A sprayed irritant is believed to behind a suspicious odour that forced the evacuation of the former home of the Toronto Maple Leafs Wednesday night.

Hazmat and emergency crews were called to 50 Carlton St., at Church Street, shortly before 8 p.m.

The entire building - including the Mattamy Athletic Centre at the Gardens - was evacuated after it is believed the irritant was sprayed somewhere inside the Loblaws grocery store.

“The police are looking at surveillance video to see if there was anything that was unusual that happened,” Toronto Fire Services District Fire Chief Mike Swift said.

There were initial reports from the scene of people experiencing difficulty breathing and speaking. One person was transported to hospital as a precaution, police said.

In a statement released at around 9 p.m., Kevin Groh, vice-president of corporate affairs for Loblaw Companies, said that the safety of both customers and employees was a top priority.

“We are gathering information, but it would be inappropriate to speculate on any details at this time,” the statement read.

“Most importantly, we are making sure the experts can do their job, and will wait for their guidance on next steps.”

The Mattamy Athletic Centre will remain closed for the remainder of the night, according to a tweet sent out shortly after 9 p.m.

The grocery store is expected to open as usual Thursday morning.