Should Toronto Get Another Hockey Team???

Question

There are 6-million people in Greater Toronto; it's the fourth-largest market in North America and has the BIGGEST hockey fan-base on Earth. ... Yet we only have one team. Seriously, you could probably put two more NHL clubs in the GTA and they'd sell out every game. Stick a club in North York .... put another one in Etobicoke or in Mississauga .... why the hell not???? It would be a cash cow.

ATTN: two_eighty_eight

I hear you loud and clear. However, the fact of the matter isd that Toronto is a Hockey City ... the majority of us would tick off hockey as our favourite sport. If you got rid of the Jays, the Argos, or the Raptors and put more hockey clubs in the GTA, I think that would sit just fine with Torontonians.

Attn: sgoldperson:

Agreed. The NHL does not need more teams. However, we deserve teams more than Phoenix, Carolina, Texas, or Florida. Maybe they should just give us theirs? haha.

Attn: hockeyg11rl

Yes, like it or not Toronto has the biigest hockey fan base on Earth. Toronto has 6 million people. Montreal has 3 million people.

Answer 1

NO

Answer 2

No. And I'll tell you why.

Can Toronto support a second NHL team? Technically, they could EASILY support a second team.

Would they support a second NHL team? Not a chance.

Toronto is a LEAFS town. Not a hockey town, not even a Leafs affiliation town. They don't support anyone but the Leafs.

The place would see great attendance when playing against the Leafs, Habs, maybe the Sens and Sabres. People in Toronto are mainly Leaf fans and they will stay that way no matter what... thats the one positive thing I can say about them ... they are pretty damn loyal.

With all this being said, Toronto could support a second NHL team better than many of these rumours of the NHL expanding or moving the Pens to a Kansas City, etc.

Answer 3

OK, it'll give the Sabres another team or two from Toronto to beat.

But seriously, if the market can handle it, it would be a good idea. Hockey needs to expand in markets than can handle it and will accept it, love it, and help it grow. We don't need teams 27 miles apart (Los Angeles and Anaheim, Kings need to go even if they were there first, they suck now). We don't need a team in Phoenix (they probably wonder how ice is able to be skated on). We don't need two in Florida.

We need them in Canada and the northeastern United States more.

And socalbmaster - I left Southern California to get away from bright purple loving, Laker and Kings bandwagon fans like you, and the ones who bleed Dodger blue because it's ingrained into your systems that Los Angeles is better. Anaheim is showing total sports superiority right now, and LA people can't live with it. The Kings were pretty much a joke even with Gretzky. They had supposedly the greatest player of all time yet could only make 1 Stanley Cup final run. And I can't even remember the last time they made the playoffs.

HABITANT - The reason so many Canadians are at Sabres games is because season ticket holders know that if they sell Canadians the tickets for the 4 Toronto or Montreal games, they can almost make back the money they paid for those season tickets. We can't even get tickets locally without having to pay jacked up prices for any game this season. I know, I tried to find Sabres tickets, and can't even get 2 together on a weeknight. ALso, I know people that are season ticket holders and are not pleased about sitting in sections full of obnoxious fans from Canada (obnoxious, I'd call it passionate myself, but those are the people I have talked to words, not mine).

Answer 4

Toronto has a hockey team??? they must not have made enough of an impact in the last forty years for me to have noticed...but seriously.. No! as much as the population is there to support another NHL team, the blind loyalty of the Leaf fans here in Toronto would not allow themselves to support another team... and there are a few more deserving cities out there that would make a great home for a NHL franchise..

Answer 5

Yes, they should. Toronto is the only major market sports city that does not currently have two teams for one sport (New York in baseball, basketball, hockey and football spring to mind). Adding another team could give more Toronto-area hockey fans the ability to see NHL hockey, as the Leafs games are frequently sell-outs. I'd say give Hamilton the team they've been after for decades and list them as a "Toronto" team.

Answer 6

most fans that are at the Sabres games are Canadians that can't get tickets in Toronto, and its true and most of the Sabres fans are all jumping on the Bandwagon, you've never herd so may Sabres fans talking till this year you just no there not the real fans. California 3 teams common, half the people in Cali never even seen a hockey game and they can't put another team in Canada. it's funny how allot of Americans think with are money a Canadian team couldn't survive, well if you look at the arena's in the US like Dallas, Florida, Phoenix, Columbus, Carolina, Anaheim, San Jose, Nashville and even NY Islanders they never even come close of selling out but if you did have a team in Winnipeg even with their arena that only fits 15,000 still will have more attendance then all these arenas i just mentioned. Hockey doesn't sell in this city's and we all know it they must leave this city's and move to Canada, or just fold and make the league like it was at 24 teams.



GO HABS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Answer 7

Uh, how about no? That would be ridiculous. We already have enough sporting venues in Toronto along with the Leafs. Raptors, Rock, that new soccer team in that league Beckham just signed with, and to a lesser extent, the Jays. The city of Toronto is already making enough cash off sporting games, we don't need more.

Plus, the result of that would end up in more gridlock; something that this city does not need more of. We already have the worst drivers (and people, mind you) in the world, let's not make it any worse.

Answer 8

Yeah, they're called the Pittsburgh Penguins right now. If they'd move to K-W they'd outperform the heck out of the Leafs and their Bay Street and nationwide corporate absent ownership unconcerned with anything but profits. Who knows though, K-W would make a lot of money but the Leafs would make more until enough CORPORATE "fans" gave up on it or demanded change.

The NHL lockout would still be going on unless Sony hadn't told Bitman they're pulling the sponsorship immediately until he reached something. Then within like 72 hours there we were, an agreement! Makes me sick.

Answer 9

Well, it's certainly not out of the question.
Think of how many States have 2 (or more) teams. Florida, California, New York...
It has been mentioned that the Penguins MIGHT consider moving to Hamilton, ON.
And, as far as Canada goes...Quebec had two teams back in the day. The Canadiens and the Nordiques. So...it can happen. But, of course, that's provincial...not two teams in one city.

Answer 10

Yes they should, in fact you can have the Ducks. I live in southern California and would be perfectly happy with having the Kings in LA and the Sharks in San Jose. Ducks are a great team this year and still don't have much fan support except from a bunch of bandwaggoners that don't know much about hockey. Canada deserves more teams, they give the teams the support they deserve. Hockey is more strongly supported in Canada, I wish it was more supported in the United States but unfortunately thugs bouncing a ball up and down a court is more popular.

Answer 11

It depends on how long this economic recession goes for, and how the trial of "Boots" Del Baggio ends up. I know Bettman has long stated his preference for franchise stability (meaning relocation is the last option), but the current global economic crisis isn't going to magically cure itself, and a sport like hockey that is so dependent on gate and corporate sponsor dollars...you'd rather see relocation than having teams fold. Obviously the metrics of the GTA are a no-brainer. The only hiccup is the sliding loonie.