Bill Watters on AM640: Second arena in Toronto?

[Melrose Munch]

I would remain a Leafs fan, but I know many, many people who would get behind this.

Like we haven't heard plans like these 10 times over in the past. It always turns out it's some pie-in-the-sky dreaming developer that barely has more than two sheets to rub together...

You scared?

 

[Bryan574]

The Toronto Legacy are back led by Bill Watters I wonder if they're still going to give 30% of their profits to charity

ahh Toronto media real professionals at creating the news...... hey lets not have Quebec and Winnipeg have all the fun.

 

[Pinchy]

Pretending just for a brief second that this is real, isn't the day of middle of nowhere suburban arenas long over?

I'm not debating whether this will or will not happen, but this location would hardly be in the middle of nowhere. It's essentially at the northeast end of Toronto...just north of Scarborough.

I agree that there is a valid argument as to whether a 2nd arena/team would be better served in the east (Markham), west (Mississauga) or north (Vaughan), but Markham is not the middle of nowhere.

 

[Blitz]

Bill Watter's brother's wife's cousin told me that the ACC is being turned into condos & the new arena in Markham is for the the Leafs & Raps...

"Ladies and Gentlemen... Your Markham Maple Leafs!!!"

"Ladies and Gentlemen... Your Markham Rap... Oh who cares?!?!"

Oh yeah, and that'll be $60M for relocation... You can just make that payable to "Gary & Bill" or "Cash" OK?

 

[CGG]

Not that I believe this for one second, but if somehow true, Bill's probably off by a few blocks. I would imagine this would be closer to Kennedy / 407, where there's actually enough land and transit (GO Station plus a Viva hub) and a massive "Downtown Markham" development going on - mostly condos for now, with plans for office an retail too. At one time there was a rumoured aquatic centre going in on that site to host some of the Pan Am games, but that didn't come to fruition.

Not quite the middle of nowhere that some are suggesting, since Markham on its own has 300,000 people, and functions basically as an extension of Toronto to the north.

But still, not an ideal location by any means.

 

[JMROWE]

How many times to I afto say this Toronto will not get a 2nd NHL. franchise because 1. no legitament ownership group has come forward 2. the cost of putting a 2nd NHL. team in Toronto would be astromomical when you figure out what would cost for a new arena , the team it self , comp. the leafs & other costs the total costs could be around 1.5 - 2 billion dollars 3. The leafs will never allow it & given a choice between 2nd team in there backyard or a team in Hamilton the leafs would choose Hamilton . The reason way the leafs would choose Hamilton over 2nd team in Toronto because a 2nd team in Toronto means a new arena has to be built in Toronto which would just not effect the leafs but would effect other events at the Air Canada Center such as concerts , wrestling\mma , trade shows ect. & I doubt the leafs would want share .

 

[ClassLessCoyote]

This story reminds me about the one claim about having a 30,000 seat arena in Toronto and call the hockey team to play in the new arena the Legacy. Only this new story sounds more believeable to others.

 

[JMROWE]

The best place to put a 2nd team in southern ontario is Hamilton why? because Hamilton is the top rated place in which to invest in ontario & 3rd in the entire country . Plus an NHL. team in Hamilton would benfit all of southwestern ontario whille 2nd team in Toronto would only benfit Toronto because the only people going to those games would be people from GTA. like vaughn , markham , Missisauga ect. basiclly the same market as the leafs . This whole 2nd team in toronto thing started when it looked like Hamilton was going to get the coyotes in 2009 & no serious ownership group has come forward for 2nd team in Toronto whille Hamilton has serious ownership groups linning up down the block wanting to NHL. team here so forget it Toronto you are not going to get 2nd NHL. team it is Hamilton or nothing for 2nd team in southern ontario .

 

[Killion]

ahh Toronto media real professionals at creating the news...... hey lets not have Quebec and Winnipeg have all the fun.

Exactly. Now, which team?. Atlanta, Phoenix, Florida, the Isles...... Markham seems to have expanded a fair amount since the last time I was in the area. Clear on over to Yonge on the western boundary including half of Thornhill. Incredible.

 

[Melrose Munch]

Wow, why are the Hamilton people so scared? This is just an idea.

 

[Corey Perry*]

good. but those territorial infringement fees need to be dropped. they're just stupid and counter-productive. the ducks didn't have to pay any territorial infringements.

Yeah they did.

 

[goyotes]

Pretending just for a brief second that this is real, isn't the day of middle of nowhere suburban arenas long over?

They sure should be. I cite the Phoenix Coyotes in Glendale as exhibit 1.

 

[Corey Perry*]

Would it ever be possible for this new team to ever pass the leafs in popularity? Let's say this new team becomes pretty competetive and wins a cup or two, and with the struggles of the Leafs, could they even come close?

This is all hypothetical.

 

[obsenssive*]

ok I was wrong about the lack of territorial infringement fees for the ducks, but mcnall did negotiate the expansion fee from $50 mil to $25 mil because he wouldn't agree to pay the original $75 mil combined expansion and territory infringement fee.

 

[tarheelhockey]

ok I was wrong about the lack of territorial infringement fees for the ducks, but mcnall did negotiate the expansion fee from $50 mil to $25 mil because he wouldn't agree to pay the original $75 mil combined expansion and territory infringement fee.

Well there you go. I'm sure the league would have taken $75 mil if they could get it, but McNall backed them down to $50m because he was dealing with friggin' Disney. That's good business practice. Really what he did was give them a break on the size of the expansion fee, not a break on the territorial infringement fee.

Also let's remember that we're talking about 1992, when the league and economy were in a very different place than they are today. The scale of pro sports is different now.

 

[JMROWE]

Where not scared concerned yes scared no because we all know Toronto will not get 2nd NHL. team because 1. the leafs will not tolerate another team playing in there backyard in a new arena that could steal profits from other events such as concerts , mma\wrestling , trade shows ect. 2. the cost is to great reaching into the billions into a city that can't afford it along with no serious ownership group out there put there money where there mouth is . See a team in Hamilton would not cut into there profits with thoses other events as well as hockey so that is why MLSE will tolrate a team in Hamilton but not 2nd team in Toronto .

 

[hatterson]

Aren't the Leafs proof enough? They've sucked since forever, missed the playoffs the last 6 seasons and have very few draft picks or prospects to show for their sucking all those years.

Anyways, I have a hard time believing MLSE would let someone walk right in with a team right in their own backyard - even with a big territorial fee paid to them. Unless the arena will be owned by MLSE, they won't want another venue taking away events from them.

The big question is if Southern Ontario is a hockey place or a Leafs place.

Do fans continue to support the Leafs because they love the Leafs or because they love hockey and there's nothing else?

 

[Melrose Munch]

Where not scared concerned yes scared no because we all know Toronto will not get 2nd NHL. team because 1. the leafs will not tolerate another team playing in there backyard in a new arena that could steal profits from other events such as concerts , mma\wrestling , trade shows ect. 2. the cost is to great reaching into the billions into a city that can't afford it along with no serious ownership group out there put there money where there mouth is . See a team in Hamilton would not cut into there profits with thoses other events as well as hockey so that is why MLSE will tolrate a team in Hamilton but not 2nd team in Toronto .

1) There is no serious ownership group in Hamilton. Not Balsillie
2) The NHL, especially the Sabres have said no. What more do you want.

 

[Bryan574]

Wow, why are the Hamilton people so scared? This is just an idea.

lol scared? of what? Bill Watters saying something with no substance , no billionaire backing him up , just him and his mic which gives him the platform to say something that supports what he's been advocating for years ?I'll give him credit he'll most likely have his name in the paper tomorrow. Can we please for once have a billionaire say he/she wants to put a team in Toronto not just the Mareks , Watters , and Mccowns of the world.

 

[danishh]

i think a suburban arena in toronto would work. People would complain about traffic, but people complain about traffic going anywhere in toronto anyways. If ottawa can work in a suburb, toronto certainly can.

my only question is whether they're building in the right suburbs. Oakville/Ssaugga would have been my first choices.

and, of course, as with any gta/so arena plan, i'll believe it when i see it. And after that, an arena far from guarantees anything with the NHL.

 

[Killion]

ok I was wrong about the lack of territorial infringement fees for the ducks, but mcnall did negotiate the expansion fee from $50 mil to $25 mil because he wouldn't agree to pay the original $75 mil combined expansion and territory infringement fee.

No worries. It was almost 20yrs ago. Eisner of Disney balked at paying the $50M PLUS the $25M indemnification fee to McNall, settling instead on $50M with $25M going to the latter. Unfortunately for McNall, Eisner complicated things further, whereby he actually only paid $12.5M in cash & gave a promissary note on the balance. As McNall was in deep to his creditors at the time, owing 10X's that amount & needing some breathing room, he needed cash not promises. Its unclear actually as to whether or not he ever collected on the other half as shortly thereafter he found himself incarcerated.

 

[cheswick]

They sure should be. I cite the Phoenix Coyotes in Glendale as exhibit 1.

Yeah great comparison. Appetite for people drive to Glendale to watch a game is the exact same as to drive to Markham.

OR maybe there are way more hockey fans in Toronto willing to go to a game in the suburbs. Just a thought.

 

[danishh]

Yeah great comparison. Appetite for people drive to Glendale to watch a game is the exact same as to drive to Markham.

OR maybe there are way more hockey fans in Toronto willing to go to a game in the suburbs. Just a thought.

people in ottawa hate driving to kanata for games, yet we still go, because we love hockey. Expect the same in toronto.

 

[Melrose Munch]

lol scared? of what? Bill Watters saying something with no substance , no billionaire backing him up , just him and his mic which gives him the platform to say something that supports what he's been advocating for years ?I'll give him credit he'll most likely have his name in the paper tomorrow. Can we please for once have a billionaire say he/she wants to put a team in Toronto not just the Mareks , Watters , and Mccowns of the world.

Where is Hamilton's plan. You can't use Balsillie anymore either.

 

[Bryan574]

1) There is no serious ownership group in Hamilton. Not Balsillie
2) The NHL, especially the Sabres have said no. What more do you want.

1) Their is in Toronto ? ........past 3 yrs in Hamilton three different Billionaries (not media) have displayed interest.... Toronto? Bill watters and his sources lol

2) NHL said no to moving Coyotes to SO market ......... S Ont is MLSE's market, sabres can complain all they want.