Rumor: Sportsnet's Chris Johnston Thornton and Leafs have mutual interest.

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LEAFSANDBILLSFAN

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May 3, 2020
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I spent my early childhood between London and Chatham, and while Wings fans were very visible, it was still mostly Leafs.

I think the 'hometown' label in the Toronto/Ontario context isn't meant to be taken literally, it's almost a Southern Ontario cultural thing. It's a bit like a player from anywhere in Quebec being treated as hometown in Montreal. Even if you're well south of London, you can still feel as if you're in Toronto's orbit. Detroit doesn't feel like it's 'ours' the way Toronto does, an international border does after all make a difference. Though I can imagine in Windsor people don't see it that way since Detroit is right there.

Exactly hometown to me as it pertains to guys signing in the NHL is region proximity not literal hometown. Most guys weren't born in Toronto they were born in the cities/towns around it. It's a silly discussion of semantics. To me Southern Ontario is a culture and a place and from London to Peterborough across to St. Catherine's and up to Barrie and everything in between is in that culture. Toronto is the center of it. Detroit is so far removed from the conscious of anyone in Ontario who does not live in Windsor and Sarnia. No one cares about Detroit. Certainly not people in the London, St. Thomas, and Port Stanley corridor. Again Toronto is as close if not closer to this region than Detroit. The GTA which is where you really start to feel Toronto is alot closer than Detroit. You can be in Milton which is the first part of the GTA in just over an hour from St. Thomas.
 
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LeafsTop6

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Jan 9, 2009
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Been to Western many times as well. Again Leafs country. Know a fair amount of Londoners. Again mostly Leafs fans.

Went to Western myself, there were many times more leafs than detroit fans.

Also I have family North of Thunderbay that is closer to the PEG than Toronto but its still mostly Toronto fans up there..
 
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Budz

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Jan 28, 2013
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Not really. It actually pretty much dead center between the two. People think you hit London and Windsor/Detroit is right around the corner West as Woodstock is to the East. No Windsor is almost 2 hours from London. Same as Toronto. St. Thomas is beside London.

I live in St Thomas. Can confirm the travel distance is almost identical. Saw Joe last summer driving around.
 

NextYear67

Averaging over a like per post
Mar 2, 2018
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LOL Joe Thornton isnt from Toronto. He is from St Thomas which is 2 and a half hours west.
2.5 hours from "home" is considered home when you've spent your career in the US. Its also only an hour and a half from St Thomas to the GTA. HOME!! wooooooo
 

Rob Brown

Way She Goes
Dec 17, 2009
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No, it is not.
Is it really worth arguing? If Thornton signed with the Leafs and his family is there, he would be able to get there easily on an off day and spend the day, his family could visit for games etc. Not sure why you're arguing something so trivial.
 

Rob Brown

Way She Goes
Dec 17, 2009
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I live near where he is from. An entire province actually is NOT hometown. Hometown means where you were born. If i was born in Thunder Bay my hometown is Thunder Bay Ontario, not Toronto. Take a look at a map sometime indeed.
Sounds to me like you just have a weird issue with Toronto.
 

Rob Brown

Way She Goes
Dec 17, 2009
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lol. You guys are so predictable
It seems to me that you're getting all hot and bothered about people saying Toronto is "home" for him, when in reality him coming back to southern Ontario would be considered home in the context of where he is from and where he has been playing. It wouldn't surprise me if he has family and friends all over southern Ontario and the GTA, so perhaps to him he would consider it like home? Again, who cares? You're arguing semantics for no reason.
 

Red Piller

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May 29, 2013
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It seems to me that you're getting all hot and bothered about people saying Toronto is "home" for him, when in reality him coming back to southern Ontario would be considered home in the context of where he is from and where he has been playing. It wouldn't surprise me if he has family and friends all over southern Ontario and the GTA, so perhaps to him he would consider it like home? Again, who cares? You're arguing semantics for no reason.

So are you.

it matters for the purpose of Toronto thinking they can claim the right to anyone that is born in the entire province. I am not surprised by this attitude though
 

Rob Brown

Way She Goes
Dec 17, 2009
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So are you.

it matters for the purpose of Toronto thinking they can claim the right to anyone that is born in the entire province. I am not surprised by this attitude though
No one claimed any right to anyone, some people said that he might be interested in coming back to Ontario, which was his home.

How do you think Muzzin and Brodie viewed it when they signed here? Or Tavares? None of them are from Toronto.
 

Red Piller

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May 29, 2013
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No one claimed any right to anyone, some people said that he might be interested in coming back to Ontario, which was his home.

How do you think Muzzin and Brodie viewed it when they signed here? Or Tavares? None of them are from Toronto.

When Drake plays in Ottawa he will be coming home.
 

Shanwhatplan

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Mar 31, 2019
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Their bottom six is going to be a lot slower and less skilled with Simmonds and Thornton in and Kapanen Johnsson out

I agree. However, and I’m not saying I necessarily would want Thornton, but I believe we do need to address our bottom six. We have two scoring lines (for the most part, remember Columbus?), so we need two defensively-minded, opportunistic lines.
Personally, I would rather we get someone other than Thornton, someone who can win faceoffs, but also who is more mobile. Someone mentioned Eric Haula, but he may be out of our price range. Also, I don’t have his stats in front of me.
 

serp

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Jan 17, 2016
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I think it would be smarter of Thornton to go back to the Sharks and then chose his choice of contender later in the season. Is Toronto really a contender ? They made some decent offseason moves but does this work out ? Offseason champs usually is worth absolutely nothing.

If the Leafs are looking great later in the year he can still go there later . If they don't ? He goes elsewhere.

I also still firmly stand by the fact that he's a wierd fit on the Leafs with SPezza still on the teams. They're filling the same role.
 

Rob Brown

Way She Goes
Dec 17, 2009
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It’s the same thing. Drake goes to the states and for a long tour and returns to Ottawa. He came home, no?
Yep, if he said "it's great to be home" I don't think anyone would give a shit.

Bieber isn't from Toronto but I'm sure when he comes to the city for a show he says something along the same line.
 
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