TORONTO – John Tory, a self-proclaimed lifelong Leafs fan, wants another NHL team in Toronto.
Tory was on The Edge 102.1 Thursday morning and agreed with the anchor who suggested Toronto needed a second NHL team.
“I think it would be great for the city, I think Toronto could easily sustain a second franchise because if you look at the ACC, if they cancelled all the ticket buyers who have tickets now, season ticket holders, they could find 20,000 more to replace them,” Tory said.
He added the rivalry between the new team and the Toronto Maple Leafs would “smarten the Leafs up a bit.”
Sports fans and several reports have suggested the city could sustain another team. The Conference Board of Canada published a report in 2012 which suggested Canada could support three new NHL teams, including one in Toronto.
“This is the hockey capital of the world,” Tory said.
But don’t think Tory’s wish will come true. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in November that he doesn’t expect new teams in Canada anytime soon.
“If you look around, there is no list on the wall ranking cities where we’re not. We’re listening,” he said at the time. “There is apparently a lot to listen to, but at this point that’s all we’re doing.”
But whether or not there’s a new team in Toronto, Tory said he is “absolutely convinced” he will host a Stanley Cup celebration in Nathan Phillips Square while he is mayor. He did not say, however, how many terms he planned on serving.
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