I think the GTA needs another team actually. I lived in the Toronto area for several years and one thing I noticed is that a lot of people are actually losing interest in professional hockey and going towards other sports like soccer and basketball. The live NHL product has become so inaccessible to the normal middle class person that many adults have lost interest and aren’t raising their kids to follow the Leafs. Many new Canadians aren’t being marketed to either. The Leafs are becoming to be viewed by many as a luxury most can never hope to partake in. Yeah, games on TV are nice for people already fans, but the live spectacle and family experience of going to a game is a big deal to growing and maintaining a fan base for a sport.
More hockey fans also means more kids playing the game and more athletes being produced, which is good for the game overall.
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"A pessimist thinks things can't get any worse. An optimist knows they can."
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