Toronto looking to get second NHL team with first three seasons in Hamilton
- Oluseyi Olomodosi
- 05 Nov 2019
A new Toronto-based NHL team may be on the way, and they just might take up residence on the ice in Hamilton for a few years.
Only 7 of the NHL’s 31 current teams are Canadian, and even Winnipeg’s team has only been around since 2011 after a 15 year hiatus. Canadians have long petitioned for another NHL team, but with the NHL’s recent expansions into Las Vegas and Seattle, the push to bring another team North seems to be growing.
While fans and investors usually focus on Quebec City, former home of the Nordiques, there has also been buzz about the GTA’s potential to support another hockey club. On Friday, Toronto Legacy Sports & Entertainment announced plans to renew efforts to bring a second team to the city – the Toronto Legacy Aces.
TLSE also announced they had secured a $5 billion private investment for a new mixed-use development near Sheppard-Yonge, where they would build the Legacy Aces’ arena.
TLSE is in the process of submitting the proposal this week, and have stated that the developer is willing and ready to pay for the land as early as next Friday. No matter what, they are 100% going forward with the real estate development. The only question is whether or not they will also be building an arena and receiving an expansion offer from the NHL.
I really think we should consider getting a second hockey team in Toronto like New York, we need to show the @MapleLeafs that we have options so they can stop abusing our support.
— Kyro Maseh (@KyroMaseh) April 24, 2019
If the arena is approved, they intend for it to be the biggest hockey arena on the planet. While the GTA’s hockey scene is dominated by the Maple Leafs, the idea of the city fielding a second team is nothing new. Cities like New York and Los Angeles are already doing it in the NHL, with other major North American sports leagues having examples of big markets hosting two teams.
The NHL would likely be hesitant to divide their biggest, most profitable market with a second team, but fans might benefit from increased competition. The presence of a second NHL team could boost the league’s accessibility to locals, especially given the traditionally exorbitant price of Leafs tickets.
TLSE’s plan is for the team to enter NHL competition in 2021-22 alongside Seattle, although it is questionable as to how realistic that timeframe – or expansion at all for that matter – is with the NHL’s plans.
If the Legacy Aces manage to get through all the possible roadblocks and are ultimately approved, they will play their first three years in Hamilton while their downtown arena is completed.
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