Takin' a T/O with BT: 10 Thoughts About the Toronto Legacy

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

5. The "Arena"

While most teams are building concourses in their arenas and doing various projects around the city, Lopez and company seem to want to do everything in one fell swoop.

Not only will the Legacy's arena seat 30,000 fans (by far the most in any NHL building), but it'll have a swimming pool (One can only hope it's as cool as the one at Chase Field), an athletic centre, four outdoor skating rinks (The NHL Heritage Classic—all four games LIVE from Toronto!), an outdoor public space, and much more.

The Legacy and their ownership provided the area, not only with a professional sports franchise, but they also just set the community for life with all of the new features.

Before the team even takes to the ice, they're trying to involve the community, not just the fans, in the experience.

Sidenote: It's been forever since I've done two of these, however, this is a necessity. Is 30,000 seats too much for an NHL team?

Obviously we'll never know about site lines until we actually sit in the building, but it seems that this is a small step on the road to competing with 70,000-seat football stadiums.

Here's another question: Does this automatically become the loudest arena in the NHL thanks to so many people in such a close proximity, or does it become a dead crowd because of all the people trapped in such an open space?

Makes you think doesn't it.

4. $50 Tickets

Yes, that's right—something in the Toronto-area that's affordable.

Tired of waiting 12 years for a Leafs season ticket holder to die (or the less morbid option: move away) so that you can move up one spot on a 12-page waiting list (assuming each page carries 1,000 names)?

Want to be able to buy a pretzel or lease a car while planning on seeing an NHL game? Well, I'll be—you can do that now.

Affordable, available tickets. What a novelty. And did we mention: that's not just a section, that's half of the available seating!

Congratulations, someone finally gets the limits of an average family's income.

3. The Name

Bleacher Report writer Josh Lewis and I have already discussed this: The name "Toronto Legacy" makes this sound like a Major League Soccer franchise.

I've never understood why names like "Galaxy", "Legacy" and "Revolution" work specifically for soccer franchises but not in any other sport.

The fact is, that's the only sport (soccer) where a name like that will work. Especially for a team that has yet to build it's legacy.

What's even worse is that, in doing this you eliminate the most magical moment of a new franchises' existence: The "name your team" contest where potential fans send in names that may very well doom the team's chance at success for the next 20 years until it's moved to Wyoming, or they rename the team.

There's also the "name the mascot" competition, but what exactly would the mascot for a team called the Legacy be?

2. The Jerseys

First of all, because I haven't formally plugged it yet, here's the Toronto Legacy Web site in all of it's thunderous glory.

Scroll down and you'll find a link to download the jersey design.

To me, this looks a tad too All-Starish. The logo is very busy and I feel like I'm about to sit down for All-Star Weekend rather than an NHL game. The crest featuring the Toronto skyline is impressive, but could be more practical as a shoulder patch.

All in all, I don't like it. Then again I'm the guy who likes these jerseys, so what's that worth in the end.

1. Competition for the Toronto Maple Leafs

The Leafs have been steadfast in the defense of their territory ever since Jim Balsillie began his quest to "Make it Seven" with another team in the Hamilton Area.

The team that's been making money since 1917 is worried about their bottom line shrinking. The team that's been ranked as the richest, most-profitable, most-expensive and wallet-bludgeoning team in the league is worried about this?

Yeah, I buy that.

The fact that the $50 tickets are affordable for a family is an attractive draw for the Toronto Legacy, but the Leafs win out in prestige. If the Legacy were to come to fruition, the cross-over of people on the waiting list for Leafs tickets and people going to the Legacy games would be fairly high.

And in the end, it's the Leafs who have the Legacy. It's the Leafs who have the history. It's the Leafs who have the following.

Until booing a 21-year old goalie goes out of style, no one is going to stop following the Leafs. That's just the way it is.

What will happen though, is cross-over revenue. Because of the proximity, the Leafs will have another outlet for a small amount of NHL gear (kind of like you can buy other team's hats at Toronto Blue Jays games).

In the video on the front page of the Toronto Legacy Web site, they're also promoting the wearing of a Leafs jersey, which is a plus in the business world.

And what if the team falters? Well, then people will flock back to the Leafs as if nothing ever happened.

There may be a small drain on the budget for Toronto's first team, but in the grand scheme of things, the ability to market the rivalry, invade the premises with their merchandise, and cash-in on the fan-turnover between the two teams eventually outweighs it.

Try convincing the Leafs of that though.

All in all, the plan is fairly solid for Lopez and his group of investors.

The biggest catching points that he's already tackled are having the money and support to go forward—he has $1-billion Canadian lined up already—and having the actual plan in hand and not going through it without a clue.

Unfortunately, he's going to have to deal with Mr. Bettman sooner rather than later, and methinks after his court date, he won't be a very happy camper.

Bryan Thiel is a Senior Writer and an NHL Community Leader for Bleacher Report. If you want to get in contact with Bryan you can do so through his profile or email him at bryanthiel74@hotmail.com. You can also check out all of his previous work in his archives.

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