Why does Toronto only have one team ?

[GSC2k2*]

Hamilton is not a poor city. East Hamilton is a hole, but there is nothing wrong with the rest of the area including Burlington, Mountain, Stoney Creek and other burbs like Ancaster, FDundas, Flamborugh, Grimsby etc.

Actually, downtown Hamilton (where Copps is) and the norht part of the city (near the steel mills) are the holes. East Hamilton is not a hole per se; it is basic workign class.

As for your population quotes earlier, I believe your numbers are hugely overstated. Hamilton is about half a mil, and i believe that includes Ancaster and Dundas. Barrie is about 2.5 hours away, as is London. Good luck with 7 pm starts during the week.

A huge chunk of TO population is 2 hours commuting time away as well. Good luck with them.

Honestly. This is a ridiculous thread.

 

[Tap on the Ankle]

Another NHL team in Toronto would become nothing more than a novelty. I'm sure they could sell out their first few games, but after awhile the 'wow' factor would wear off and people would stop caring.

Toronto has the population and money to support another team, but they'd have a tough time finding new fans in a city with an old franchise.

 

[Schenn02]

Honestly. This is a ridiculous thread.

I echo the same sentiments.

It would never happen, and me personally, I would never support any other franchise 100% wholly besides the Leafs if another NHL team landed in Toronto. Now even if by chance they made it to the SC finals and won.

 

[Den]

New York has three teams, two struggling at the gate.

Well, then TO has two since Buffalo relates to Toronto pretty much like NJ to NYC....

 

[Den]

I disagree big time... hamilton could support one.

I think it's marginal. Hamilton is a city of 500 thd. Even if you count Guelph, Burlington. I don't know, plus their arena is a 15,000 seater, not good enough.

 

[Den]

I echo the same sentiments.

It would never happen, and me personally, I would never support any other franchise 100% wholly besides the Leafs if another NHL team landed in Toronto. Now even if by chance they made it to the SC finals and won.

Well, TO - not a chance, but the discusion digressed to whether the GTA can support one more. And although I till think Hamilton is not good enough but it is only slightly worse than Winnipeg, which is talked about a lot.

 

[Sens Rule]

Hamilton could support a team. That is obvious despite the above posts. Copps collusium wouldn't do it but about 4-6 million raving mad hockey fans within a 50-100 km radius of the team means it could. I doubt they get a team but if Hamilton had got a team instead of Ottawa during that expansion then Hamilton would be thriving and doing well - Though they would need a better arena than Copps long term.

 

[se7en*]

I think Hamilton could support a team too.

http://archives.cbc.ca/500f.asp?id=1-41-1639-11372

Give it a listen; it's worth it.

 

[Northern Dancer]

Could Toronto finacially support another Team?

Probably

Would they?

Probably not, this is Leafs Nation, imagine putting another Baseball team in Boston, it would never fly.

You nailed it, Toronto is not a great hockey town (the Junior teams and AHL around Metro suck for attendance), it is strictly a Leaf town.
Home of Leaf Nation and their internet associate's BWO.

 

[GSC2k2*]

Hamilton could support a team. That is obvious despite the above posts. Copps collusium wouldn't do it but about 4-6 million raving mad hockey fans within a 50-100 km radius of the team means it could. I doubt they get a team but if Hamilton had got a team instead of Ottawa during that expansion then Hamilton would be thriving and doing well - Though they would need a better arena than Copps long term.

You don't know what you are talking about.

4-6 million hockey fans? Hardly:

A) GTAA not 4-6 million PEOPLE.

B) Not all like hockey.

C) Those that like hockey only like the Leafs.

50-100 km? In the GTAA, that equals 90 minutes to a 2-2.5 hour commute.

Torontonians look down their noses at Hamilton. Most would not be caught dead there. That is the way it is.

 

[MuzikMachine]

I look at Ottawa/Toronto games and it seems there are more Leaf fans than Sens fans when they play in Ottawa. If the GTA would get a 2nd NHL team, it would essentially mean that the Leafs get 45 home games a year with 4 outside of ACC, while the new Toronto ________ would get 39 home games a year. All that would happen is that when the Leafs and the _____ play, the majority in attendence would be Leaf fans that normally wouldn't get a chance to see them at ACC.

 

[J17 Vs Proclamation]

Toronto has the fanbase, population etc to have another franchise. If a rival toronto club had been created around a similar time as the leafs came to be, then it could easily have two nhl clubs, but who the hell would chance from the leafs to the new team now? Not gonna happen.

Hamilton would never be able to support a franchise, not big enough and wouldnt get any support anyway.

 

[Flukeshot]

mississauga could support a hockey team better than hamilton

Totally agree here, and to make it more marketable call it something other than just Mississauga, such as Peel (as in the region) to draw Brampton and Caledon citizens to identify with the team. Smack the arena as close to the city line of Brampton and Mississauga as possible and you draw from a population of about a million people and growing.

Plus it is a largely immigrational population that does not have immediate ties to the Leafs and in general is highly communal and supportive, that I think would jump on the bandwagon of a pro franchise easily.

Then again, finding any local ownership would probably be out of the question.

 

[futurcorerock]

because the NHL hates Canada

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Toronto has the fanbase, population etc to have another franchise. If a rival toronto club had been created around a similar time as the leafs came to be, then it could easily have two nhl clubs, but who the hell would chance from the leafs to the new team now? Not gonna happen.

Hamilton would never be able to support a franchise, not big enough and wouldnt get any support anyway.

Toronto does have 3 clubs (Leafs/Marlies/Raptors)---but they are owned by 1 ownership group----MLSE---

as for Hamilton why are they a Canadiens affiliate shouldn't they be playing in Quebec anyhow

 

[Hawker14]

Well, then TO has two since Buffalo relates to Toronto pretty much like NJ to NYC....

the meadowlands is what, maybe 10 miles from madison square garden ?

the nassau coliseum is further from manhattan, fyi.

geography people, geography !

 

[Hawker14]

Totally agree here, and to make it more marketable call it something other than just Mississauga, such as Peel (as in the region) to draw Brampton and Caledon citizens to identify with the team. Smack the arena as close to the city line of Brampton and Mississauga as possible and you draw from a population of about a million people and growing.

Plus it is a largely immigrational population that does not have immediate ties to the Leafs and in general is highly communal and supportive, that I think would jump on the bandwagon of a pro franchise easily.

Then again, finding any local ownership would probably be out of the question.

the only thing i disagree with is finding local ownership. institutional investors (ie. pension funds) will be knocking at the door, and i highly doubt bay street will shy away. local ownership would be the least of another toronto nhl franchise's concerns as the area has more than it's share of billionaires looking to get richer.

it would be a licence to print money (not too mention finally force the leafs to be accountable).

 

[Michael Morbid]

Stick another team in the same arena as the Maple Leafs.

It works for LA in the NBA, having the Clippers in the same building as the Lakers doesn't make less people go to Lakers games. Funny thing though, Lakers tickets cost a hell of alot more than Clippers tickets.

Just a thought.

 

[TheFinalWord]

Toronto is NOT a hockey market. They are a Leaf market. Look at the OHL and AHL teams. There is little to no support.

An NHL team in Hamilton or Toronto would not survive.

 

[KrisKing*]

Toronto is NOT a hockey market. They are a Leaf market. Look at the OHL and AHL teams. There is little to no support.

An NHL team in Hamilton or Toronto would not survive.

If Toronto is not a hockey market, then please tell me what city is??

I hate the Leafs as much as anyone, but even I will admit that Toronto is basically the epitome of a hockey market. What NHL city would sell-out AHL and OHL games as well as every single NHL game? Even when their NHL team is consistently terrible.

 

[TheFinalWord]

If Toronto is not a hockey market, then please tell me what city is??

I hate the Leafs as much as anyone, but even I will admit that Toronto is basically the epitome of a hockey market. What NHL city would sell-out AHL and OHL games as well as every single NHL game? Even when their NHL team is consistently terrible.

The difference is that Toronto only supports the Leafs. It is a Leaf town. Toronto is the 4th largest city in North America and yet it draws flies to any hockey team that doesn't have the Maple Leaf on their chest and some that do.

 

[Puckclektr]

To say Toronto is NOT a hockey market is just stupid. Toronto doesn't just support the Leafs, there are fans of all teams. When you go to a Leaf game, of course the majority are going to be Leaf fans. Toronto is easily the most popular team in the city, but there are many Leafr haters as well as fans of other teams. Out of my group of friends 2 are Leaf fans, 1 Devil fan, 2 Oilers fans, 1 Flame fan, 1 Penguins fan, 2 Habs fans and one wings fan. That is two out of 10 that are Leaf fans and we are in the suburbs. The thing is you only see Leaf fans on TV, you only hear about Leafs on TV. The city is all Leafs, because who is the media going to cater too, the 1 million Leaf fans, or the 50,000 Oiler fans, or 10,000 Devils fans. I bet at least 25 percent of the GTA is a fan of a team that isn't the Leafs.

 

[E-Train]

the meadowlands is what, maybe 10 miles from madison square garden ?

the nassau coliseum is further from manhattan, fyi.

geography people, geography !

exactly, you can't compare Toronto-Buffalo to the 3 NY metro area teams. The Islanders are further from NYC than the Devils but both are far closer to NYC than Toronto is from Buffalo. There really is not much of an argument.

 

[Northern Dancer]

To say Toronto is NOT a hockey market is just stupid. Toronto doesn't just support the Leafs, there are fans of all teams. When you go to a Leaf game, of course the majority are going to be Leaf fans. Toronto is easily the most popular team in the city, but there are many Leafr haters as well as fans of other teams. Out of my group of friends 2 are Leaf fans, 1 Devil fan, 2 Oilers fans, 1 Flame fan, 1 Penguins fan, 2 Habs fans and one wings fan. That is two out of 10 that are Leaf fans and we are in the suburbs. The thing is you only see Leaf fans on TV, you only hear about Leafs on TV. The city is all Leafs, because who is the media going to cater too, the 1 million Leaf fans, or the 50,000 Oiler fans, or 10,000 Devils fans. I bet at least 25 percent of the GTA is a fan of a team that isn't the Leafs.

and what is this all suppossed to mean about supporting two franchises ?

 

[NJDevs430]

• HSBC Arena (Sabres) to Air Canada Centre (Maple Leafs): distance (per MapQuest): 98.90miles
• Arrowhead Pond (Mighty Ducks) to Staples Center (Kings): distance (per MapQuest): 31.27miles
• Madison Square Garden (Rangers) to Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Islanders): distance (per MapQuest): 27.79miles
• Continental Airlines Arena (Devils) to Madison Square Garden (Rangers) distance (per MapQuest): 10.16miles

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