TORONTO, April 23 (UPI) -- The National Hockey League is in talks with a group of investors who want to bring a second team to Toronto, the Globe and Mail reported Thursday.
The newspaper said an unidentified group met with NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly last week for more than two hours, suggesting a new arena northwest of Toronto, well away from the Toronto Maple Leafs' downtown Air Canada Center home. Discussions were also held with the NHL Players' Association, but both the league and union declined to comment on the talks, the Globe said.
Previous attempts at launching a second team have been deflected by the league, which is concerned with the financial impact on the Maple Leafs and the Sabres in Buffalo (100 miles from Toronto), the report said.
Sources said the bidding focuses on moving the financially strapped Phoenix Coyotes franchise, which is reported to expect a loss of $35 million this year, the Globe said. The NHL has already intervened to bridge-finance the team this year and is in talks about breaking an arena lease through 2033 in Glendale, Ariz., the report said.
