History
The AHL had a strong presence in Atlantic Canada in the 1980s and 1990s, but by 2004, the St. John's Maple Leafs were the only remaining team in the region. Although the team was extremely popular and had excellent attendance, the desire of the parent Toronto Maple Leafs to reduce travel costs and have a tenant for its Ricoh Coliseum resulted in the team's relocation to Toronto for the 2005–06 season. Previous minor league and junior ventures in Toronto had not met with success, and there was a general feeling that Toronto fans were only interested in the NHL and not any other levels of hockey. With the Marlies as the Leafs top affiliate, it was felt that this obstacle could be overcome. Attendance of barely 2,800 for the Marlies first home playoff game in April 2006 again raised questions about the viability of a second pro hockey franchise in Toronto. However recent years, including being one of the teams with the highest average attendance in the 2011-12 playoffs (consistently near capacity) have quelled that feeling.
The team is named after the former Toronto Marlboros junior hockey team, but the abbreviated "Marlies" name was chosen to avoid any potential association with the similarly named cigarette brand.
Their major rivals are the Rochester Americans and the Hamilton Bulldogs, located down Queen Elizabeth Way. The Maple Leafs also have a rivalry with the Bulldog's parent club, the Montreal Canadiens.
This market was previously served by:
- Toronto Roadrunners (2003–04)
Read more about this topic: Toronto Marlies
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