10 Most Likely New Owners For The Toronto Maple Leafs

It has been well-documented about the Toronto Maple Leafs' struggles. Their majority owner is the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, but the economy has been tough on the ownership group. OTPP has lost a significant amount throughout their assorted business ventures and have been slowly selling off their stakes in other companies.

While an OTPP spokesperson has publicly stated that they are not actively seeking a sale in the near future, it’s easy to speculate that they are. To own a sports team, you must have excessive amounts of capital at your fingertips. An historic original six team like the Toronto Maple Leafs ups the ante.

Another original six team, the Montreal Canadiens sold in 2009 for a whopping, not to mention NHL record-setting, $575 million and rumor has it the Maple Leafs will go for over a billion dollars. This limits the candidates in the running for purchasing shares of the team. Here are some wealthy prospects who should think about purchasing the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan’s share of the Maple Leafs.

1. Rogers Communication

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TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 29: Vernon Wells #10 of the Toronto Blue Jays hits against the New York Yankees during a MLB game at the Rogers Centre September 29, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Abelimages/Getty Images)

Rogers Communication has reportedly been in talks to purchase a portion of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, as well as the Toronto Marlies (the AHL affiliate), and Toronto FC, the city's soccer team, for $1.3 billion. It makes sense, since the media conglomerate already has stakes in Canadian sports, owning the Sportsnet channel.

The company also purchased the Toronto Blue Jays and now it's time for them to move on to other staples of Toronto sports. Rogers Communication also owns the reputable radio station 590 The Fan, a sports talk station that is a staple for sports fans in Toronto. The station broadcasts live sporting games of most of the Toronto sports teams, but they haven't broadcast the Maple Leafs since 1995. If Rogers were to buy the team, I'm sure they could easily work out a deal to broadcast the Leafs again.

2. CBC/Radio-Canada

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DETROIT - MAY 31: Hockey analyst Don Cherry reports prior tp the the Pittsburgh Penguins playing the Detroit Red Wings during Game Two of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals at Joe Louis Arena on May 31, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Im

The NHL’s broadcast deal with CBC is good through 2014. Then, other companies will be able to fight for those CBC rights. If Rogers Communication buys the Maple Leafs, they may be in prime position to snatch the next lucrative deal with the league away from the CBC for their channel, Sportsnet.

However, if CBC wants to circumvent this, they could go ahead and put a bid in to purchase a share of the Toronto team. After all, CBC is host to the infamous Hockey Night in Canada, and we would all be at a loss without that program and the shenanigans that will ultimately go hand-in-hand (see Don Cherry's wardrobe). As Canada's most profitable broadcast company, CBC could certainly afford to purchase a share in the team.

3. Torstar Corporation

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VANCOUVER, CANADA - DECEMBER 18: Dion Phaneuf #3 of the Toronto Maple Leafs falls on top of Raffi Torres #13 during the second period in NHL action on December 18, 2010 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)

Torstar Corporation owns Canada’s largest daily newspaper, The Toronto Star, as well as several other media ventures including websites, smaller city newspapers and Harlequin Enterprises, famous for their romance novels. The Toronto Star is well known in Toronto, as well as across Canada, and is already quite familiar with the Maple Leafs through covering them in their sports pages.

Investing in a portion of the Toronto Maple Leafs would broaden their sphere of influence, not to mention get them the inside scoop for their publication. As an added bonus, Maple Leafs' captain Dion Phaneuf could be the new cover model for Harlequin romance novels. Who wouldn't benefit from that?

4. ESPN

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PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 05: (L-R) NFL Hall of Famers Jerry Rice, Steve Young and Joan Lynch-Owens of ESPN speak onstage during the 'Year of the Quarterback' panel at the ESPN portion of the 2011 Winter TCA press tour held at the Langham Hotel on January 5

ESPN supposedly would like to become part of talks with the NHL to broadcast hockey games again. And what better way to put themselves in the middle of talks than to get to know the NHL through a purchase of a portion of the Toronto Maple Leafs (because clearly running hockey highlights on SportsCenter is asking too much of them).

The Worldwide Leader of Sports could stand to expand their enterprises up to hockey in Canada. As an added bonus, it would open new doors for the Disney Corporation. Another Disney hockey movie, this time set in Canada, anybody?

5. Buffalo Bills' Owners

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - JANUARY 02: Brian Brohm #4 of the Buffalo Bills throws against the New York Jets at New Meadowlands Stadium on January 2, 2011 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Ralph Wilson's Bills are struggling in Buffalo. The ownership has expanded to include Rogers Communication's owner Ted Rogers and Maple Leaf Sport & Entertainment chairman, Larry Tanenbaum. There’s talks to bring the Bills to Toronto since they’re not doing as well as the NFL would like in Buffalo. They already play in Toronto each year for the Bills' Toronto Series, played in Rogers Centre, home to the Toronto Blue Jays. So there is an idea out there to have the Bills play half of their "home" games during the regular season in Toronto.

Of course, in Canada, hockey comes first, so one way for the Bills to gain a bigger following in Toronto would be to buy a share of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Plus with speculation of a pending lockout in the NFL this year, the owners will have plenty of free time to devote to a new enterprise.

6. Toronto Argonaut's Owner

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TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 25: A Saskatchewan Rough Riders fan holds up a replica of the Grey Cup in a victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers during the 95th Grey Cup on November 25, 2007 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Harry How

Owner of an auto parts manufacturer, David Braley, owns two Canadian Football League teams, including the Toronto Argonauts. As the owner of one of the last remaining sports franchises in Toronto that Rogers Communication hasn't bought out, he should look to branch out to hockey as well. The Argonauts have been very successful in the CFL, with 15 Grey Cup (the CFL's Stanley Cup) wins, the most of any CFL team. If winning championships has to do with ownership, the Maple Leafs could do well under Braley's ownership.

7. David Willmot

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LEICESTER, ENGLAND - JANUARY 11: Runners jump a fence in the Leicester Annual Members Novices´ Chase at Leicester Racecourse on January 11, 2011 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Upon his father's death, Willmot, CEO of Woodbine Entertainment group was left a hefty inheritance- his father's famed horse stables, Kinghaven Farms. Kinghaven Farms gained notoriety (as well as riches) through the 150 stakes race winners they have bred throughout the years, including back-to-back Canadian Triple Crown winners in 1989 and 1990.

People involved in horse racing always have an abundance of money at their disposal and Willmot should put it towards the Maple Leafs due to his proximity to Toronto-Kinghaven Farms is just north of the city. Also, I think that the one thing missing from hockey is oversized hats.

8. ACE Aviation

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TORONTO,CANADA - JANUARY 3: Tuukka Rask #40 of the Boston Bruins makes a save as Colby Armstrong #9 of the Toronto Maple Leafs tries to get his stick on a rebound as he battles with Andrew Ference #21 of the Boston Bruins during their NHL game at Air Can

ACE Aviation owns a majority share in Air Canada, Canada's largest airline. Air Canada has purchased naming rights to the Air Canada Centre which houses the Toronto Maple Leafs. So why not go ahead and purchase a majority share in the team as well? Surely, Canada's largest airline could afford it, and if they owned an NHL franchise perhaps this could help with the international travel involved with a transnational league like the NHL (avoiding controversies like when Air Canada was banned in the U.S. for violating the terms of their flying rights in the U.S.).

9. IMAX Corporation

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CHICAGO - MAY 31: A general view inside the United Center before Game Two of the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Final between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Philadelphia Flyers on May 31, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Heiman/Getty Images)

The Canadian production company IMAX Corporation, of worldwide IMAX theatre fame, operates out of Toronto. IMAX has 470 theatres in 45 countries, at last count in September 2010. The revenue that all those theatres produce should be put to good use. How about the hometown hockey team, the Toronto Maple Leafs? Think of how awesome everything on the video screen could be! Cue a dark arena and a creepily deep voice announcing tonight’s starting lineup. The excitement is already building. IMAX, make it so!

10. Tim Horton's

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LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 10: Kris Versteeg #32 of the Toronto Maple Leafs hugs Darryl Boyce #47 following Boyce's goal at 2:27 of the second period against Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center on January 10, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by

Iconic Canadian breakfast fast-food chain Tim Horton's began in Hamilton, Ontario, roughly an hour outside of Toronto. The franchise was started by retired NHL legend Tim Horton, who began his career and played 18 seasons for the Toronto Maple Leafs, winning four Stanley Cup championships with the team during his tenure. What better way to honor the late Tim Horton's legacy than to invest some of the company's revenue in a share of his team, the Leafs? The multi-billion dollar company could certainly afford it.