It seems every 6 months or so, some news pops up about a plan or project that could lead to another NHL club coming to Southern Ontario, right in the backyard of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
First it was the folly surrounding Jim Balsille and his attempts to buy teams like Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Nashville, followed by his long battle with the league to abscond the Phoenix Coyotes and place them in Hamilton to play in the aging Copps Coliseum.
Now the possibility exists that a new project in the Toronto suburbs will operate as a magnet for second GTA area NHL franchise.
TSN's Bob McKenzie reported yesterday that a massive real estate venture is in the works in Markham, Ontario that would include a 19,500 seat arena that would just be begging for a tenant.
The arena would be built on a tract of land owned by(Rudy) Bratty, just west of the existing GO Transit train station in Unionville, and just north of Highway 407, but would be part of a much larger sports and entertainment complex, not unlike the Staples Center and L.A. Live entertainment block in Los Angeles. And all of that would be just one element of what's known as the Bratty-inspired Markham Centre, a $3 billion , 900-plus acre high-density residential, commercial and retail development that is part of the official plan of the town.
Markham mayor Frank Scarpitti is believed to be a proponent of an arena venture and town councillors are well aware of the project, although they have all signed non-disclosure agreements and cannot discuss it publicly. Mayor Scarpitti will reportedly update council on the project on Tuesday night during an in-camera, or private, segment of the regularly-scheduled town council meeting.
If this project is green lighted, the expectation is the arena will be economically viable even without a major spots tenant, that concert and show promoter Live Nation and arena management firm Global Spectrum are said to have some interest as well.
The report of this potential project is not a sudden revelation.
Last May, former Leafs Assistant GM and AM640 radio host Bill Watters reported the rumors of a new NHL capable arena being constructed in Markham, roughly 30 kilometers north of Toronto.
The Leafs would be the only team that would have any claim of territorial rights or compensation if a franchise were to be moved or placed in Markham, unlike the Hamilton situation which would adversely affect both the Leafs and the Buffalo Sabres.
The idea of putting a second franchise in the GTA has gained momentum with the realization that a number of US-based NHL franchises are in financial trouble. In spite of the fact that a second NHL team in the Toronto area would always be considered secondary to the Maple Leafs and would not make the same kind of profits that the nearly century-old franchise does, the new kid on the block would be much more financially stable than teams in troubled markets like Columbus, Florida or Phoenix.
The number of markets in the US that would potentially be able to handle a NHL team is limited, with Kansas City and Las Vegas at the top of the list, but a move to those cities would not be a guarantee of a profitable outcome. With Winnipeg getting their franchise back, Québec City appears to be the most viable option to acquire an NHL team, but the idea of a second Toronto franchise is something that will just not go away.
It has long been my opinion that another team in the GTA would be a mistake. It would be slightly different if a team were to go to nearby Hamilton or Kitchener/Waterloo, as they would be able to have their own unique identity and fan base, but in Toronto they would always be diminished by the Leafs. It would still be successful financially and a certain segment of hockey fans who are disenchanted with the Leafs would then have an option, but how large of a swath of fans is that?
The opinion has been expressed by many over the years that Toronto is not simply a hockey town, it is a Leafs town.
A new team would be marginalized just as the L.A. Clippers have been in Los Angeles or the N.Y. Islanders have been for years in the New York City market. In spite of them being on Long Island for almost 40 years and winning a string of Stanley Cup Championships in the early 80's, New York is a Rangers town and always will be.
Do you think another NHL franchise in the GTA would be treated as a second-class citizen?
To all fans in the U.S., hope you have an enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday.
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