St. Mike's had to move from Toronto to Mississauga (Which is also in the GTA) and they're still second last in attendance, only ahead of Brampton.
Don Cherry's Mississauga Ice Dogs had to leave.
The Roadrunners lasted 1 season in Toronto.
The Marlies attendance has been lousy since returning to Toronto a few years ago.
Not a hockey town? Ok.
Let me refer to you from the NHL obviously the will-sell-out-no-matter-how-bad Toronto Maple Leafs. That one is clear.
Then you have from the OHL: The Peterborough Petes, Oshawa Generals and if you want to stretch it, the Barrie Colts.
Then we have from the OJHL: The Aurora Tigers, Georgetown Raiders, Burlington Cougars, Markham Waxers, Milton Icehawks, Mississauga Chargers, Newmarket Hurricanes, North York Rangers, Oakville Blades, Pickering Panthers, St. Michael's Buzzers, Stouffville Spirit, Toronto Jr. Canadiens, Toronto Lakeshore Patriots.
That doesn't include the GTHL, which is a massive minor hockey league program which heavily feeds the OHL. So no, you're right, not a hockey town.
Junior hockey isn't appreciated here because we have PRO leagues and teams. For people in the West asking these questions and making these remarks about appreciation and Toronto isn't a hockey town I just have this to say, move here and live here for a few years and you'll start to understand the amount of activities and other sporting options citizens have. People downtown and even in the suburbs aren't going to go spend their hard earned money on JUNIOR HOCKEY! Why would we do that when we can go watch the Raptors play the Heat or the Jays playing the Red Sox or Yankees. Junior hockey is accepted and appreciated in towns that need it! Toronto doesn't need Junior Hockey and Torontonians don't need Junior Hockey. It doesn't mean we aren't a hockey town, we absolutely love hockey, but the junior kind doesn't work in the biggest city in the country.
Why would I go spend money on junior hockey player _insert name here_ when I go watch the PROS in the same area.
Besides, there's quite a few junior hockey teams in the GTA. The area supports a lot of hockey teams as it is.
THN is right. Toronto isn't a hockey town. To help rebuild the hockey culture of the city, any prospects coming out of the city or surrounding region should have a chance to sign with the Leafs over going into the draft.
It sounds like people in Toronto have more activities to do rather than watch junior hockey to me. After the NHL, NBA, MLB, MLS, CFL i could name 100 other ways to spend an evening in Toronto. Junior hockey doesn't interest me
apparently everyone chooses the "100 other ways" since no one goes to Jays/Raptors/Argos and TFC games either.. lol
Toronto is a hockey town. A OHL town? No. Maybe not even an AHL. But NHL? 100%. Last time I checked, being a Leaf town still makes you a hockey town. But even without the Leafs, Toronto is a GTHL town. Minor hockey is HUGE here and tons of stars come from the GTHL.
In Toronto, you either play hockey or watch professional hockey. Not sure why they bring up junior teams as if people won't buy NHL tickets. But then this is a THN article...
Not to mention Brampton/Mississauga and Markham are in completely opposite directions of the actual city.
I grew up on the outskirts of the GTA (Halton) and got my junior hockey fix through the Guelph Storm or Kitchener rangers, why would I want to drive into Brampton? terrible drive that is always under construction and seeing huge population growth. I did however make numerous trips to the Gardens and ACC to catch Leafs games. And I'm not even a Leafs fan.
Could Montreal have 3 Q teams? Because they don't, does that mean they are not a hockey town?
I'm not sure what the problem is, oversature a market and some teams will have to fold.
For instance, using the Lower Mainland as a comparable, I honestly can't see the WHL throwing a team in Richmond or Surrey and expecting to get 3K+ people on average every game. Even if they put it in "whiter" areas like the Tri-Cities or Langley there just wouldn't be enough interest, and the further away from the core obviously less people would want to go on a regular basis.
So you have to be white to like / play / follow hockey?
Not only that, but how does a portion of the population not being white change the fact that TO isnt a hockey town? They are a Leafs town. Everyone knows it. They dont support anything else.
And lets not overblow this race thing. Brampton is 42% white. Thats 220k white people, putting it WAY ahead of many CHL teams.
Let me refer to you from the NHL obviously the will-sell-out-no-matter-how-bad Toronto Maple Leafs. That one is clear.
Then you have from the OHL: The Peterborough Petes, Oshawa Generals and if you want to stretch it, the Barrie Colts.
Then we have from the OJHL: The Aurora Tigers, Georgetown Raiders, Burlington Cougars, Markham Waxers, Milton Icehawks, Mississauga Chargers, Newmarket Hurricanes, North York Rangers, Oakville Blades, Pickering Panthers, St. Michael's Buzzers, Stouffville Spirit, Toronto Jr. Canadiens, Toronto Lakeshore Patriots.
That doesn't include the GTHL, which is a massive minor hockey league program which heavily feeds the OHL. So no, you're right, not a hockey town.
Minor hockey is a different ball game.
And PS...forgot the Marlies . Point still stands, when it comes to Major Junior, the AHL, or any paid attendance league that isnt the Leafs the fans just arent there.
THN has a point, living in Toronto its hard to even find alot of actual leaf fans.
Seriously, you can go up to people ask them if they like the leafs, theyll either say yes or "they suck". atleast 80% of the ones that say yes, you could ask any simple question about the team not involving Phaneuf or Kessel that someone who is actually a fan that follows the Leafs would know, and they'll have no clue.
There's alot of pretenders in toronto who will buy merchandise just to have something to "rep". There's a reason most people at Leaf games don't even look interested or like they know much about the Leafs - because they dont lol, they're just there because they get tickets.
Junior hockey isn't appreciated here because we have PRO leagues and teams. For people in the West asking these questions and making these remarks about appreciation and Toronto isn't a hockey town I just have this to say, move here and live here for a few years and you'll start to understand the amount of activities and other sporting options citizens have. People downtown and even in the suburbs aren't going to go spend their hard earned money on JUNIOR HOCKEY! Why would we do that when we can go watch the Raptors play the Heat or the Jays playing the Red Sox or Yankees. Junior hockey is accepted and appreciated in towns that need it! Toronto doesn't need Junior Hockey and Torontonians don't need Junior Hockey. It doesn't mean we aren't a hockey town, we absolutely love hockey, but the junior kind doesn't work in the biggest city in the country.
Why would I go spend money on junior hockey player _insert name here_ when I go watch the PROS in the same area.
If "other sporting options" is what is keeping OHL support out of TO, then you are kind of supporting the article. As a hockey fan and player first, I'd choose the Giants over anything else you've listed. I guess that's why they do so well here.
Hmm, should I go to an OHL game tonight? Maybe not, the Yankees are in town in 6 months.
Well in that whole area at the moment, they have one NHL team, two AHL teams and four OHL teams (Steelheads, Storm, Brampton and Oshawa) two are getting relocated, do you think all those hockey teams are enough, Winnipeg just has the locked out Jets and thats all, or theres MJHL, so theres too much hockey in Toronto, or they just care about the Leafs, don't know how the Marlies are doing though, but I do know if Montreal they have like two junior teams in the area and the Bulldogs are moving there next season.
THN has a point, living in Toronto its hard to even find alot of actual leaf fans.
Seriously, you can go up to people ask them if they like the leafs, theyll either say yes or "they suck". atleast 80% of the ones that say yes, you could ask any simple question about the team not involving Phaneuf or Kessel that someone who is actually a fan that follows the Leafs would know, and they'll have no clue.
There's alot of pretenders in toronto who will buy merchandise just to have something to "rep". There's a reason most people at Leaf games don't even look interested or like they know much about the Leafs - because they dont lol, they're just there because they get tickets.
I like the irony of "Toronto isn't a hockey town" when Toronto (And downtown Toronto, but a far away suburb in Peel region) has sold out the NHL for decades and has the NHL's most loyal fanbase.
I like the irony of "Toronto isn't a hockey town" when Toronto (And downtown Toronto, but a far away suburb in Peel region) has sold out the NHL for decades and has the NHL's most loyal fanbase.
And considering the Maple Leafs record the most revenue and profit by far than any other NHL team. I guess an NHL city with the most successful NHL team financially, longest current (ever?) streak of sell outs, being talked about for a second NHL team in the city, an AHL team that records almost 6000 fans per game, 4 OHL teams in the GTA, about 10-15 junior A teams and the largest minor hockey league in the world mustn't be a hockey city! It only makes sense, right? Maybe someone without a brain would say that, but any sane person would agree that Toronto and the GTA is hockey and Leafs crazy.
. Point still stands, when it comes to Major Junior, the AHL, or any paid attendance league that isnt the Leafs the fans just arent there.
