As part of a series on NHL expansion, Adam Proteau is focusing attention on the possibility of Toronto getting a second NHL team, and says there's a very good case to be made that the home of the Maple Leafs could handle a rival.

THN’s new series on NHL expansion continues with the latest look at one of the cities that could land the 33rd or 34th NHL franchise.

This writer recently stated that expansion is likely to happen at some point in the next handful of years, but in these articles, we’re looking at the cities most likely to acquire a new team, and exploring how compelling their case is as they pursue a new franchise.

Thursday, we started the expansion evaluation process with a look at the town we see as the odds-on favorite to get a new team – Houston; Friday, we examined Phoenix, Ariz. as another favorite to get an expansion team; Saturday, we focused on Atlanta, Ga. and today, we’re breaking down the prospect of a second team in Toronto.

TORONTO

Population, Toronto Proper: 2,794,356 (as of 2021 census) 

Population, Greater Toronto Area: 6,202,225

Toronto is now the fourth-most populous North American city, behind Mexico City, New York City and Los Angeles. Toronto is home to the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, the MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays and the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs.

TV Market Ranking: Toronto is the biggest media market in Canada by far, with 8.29 million TV households. That puts Toronto fourth-overall in North America behind New York (20.4 million), Los Angeles (17 million) and Chicago (9 million) according to statista.com.

Arena: The prospect of a second Toronto NHL team almost certainly would mean the construction of a new NHL-cabiler arena – and the challenge there is to find the right parcel of land to build a new rink on. For years, the possibility of building in the Downsview suburb across the highway from the Yorkdale Shopping Centre, or in nearby Markham, Ont., has been discussed by more than a few people, inside and outside hockey’s walls of power. There’s really no downtown Toronto plot of land that would fit a new team, but make no mistake – if they know building the rink will assure them a second NHL franchise in Toronto, rich folks will be lining up to put up the (private) money for such a project.

Forget the rumors the Maple Leafs have a veto over the creation of a second Toronto team; NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly are both on the record stating the Leafs hold no such veto power – and if there’s a will, and there’s enough money involved, there’s always going to be a way to get this type of deal done.

Hockey History: Where to begin? Toronto is a hockey city’s hockey city, and while some can and do make the argument Toronto is more of a Leafs Town than a Hockey Town, from our perspective, there’s more than enough hockey love in Toronto to sustain a second NHL team for the region. The thrill of seeing an organization built from the ground up would drive interest in the first year of a second Toronto team, and from there, it comes down to what it always comes down to in every market: winning.

It’s easy to understand why the Leafs wouldn’t want another group parachuting into the picture – a second Toronto team would bite into their considerably large piece of the NHL’s financial pie – but there’s also the possibility of having a second Toronto team drive an instant rivalry for the T.O. market that takes the business to new heights. Our opinion: It’s a no-brainer, given what we know about Toronto hockey fans. Give them a winning organization, and you’ll have them for life. And if the Leafs are confident in their blueprint for success, a second Toronto team shouldn’t be a non-starter for them. They should welcome the challenge, and use it as a jump-off point to make their product the cream of the crop. 

Ultimately, if you know the degree of Toronto’s love for the sport, you know Torontonians would be champing at the bit to get an alternative option for NHL hockey in the area. They're the lifeblood of the industry, and they deserve it.

Why Toronto is Worth Considering: Look at it this way: if the greater New York City Area can sustain three NHL teams in close proximity, and if California itself can sustain three teams – and if Dallas soon gets Houston as their own built-in NHL rivalry – then surely Toronto can sustain two teams. And giving genuine competition to the Leafs could be just the tonic the Leafs need to ratchet up their on-ice product.

You’ll never see Leafs Nation truly abandon this team, and that’s to the credit of the well-managed Buds organization. But using a second Toronto team as the foundation of a new-era megabucks-making rivalry makes a lot of business sense for the Leafs. The NHL and the rest of the league should be firmly supporting this idea, as it would push Hockey-Related Revenue to new heights. More money for the Leafs and more money for other teams in terms of revenue sharing. Lots of winners in a world where there are two Toronto NHL teams. And if Toronto is the engine that drives the league, why can’t a second engine drive even more money everyone’s way?

Toronto has its fervent supporters for Blue Jays baseball and Raptors basketball, but Leafs devotion is a little bit different. That said, anything that’s competing on a global scale is something Toronto sports fans want to be emotionally and financially invested in. For that reason, another NHL team would immediately be embraced, and would quickly become one of the most valuable franchises in the league.

The Chicago Cubs have the White Sox in their area. The NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets always draw comparisons to one another. The New York Knicks have the Brooklyn Nets, and California has four freaking NBA teams. Asking for another NHL team in Toronto isn’t selfish – it’s what the market can bear. We suspect most Toronto hockey fans could still love the Leafs while at the same time appreciating and following a second Toronto team.

For a multitude of reasons, Toronto can handle two NHL teams. And the longer it goes without a second team, the more Toronto will have an appetite for one. Other cities will probably get a team before Toronto gets a second team, but the league ought to reconsider the merits of giving them a new franchise. The business of the game can handle it, and the culture of the game would welcome it. More jobs for players, more media attention and more opportunities for people in the hockey world on and off the ice. Though we’re not holding our breath for a second team, this should be the way for the NHL in its most lucrative market. Other towns got the chance to prove they can be the home of multiple teams, and Toronto should get that same chance.