ambitious plan to launch an 11-team league in less than five months. "Despite his limited playing time, Sadowski led all scorers with 18 points, followed closely by Nostrand’s 16. Previous names: None. “ I honestly think we could have made a go of the team” Newman once said “ But we were given the worst possible home dates.” Unfortunately Bens father took ill soon after the first game and had to leave the team to take over the family scrap and steel metal business in St. Catharines. In 1946 a group of men who owned or operated the larger arenas in America held a meeting in New York, which was designed to establish what we now know as the NBA, the majority of them were involved with the NHL and needed to fill empty dates. In February 1947 the Huskies acquired the tallest player in the league, 7'1" Ralph Siewert, from the St. Louis Bombers. Toronto Huskies Players. Frank Selke Sr who was in charge of the gardens while Conn Smyth was overseas got in touch with Ben Newman. Best performers in regular season and playoffs, and most winning team coaches. Hank Biasatti and Gino Sovran were the only Canadians on the Huskies, each playing just six games. The game’s first basket was scored by the Knicks’ Ossie Schectman, a Jewish-American born in Queens, New York, who has since been immortalized as the first player to score a point in the NBA.Cohalan patiently explained that the Knicks played a different sport called basketball. “Are you anything like that?”That one went a little better for Toronto — a 102–96 win.The game looked fundamentally different than the one basketball fans are used to today. After a heated final frame, the Knicks emerged on top, 68–66. Although the Huskies lasted only one season, their game against the Knicks was a pivotal moment for professional basketball. By the end of the month, they’d capture the 34th Grey Cup at nearby Varsity Stadium on the campus of the University of Toronto. Annis Stukus was also a member of the front office.The team's leading scorer was Mike McCarron, with 649 points in 60 games. History proves us right: In 1946, the first game of the Basketball Association of America (a fore runner to the NBA) was played at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto between the New York Knickerbockers and the Toronto Huskies. The Toronto Huskies were a team in the Basketball Association of America (BAA), which was a forerunner of the National Basketball Association (NBA), during the 1946 – 1947 season. Location: Toronto, Canada Team Name: Toronto Huskies Seasons: 1; 1946-47 to 1946-47 Record: 22-38, .367 W-L% Playoff Appearances: 0 Championships: 0 More Franchise Info Of the 20 players to make it to the floor for the Huskies, only five would go on to play 10 or more games in the BAA/NBA following the 1946–47 season: Sadowski, Mogus, Hermsen, Nostrand, and Dick Schulz.On November 1, 1946, they hosted the first game in BAA league history losing 68–66 to the New York Knickerbockers before an opening night crowd of 7,090. The franchise cost approximately $150,000.00 funded mostly from Bay street backers in Toronto. “I don’t imagine you’ll find many people up this way who’ll understand your game — or have an interest in it,” he was told.Signing up enhances your TCE experience with the ability to save items to your personal reading list, and access the interactive map.The Knicks ran out to an early 6–0 start and led by as many as 15 points before Sadowski helped cut the lead to eight at halftime. The uniform was the same except the shorts were longer than the originals. He and Fitzgerald were the only players to appear in every game. The only Canadian delegation invited was from Maple Leaf Gardens. To them, a jump ball was like a face-off in hockey. Played in NBA between 1946 and 1947. Of the 20 players to make it to the floor for the Huskies, only five would go on to play 10 or more games in the BAA/NBA following the 1946–47 season: Sadowski, Mogus, Hermsen, Nostrand, and Dick Schulz.