Sports in Toronto

The city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, has a long history of sport. It is home to a number of clubs, including the Granite Club (est. 1836),^{[clarification needed]} the Royal Canadian Yacht Club (est. 1852), the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club (est. pre-1827), the Argonaut Rowing Club (est. 1872), Toronto Argonauts football club (est. 1873), the Toronto Lawn Tennis Club (est. 1881), and the Badminton and Racquet Club (est. 1924).^[1] A number of heritage venues have developed in Toronto such as: Christie Pits (est. 1899), Coca-Cola Coliseum (est. 1921), Varsity Arena (est. 1926), and Maple Leaf Gardens (est. 1931). Toronto is also the location of the Canadian Football League's headquarters.

Toronto is notable among Canadian cities in sports for having several sports teams associated with American based professional leagues, particularly the most Canadian pro-sports teams in the major leagues.

Sports clubs in Toronto

Professional teams

Toronto has teams in nearly every North American major professional league, including the Toronto Blue Jays (MLB), Toronto Argonauts (CFL), Toronto Raptors (NBA), Toronto FC (MLS) and the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL). Toronto is one of five North American cities (alongside Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and the New York Tri-state area) to have won titles in its five major leagues (MLB, NHL, NBA, MLS and either NFL or CFL), and the only one to have done so in the Canadian Football League.

.

Club	Sport	League	Venue	Established (lineage)	Championships
Toronto Argonauts	Canadian football	Canadian Football League	BMO Field	1873[a]	18 Grey Cups (last in 2022)
Toronto Maple Leafs	Ice hockey	National Hockey League	Scotiabank Arena	1917[b]	13 Stanley Cups (last in 1967)
Toronto Blue Jays	Baseball	Major League Baseball	Rogers Centre	1977	2 World Series (last in 1993)
Toronto Raptors	Basketball	National Basketball Association	Scotiabank Arena	1995	1 NBA Title (last in 2019)
Toronto Rock	Lacrosse	National Lacrosse League	FirstOntario Centre[c]	1998 (1999)[d]	6 NLL Cups (last in 2011)
Toronto Marlies	Ice hockey	American Hockey League	Coca-Cola Coliseum[e]	2005 (1978)[f]	1 Calder Cup[g] (last in 2018)
Toronto FC	Association football	Major League Soccer	BMO Field	2007	1 MLS Cup (last in 2017)[h]
Toronto FC II	Association football	MLS Next Pro	York Lions Stadium	2015	0
Raptors 905	Basketball	NBA G League	Paramount Fine Foods Centre[i]	2015	1 D-League title[j] (last in 2017)
Toronto Nationals	T20 Cricket	Global T20 Canada	—[k]	2018	0
York United FC	Association football	Canadian Premier League	York Lions Stadium	2019[l]	0
Scarborough Shooting Stars	Basketball	Canadian Elite Basketball League	Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre	2022	1 CEBL Championship (last in 2023)
PWHL Toronto	Ice hockey	Professional Women's Hockey League	Mattamy Athletic Centre	2024	0

The

The

Semi-professional and amateur teams

Club	Sport	League	Venue	Established	Championships
Toronto Maple Leafs	Baseball	Intercounty Baseball League	Christie Pits	1969	8
Toronto Rush	Ultimate	Ultimate Frisbee Association	Varsity Stadium	2013	1
Serbian White Eagles	Soccer	Canadian Soccer League	Centennial Park Stadium	1968	3
FC Ukraine United	Soccer	Canadian Soccer League	Centennial Park Stadium	2006	0 (in CSL First Division)
FC Vorkuta	Soccer	Canadian Soccer League	Centennial Park Stadium	2008	2
Scarborough SC	Soccer	Canadian Soccer League	Birchmount Stadium	2014	2
Master's Futbol	Soccer	League1 Ontario	L'Amoreaux Park	2014	1
North Toronto Nitros	Soccer	League1 Ontario	Downsview Turf	2016	0
Alliance United FC	Soccer	League1 Ontario	Turf Sports Field	2018	0
Toronto Raiders	Quadball	Major League Quadball	L'Amoreaux Sports Complex	2019	0

Post-secondary athletics

Universities

Three public universities in Toronto operate a varsity program. They include Toronto Metropolitan University and the TMU Bold (est. 1948), the University of Toronto and the Varsity Blues (est. 1877), and York University and the York Lions (est. 1968). The athletic programs of the three universities are a part of the Ontario University Athletics program, which itself is a member of U Sports.

The University of Guelph-Humber is a jointly-operated post-secondary institution in Toronto between the University of Guelph (based in Guelph), and Humber College, and does not maintain its athletic programs. However, students attending Guelph-Humber can participate in the varsity programs of Guelph-Humber's parent institutions, including the Guelph Gryphons, or the Humber Hawks.

Two independent public universities based in Toronto do not operate a competitive athletics program, OCAD University, and the Université de l'Ontario français. Tyndale University, a private university and seminary in Toronto, maintains several student athletic clubs, although these teams do not compete at a varsity level.

Colleges

There are presently four public

.

Students of Collège Boréal's Toronto campus are also able to compete for that college's athletic programs; although most of the athletic facilities for the Collège Boréal Vipères is based outside Toronto, at the university's main campus in Greater Sudbury.

Junior sports clubs

Canadian football

• GTA Grizzlies

Ice hockey

Social sporting clubs

There are several social athletics and sporting clubs in Toronto. They include:

Sports venues

There are several sporting venues used in Toronto that host professional sport teams and major events. Many of these venues are multi-purpose and can host a variety of sports. However, a select number of venues are dedicated to hosting only a specific type of sport.

Several venues are located near one another, like in

are neighbourhoods that also hold several sporting venues, most of which were built by the University of Toronto and York University respectively.

Venues used by professional teams and events

The following is a list of sporting venues in Toronto that either host professional sports teams or major national or international events:

Venue	Opened	Locale	Capacity	Events/professional teams
BMO Field	2007	Exhibition Place	30,991[m]	Toronto Argonauts Toronto FC
Coca-Cola Coliseum	1921	Exhibition Place	8,100[n]	Toronto Marlies Raptors Uprising GC
Lamport Stadium	1975	Liberty Village	9,600	Toronto Wolfpack
Mattamy Athletic Centre	2012[o]	Church and Wellesley	3,850	PWHL Toronto Toronto Ultra
Rogers Centre	1989	Entertainment District	41,500[n]	Toronto Blue Jays
Scotiabank Arena	1999	South Core	18,800 (ice hockey)[n][p] 19,8000 (basketball)[n][p]	Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Raptors
Sobeys Stadium	2004	York University Heights	12,500	Canadian Open (tennis)
Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre	2014	Highland Creek	2,000	Scarborough Shooting Stars
York Lions Stadium	2015	York University Heights	4,000[p]	Toronto FC II York United FC
Woodbine Racetrack	1956	Rexdale	42,000	Graded stakes races

Practice facilities

Several professional teams also maintain a practice facility. As opposed to arenas and stadiums, these facilities are dedicated to the practice and training of professional athletes. These facilities are typically not used to host official games or events. Some professional teams do not have a dedicated practice facility and instead utilize other existing facilities, like the Toronto Argonauts with Coca-Cola Coliseum (weight rooms) and Lamport Stadium (practice field).

The following are practice facilities in Toronto used by professional teams:

Venue	Opened	Locale	Club tenant
BMO Training Ground	2012	Downsview	Toronto FC Toronto FC II
Ford Performance Centre	2009	New Toronto	Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Marlies PWHL Toronto
OVO Athletic Centre	2016	Exhibition Place	Toronto Raptors

Demolished arenas and stadiums

The following is a list of arenas and stadiums that hosted professional teams, but were later demolished:

Venue	Opened	Closed	Locale	Sports hosted
Diamond Park	1900	1908	Liberty Village	Baseball
Exhibition Stadium	1959	1996	Exhibition Place	Baseball and football
Hanlan's Point Stadium	1897	1937	Toronto Islands	Baseball
Maple Leaf Stadium	1925	1968	Harbourfront	Baseball and football
Mutual Street Arena	1912	1989	Garden District	Ice hockey (later converted to curling and roller skating)
Mutual Street Rink	1875	1910	Garden District	Curling, ice hockey and skating
Sunlight Park	1886	1913	Riverdale	Baseball

Community multi-purpose sports venues

Several multi-purpose sports venues are open to the community and are operated by the municipal government of Toronto or a private sporting club. Regular access to these venues is provided for the public, although several multi-purpose sports venues are owned by private sporting clubs, and may require membership for access to its facilities. In addition to the public, several semi-professional sports and amateur teams also make use of these community venues.

The following is a list of multi-purpose sports venues in Toronto that are used by the community. Venues dedicated to a specific sport, like

are not included:

Venue	Opened	Locale	Management
Birchmount Stadium	1964	Birch Cliff	Municipal government of Toronto
Carnegie Centennial Centre	1966	Westminster-Branson	Municipal government of Toronto
Centennial Park Stadium	1975	Eringate-Centennial-West Deane	Municipal government of Toronto
Esther Shiner Stadium	1984	Westminster-Branson	Municipal government of Toronto
High Park Club	1911	High Park	High Park Club
Lambton Golf and Country Club	1902	Rockcliffe–Smythe	Lambton Golf and Country Club
Monarch Park Stadium	1964	East Danforth	Toronto District School Board
Oakdale Golf & Country Club	1926	Downsview	Oakdale Golf & Country Club
Rosedale Field	1874	Rosedale	Municipal government of Toronto
Ted Reeve Community Arena	1954	Upper Beaches	Municipal government of Toronto
Toronto Track and Field Centre	1979	York University Heights	Municipal government of Toronto
Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club Ground	1930	Bedford Park	Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club

University athletics venues

Universities in Toronto manage several sports facilities for their students, varsity programs, and athletic clubs. These venues are also utilized by several other sports clubs in Toronto, with notable examples being the Mattamy Athletic Centre and York Lions Stadium, both of which serve as hosts to professional teams. Some university varsity teams practice and play in community venues or parks, like TMU Bold's varsity soccer teams, which play at Downsview Park.

The following is a list of sporting venues in Toronto operated by universities:

Venue	Opened	Locale	University
Alumni Field	1994	York University Heights	York University
Back Campus Fields	2014	Discovery District	University of Toronto
Canlan Ice Sports – York	1996	York University Heights	York University
Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport	2014	Discovery District	University of Toronto
Mattamy Athletic Centre	2012[o]	Church and Wellesley	Toronto Metropolitan University
Tait McKenzie Centre	1966	York University Heights	York University
Varsity Arena	1926	Discovery District	University of Toronto
Varsity Stadium	2007	Discovery District	University of Toronto
York Lions Stadium	2015	York University Heights	York University

History by sport

Australian rules football

Toronto currently has seven different

. Some of these organizations operate a men's and women's team.

Auto racing

Main article:

Honda Indy Toronto

Honda Indy Toronto at Exhibition Place

.

The

. Drivers re-enter the Exhibition grounds at Ontario Drive, heading north towards Prince's Boulevard where they turn left (west). The circuit continues on to Manitoba Drive and heads north-east then east until reaching Nova Scotia Avenue. At Nova Scotia Avenue, drivers turn right (south) then navigate a left-right-left series of turns until rejoining Prince's Boulevard and heading east towards the start/finish line.

The city has hosted the race for over thirty years and it is now IndyCar's second-longest running street race, only behind the

in the latter's Cup Series debut.

from 1961 to 1977 (except for 1968 and 1970).

Baseball

Main articles: Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Maple Leafs (International League)

Professional baseball has had a presence in the city at the minor league level since 1896 with the

Toronto interests long pursued a major league team for the city. Toronto was proposed as the home for a

no team ever came to fruition in the city.

Toronto interests put forward a bid to buy the

In 1967, with mounting losses, the owner of the baseball Maple Leafs sough a buyer to keep the team in Toronto.

.

In 1967, a Toronto group was one of six to submit a bid for a NL expansion team.[54]^[55] In 1971, Howard Webster, chairman of The Globe and Mail, made an offer to purchase the San Diego Padres and relocate them to Toronto but it was refused.^[28][56] In early 1974, MLGL announced plans to build a new baseball stadium in Toronto,^[57] but the city ultimately decided to renovate Exhibition Stadium to make it suitable for baseball.^[58][59] Later that year a group called Canadian Baseball Co. led by Sydney Cooper submitted an application to both the AL and NL for a franchise.^[60][61][62] Cooper had previously been part of Webster's group.^[60] At the time it was reported that there were at least four groups bidding for a Toronto team, including ones led by Labatt Brewing Company, MLGL^[61] and Robert Hunter, the former President of the International League Maple Leafs, in addition to Canadian Baseball Co.^{[60][62][63][64]} Lorne Duguid, vice-president of Hiram Walker Distillers and MLGL executive, led MLGL's bid.^[61]

In 1975, the owner of the Baltimore Orioles stated that he was in negotiations to sell his team to a Toronto group.

The Labatt group then pursued a NL expansion team, but when the NL only agreed to consider expanding in March 1976, while the AL voted to grant Toronto a team,[71]^[72] they switched gears. A second Toronto group backed by Carling O'Keefe also applied for the AL expansion team.^[71][72][73] Less than a week later, the AL awarded the team to the Labatt group, which included Webster, and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), for $7 million.^{[71][74][75][76]} A few days later the NL had their own vote on expanding to Toronto and Washington, but while receiving a majority support of 10–2 it failed to pass due to lack of unanimity and was put off for two weeks.^[73][77][78] The NL objected to the AL's expansion in to Toronto, arguing that the NL was a better match for the city with a natural rivalry with the Montreal Expos, and asked baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn to intervene so they could reconsider their own expansion plans.^[77][78] Kuhn requested a moratorium on the AL's expansion plans,^[79][80] but a second non-unanimous vote by the NL on expanding to Toronto^[77][81][82] left Toronto uncontested to the AL. The Toronto Blue Jays' inaugural campaign was in 1977 with Exhibition Stadium chosen as the site for the team's home games. Built in the 1950s, it was rebuilt in 1976 to satisfy the requirements for baseball. In 1989, the team moved to the newly built SkyDome (now known as the Rogers Centre). Although the team performed poorly, placing last in the American League East for each of its first three years, successful drafting and team management resulted in improved performance that led to the team's first pennant in 1985, and culminated with consecutive World Series victories in 1992 and 1993.

The city is also home to the Toronto Maple Leafs baseball club of the Intercounty Baseball League. Toronto has also hosted parts of the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Basketball

Main articles:

BioSteel All-Canadian Basketball Game

Basketball is among the fastest growing sports in Toronto and is the most popular sport among the city's youth and

Ruby Richman, the former coach of Canada's national basketball team, working with the head of Maple Leaf Gardens Limited (MLGL) Harold Ballard, pursued a number of existing ABA and NBA teams to relocate to the city in the 1970s.[97]^[98][99] Richman had a tentative agreement to purchase both the Miami Floridians and Pittsburgh Condors of the ABA with the plan to merge them into a single Toronto-based team, but the deal fell through.^[97] Later Richman held negotiations with the Detroit Pistons, which were seeking $5 million for the franchise, but pulled out when the price was raised to $8.25 million.^[97] MLGL attempted to purchase the Braves for $8.5 million and relocate them to Toronto in 1974,^{[97][100][101]} and again several times later,^{[97][102][103][104]} with Carling O'Keefe also considering purchasing the team in 1976,^[105] but the owners eventually chose to move the team to San Diego.^[106][107]

When Toronto was awarded an expansion NBA franchise in 1974 for the 1975–76 season^{[98][108][109]} MLGL was one of three groups to bid for the rights to the team,^{[98][108][110][111]} but the club never materialized since no group was able to secure funding for the expansion fee of at least $6.15 million.^{[100][112][113]} MLGL attempted to purchase and relocate the Houston Rockets in 1975, which were seeking $8 million for the team, but the teams lease ultimately prevented a relocation.^{[97][99][114]} In 1976, MLGL attempted to buy the Atlanta Hawks.^[102][109] In 1979, a Toronto group which included Ballard again pushed for an expansion franchise, but lost out to the Dallas Mavericks.^[115][116]

Toronto interests considered purchasing and relocating the

after the 2000–01 season.

The Toronto Tornados of the minor league Continental Basketball Association played in the city from 1983 to 1985 before being relocated to Pensacola, Florida in the middle of their third season to become the Pensacola Tornados.

Toronto has also hosted parts of the

137–91 in the Final at SkyDome.

Since 2015, Toronto has hosted the

.

Toronto hosted the

Ricoh Coliseum

. This marked the first time that an NBA All-Star Weekend was ever hosted outside the United States.

On July 27, 2018, Scotiabank Arena hosted week 6 of the 2018 Big3 season. The Big3 is a professional 3x3 basketball league founded by Ice Cube comprising eight teams, each featuring rosters of retired NBA players, with all league games played in one session as a quadruple-header. Toronto is the lone non-American venue city to host a Big3 event.

The Toronto Raptors hosted their first ever

by a team based outside of the United States.

On August 15, 2021 the

.

On May 13, 2023, Scotiabank Arena hosted a preseason

Cricket

The Caribbean Premier League professional Twenty20 cricket league has discussed its desire to place a franchise in Toronto.^[135][136]

The

Golf

There are several golf courses in Toronto. Five of these golf courses are maintained by the municipal government of Toronto, including Dentonia Park Golf Course, Don Valley Golf Course, Humber Valley Golf Course, Scarlett Woods Golf Course, and Tam O’Shanter Golf Course.[142] In addition to publicly-operated golf courses, several private golf and country clubs also maintain golf courses in the city, including the Cedar Brae Golf Club, the Centennial Park Golf Club, the Donalda Club, the Lambton Golf and Country Club, the Markland Wood Golf Club, the Rosedale Golf Club, the Royal Woodbine Golf Club, the Scarboro Golf and Country Club, and the Toronto Hunt Club.

Several private golf clubs whose members are based in Toronto and that once operated a golf course within the city limits include the Ladies' Golf Club of Toronto and the Toronto Golf Club, although the former club later moved its course to Markham, Ontario while Toronto Golf Club moved to Mississauga. In addition to these golf clubs, several other golf courses operate adjacent to the City of Toronto.

Several golf courses in Toronto managed by private golf clubs have hosted professional golf tournaments in years past. This includes the Canadian Open, the Canadian PGA Championship, the Canadian Women's Open, the Labatt Open, and the Ontario Open. St. George's Golf and Country Club has hosted six Canadian Opens tournaments, the most out of any golf course in the city. The last golf course in the city to host a tournament was Oakdale Golf & Country Club in 2023.

Horse racing

Queen's Plate at Woodbine Racetrack was attended by its patron, Queen Elizabeth II

.

Horse racing meets are held at

.

Ice hockey

Main articles:

Toronto 228th Battalion (NHA), Toronto Toros, Toronto Marlies, Toronto Roadrunners, Toronto Furies, Toronto Six, and PWHL Toronto

The city is known for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League, a team with passionate support in the city, and the most financially successful sports franchise in the country. The team built Maple Leaf Gardens, a sporting venue which served as the home arena for the Maple Leafs, and was also used for cultural and other events. Since 1999, they have played in the Scotiabank Arena (initially referred to as the Air Canada Centre). The team's roots stretch back to the Toronto Blueshirts of the National Hockey Association, the predecessor to the NHL. The NHA was founded in 1909 without any teams from Toronto. In 1911, the Arena Gardens was being built and Ambrose O'Brien, who had operated four NHA franchises but decided to get out of the business, sold two of his franchises to Toronto-based groups. The Toronto Hockey Club purchased one, which would become known as the Blueshirts, and a second was sold to a group affiliated with the Tecumseh Lacrosse Club for $500 cash and promissory notes for $2,000 which would be called the Toronto Tecumsehs. They were scheduled to begin play in the 1911–12 season, but construction delays led to the two Toronto teams being dropped from the schedule and they instead began play in 1912–13. After a year of play, the Tecumsehs were sold and renamed the

Before the start of the 1917–18 season, the NHA owners announced that the league would not operate in the 1917–18 season. About two weeks later, all of the owners except Livingstone announced that they were creating a new league, the National Hockey League. Livingstone was not invited to participate in the new league. However, the other teams wished to continue a team in Toronto, and also needed a fourth team to balance the schedule. Accordingly, Livingstone's landlord, the Toronto Arena Company, was given a temporary franchise in the NHL and leased Livingstone's Torontos players for the inaugural 1917–18 NHL season.^[144] Although the team had no official name, it was made up mostly of former Blue Shirts and as a result, the newspapers still called the team the Blue Shirts or the Torontos, as they always had.^[145] The Arena Company had originally promised to return the Toronto players to Livingstone if no transfer could be arranged. Instead, before the 1918–19 season, it formed a new club, which was known as the Toronto Arenas.^[146] This new franchise was separated from the Arena Company. The dispute with Livingstone forced the Arena Company into bankruptcy. The Arenas were sold to a group headed by Charles Querrie for $5000, who renamed them the Toronto St. Patricks. In 1927, with the team in trouble financially due to Querrie having lost a lawsuit to former Livingstone, Querrie put the St. Pats up for sale and agreed in principle to sell them for $200,000 to a group that would move the team to Philadelphia.^[147] However, Conn Smythe persuaded Querrie that civic pride was more important than money and put together a syndicate that bought the St. Pats. Smythe himself invested $10,000 of his own money and his group contributed $75,000 up front and a further $75,000 due 30 days later, with minority partner Jack Bickell retaining his $40,000 share in the team.^[147][148] The deal was finalized on Valentine's Day,^[148] and the new owners quickly renamed the team the Toronto Maple Leafs.^{[149]: 85–86}

When the

In the early 1980s, Ballard and the owner of the Edmonton Oilers discussed to possibility of the franchise swapping home cities with the Maple Leafs, with Ballard receiving $50 million to compensate him for relocating to the smaller city, but the deal fell through.^[154]

There have been numerous attempts to establish a second NHL team in the Greater Toronto Area or nearby Hamilton. The latter briefly had the Hamilton Tigers in the NHL from 1920, when local interests purchased and relocated the Quebec Bulldogs, until 1925 when they folded.

In 2003, the

in 2005.

Toronto has also hosted various international hockey tournaments: hosting parts of the

.

Participation in

The Greater Toronto Area has also been home to several women's hockey team including the professional Canadian Women's Hockey League's (CWHL) Markham Thunder and Toronto Furies. However, the league ceased operations in 2019. In 2020, the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL), later rebranded as the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) announced expansion to Toronto with the Toronto Six taking the ice for the 2020–21 season. The Six would ultimately win the 2023 Isobel Cup as the PHF's champions. It would ultimately become the PHF's final championship team as the league was dissolved to make way for a new Professional Women's Hockey League consisting of the former PHF consolidating with the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association later that summer with Toronto being granted one of the league's six charter teams for their inaugural season in 2024.

On July 10, 2020, Toronto was named one of two cities appointed as a hub city (alongside

beginning August 1, 2020. The plan featured a Stanley Cup Qualifiers round for the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs as well as its first 2 rounds. Of the 24 participating teams, Toronto hosted 12 Eastern Conference teams to their city in the early rounds, while Edmonton hosted 12 Western Conference teams in the early rounds, both Conference Finals, and the Stanley Cup Finals.

Gridiron football

Canadian football

Toronto is home to the oldest professional football team in North America, the Toronto Argonauts, who have won the Grey Cup championship a record 18 times, most recently in 2022. Toronto has also played host to the Grey Cup Championship 48 times, more than any other city and most recently the 104th Grey Cup in 2016. The Argos were founded in 1873 by the Argonaut Rowing Club and is referred to colloquially as the Boatmen in honour of that heritage. The team is also known as the double blue because of the franchise colours (Oxford blue and Cambridge blue); the colour blue has become emblematic of the city and most of its sports franchises. The Argos also draw the highest per-game attendance of any sports team in Toronto and draw the second highest per-game TV ratings nationally of any Toronto-based sports team (after the Maple Leafs hockey club). In the early 1970s, Maple Leaf Gardens Limited announced plans to apply for a second Canadian Football League team to be based in Toronto which would play at Varsity Stadium, but the proposal never went anywhere.^{[156][157][158]} During his tenure as owner of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Ballard repeatedly threatened to move the franchise to Varsity Stadium,^[159] but the move was vetoed by the Argos.^[160] The GTA Grizzlies is another semi-professional junior team of the Canadian Junior Football League; playing their home games at Centennial Park Stadium.

Toronto has also hosted the

began accepting bids from other cities to host the event. Since then, Toronto has won 2 additional bids to host Vanier Cup Championships in 2007 and 2012 to coincide with both the 95th and 100th Grey Cups being played during the same weekend in the city.

American football

Toronto also has a long history with

There have been several failed attempts to establish a professional American football franchise in Toronto in the past. A Toronto group submitted a bid for an American Football League expansion team for the city in 1960, the expansion fee set at $125,000, with plans to play in the league's second season in the following year.

During John Bassett's ownership of the Argonauts from the late 1950s to early 1970s, he entertained various machinations for bringing American football to Toronto, including moving the Argos to the NFL or bringing an NFL team to the city alongside the Argos.

There were numerous attempts to bring the

Toronto also hosted a series of

between 2007 and 2010.

Toronto was granted an expansion team in the women's Lingerie Football League (now the

, which at the time was played by women in lingerie and football pads, though players now wear more standard athletic apparel.

Lacrosse

Main articles: Toronto Rock, Hamilton Nationals, Toronto Tomahawks, and Toronto Maple Leafs (NLA)

The city previously had several professional

The Toronto Maple Leafs competed in the inaugural season of the National Lacrosse Association in 1968 at the Gardens.^[220] Stafford Smythe and Harold Ballard, part owners of the NHL Maple Leafs, were two of the five founding partners of the club,^[221] but financial difficulties forced MLGL to take over ownership midway through the season.^{[220][222][223]} The NLA suspended operations prior to the following season.^[223][224] However, the eastern division of the NLA reconstituted itself as the Eastern Professional Lacrosse Association, in which the Maple Leafs competed in 1969.^{[225][226][227]} By 1970 the pro league had disbanded.

The

The

In 2009, the

in Hamilton.

Rugby football

Rugby league

In 2014, Toronto investors submitted an application for a professional

for the 2018 season.

In 2018, the Wolfpack reached

.

In July 2020, Toronto Wolfpack withdrew from the

The amateur Ontario Rugby league competition has fluctuated between 2 and 4 teams since it began in 2010.[248]

The Canada national rugby league team, nicknamed the Wolverines, are also based at Lamport Stadium.

Rugby union

Main articles:

Toronto Rebellion and Toronto Arrows

Amateur rugby is organized under the Toronto Rugby Union, a branch of Rugby Ontario. There are over 20 clubs in the city and surrounding area.^[249] There a 4 divisions for Toronto teams as well as the top teams playing in the province-wide Marshall Premiership and McCormick Cup competitions.^[250] Rugby has been played in Toronto since the 1870s, although at times sporadically. The oldest of the current clubs date back to the 1940s and '50s, starting with the Wanderers in 1949.^[251]

The semi-pro

In 2017, the Ontario Arrows were formed as a semi-professional version of the Ontario Blues. They began playing a series of exhibition games against MLR, American amateur clubs, and other opposition, to prepare for applying to join

Running

The city is home to two marathons: the Toronto Marathon (held annually in May from Mel Lastman Square, in the north end of Toronto to Ontario Place) and the Toronto Waterfront Marathon (held annually in October throughout downtown Toronto). Toronto also hosts the annual Sporting Life 10K which is a charitable fundraising 10K run held in May from Yonge & Davisville to Lake Shore Boulevard near Ontario Place.

Soccer

Main articles:

Toronto Blizzard (1986-93), Toronto ThunderHawks, Toronto Shooting Stars, Toronto Lynx, Toronto FC II, Mississauga MetroStars, and York United FC

The popularity of soccer reflects the city's demographics; Toronto is a multicultural city with a large immigrant population that has long-established roots with the game.

Toronto has had teams in a number of first division soccer leagues of the United States. The

the team played until the NASL folded in 1984.

In 1994, then part owner of

in MLS as its first international team.

TFC Academy

.

Toronto has also hosted professional

Toronto has also been home to numerous minor pro soccer teams. The Toronto Nationals played in the

, where they competed until 2014.

Toronto hosted parts of the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Toronto also hosted the 2010 Major League Soccer championship match between FC Dallas and Colorado Rapids (Colorado defeated Dallas 2–1). It was the first time the MLS Cup took place outside of the United States.

Toronto would go on to host 2 more MLS Cups. On December 10, 2016, the

On June 16, 2022, FIFA officially announced Toronto as one of two host cities in Canada for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be held in the USA, Mexico, & Canada.^[293] BMO Field was listed as a potential venue for the World Cup from as early as 2017 during the initial bidding stage.^[294]

Tennis

Canada Masters

.

The

. The events alternate from year-to-year between the cities of Montreal and Toronto. In odd-numbered years, the men's tournament is held in Montreal, while the women's tournament is held in Toronto, and vice versa in even-numbered years. The competition is played on hard courts.

From 1971 until 1990, Toronto hosted the Toronto Molson Light Challenge a second annual professional men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts at Maple Leaf Gardens. The final tournament took place in February 1990 at the SkyDome and went by the tournament name Skydome World Tennis.

In 1974, the

.

Ultimate

Main articles:

Flying disc games

Disc ultimate has become one of today's fastest growing sports.

Multi-sport events

The first major multi-sport event that the city of Toronto hosted was the 1976 Summer Paralympics. It was the fifth edition of the Paralympic Games and the first time it was hosted in Canada. Toronto also hosted the first ever World Masters Games in 1985 as well as the 1997 Special Olympics World Winter Games, the 2017 North American Indigenous Games, and the 2017 Invictus Games.

In 2009, Toronto submitted a bid to host the Pan American Games and Parapan American Games, subsequently winning both of them for 2015. After successfully hosting both the 2015 Pan Am and Parapan American Games, the city briefly considered another Olympic bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics,^[305] but on September 15, 2015, Toronto Mayor John Tory announced that the city would not be a candidate for a bid.^[306]

Toronto submitted bids to host the Summer Olympic Games five times: 1960, 1964, 1976, 1996 and 2008.^[305] The closest it came to winning the games was in 2008, when it finished second to Beijing by a vote of 56–22. Varsity Stadium on the campus of the University of Toronto, hosted some of the matches of the Olympic football tournament of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.

Sports culture

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2019)

Rivalries

Due to their geographic locations, Toronto has an intense sports rivalry with several Canadian cities around the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor, in addition to American cities around the Great Lakes.

The Canadian football team, the Toronto Argonauts have a rivalry with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats since 1873, and is heightened during the Labour Day Classic).^[307] The Argonauts also share a rivalry with the Ottawa Redblacks and the Montreal Alouettes.

In ice hockey, the Toronto Maple Leafs have several rivalries with the

.

In basketball, the Toronto Raptors has a noted rivalry with the Brooklyn Nets.

In soccer, the Toronto FC have a rivalry with the Montreal Impact, referred to as the

).

In baseball, the Toronto Blue Jays have developed rivalries over the years with teams within their

.

Toronto's association with the colour blue

The colour of blue has been associated with the city of Toronto, its sports teams and its academic institutions for over a hundred years.

school colours

.

When the Argonaut Rowing Club was founded in 1872 the blue colours of Oxford and Cambridge universities (the "Double Blue") was adopted as the club colours.^[309] When the club went on to found the Toronto Argonauts football club with the same name a year later in 1873, the "Double Blue" colour was also adopted for the football field and has continued with the team nearly 150 years later.^[310]

Other major teams that adopted Toronto blue included the original Toronto Maple Leafs of baseball's International League from 1896 until 1967,^[311] the Marlboros of the OHA (1904), the Blueshirts of the NHA (1911) and the Arenas of the NHL (1917).

When Conn Smythe acquired the Toronto St. Patricks in 1927, in addition to the team being rebranded as the Maple Leafs, it was announced that the team had changed their colour scheme to blue and white,^[312] which they have worn ever since. While the Leafs say that blue represents the Canadian skies and white represents snow, another theory is that Smythe changed the colours as a nod to his school alma maters at Upper Canada College and the University of Toronto.^[313]

As various leagues expanded into the city the tradition of using blue in team identity continued including the Huskies of the NBA (1947), WHA's Toros (1973), baseball's Blue Jays (1977), the NASL Blizzard (1978), the Rock of the NLL (1999), and rugby's Arrows (2019).

When the Toronto Raptors joined the NBA in 1995, the original owners were given a six-month window to reap 100 percent of merchandise profits sold in their region to help cover the cost of the franchise.^[314] To maximize those initial sales the choice was made to break with Toronto traditions and adopt a name and colour that would appeal to kids between the ages of six and ten with a focus on becoming an international brand.^[315][316] After a name the team contest narrowed the list down to ten names, the name Raptors with a base colour of purple was chosen after inspiration of the eight-year old son of owner John Bitove.^[315] In 2006, the Raptors re-branded with red as their new base colour to market themselves beyond Toronto as "Canada's Team" with their national colour as the only Canadian NBA team after the Vancouver Grizzlies relocated to Memphis, Tennessee in 2001.

In 2007

(2012) joined the league, ironically both in blue uniforms.

Sports museums

• Calgary, Alberta
  .
• The Hockey Hall of Fame is an ice hockey museum located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup. Originally based in Kingston, Ontario, the Hockey Hall of Fame relocated to Toronto in 1958 where it was given space as a section of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame before becoming its own separate Hall of Fame facility within the same building in 1961. In 1993, the Hockey Hall of Fame relocated to its current location at the northwest corner of Yonge & Front Streets taking up an opulent section of Brookfield Place that once served as a branch of the Bank of Montreal.
• The Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame was founded in 1993 by Lee Abrahamson and Gary Magwood assisted by Len Coates to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of the Canadian motorsport communities. It was originally based at Exhibition Place, sharing the same facility as Canada's Sports Hall of Fame until 1997 when it relocated to Bay Street. In 2001, the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame began relocating to various temporary locations before deciding to become a virtual online museum today. Their annual induction ceremonies take place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in downtown Toronto.
• The Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame was founded in 1994 and is located at the Ford Performance Centre in Etobicoke, Ontario. Their mission statement describes their purpose as "honour(ing), for all time, those athletes, administrators, officials, media and individuals who have achieved the highest standard of excellence in sport" who "encourage and inspire excellence in all fields of athletic endeavour within our community."^[321] The criteria for induction eligibility is being "any individual person or organization/team who has made a difference to our lives through their contribution to both amateur and/or professional sport or who has achieved outstanding and extraordinary success in the field of sport or who demonstrates exemplary values and/or personal characteristics and has made a defining contribution to his/her sport and who has lived or currently resides in Etobicoke or who has worked and/or had a significant impact to the Etobicoke community in the field of sport".^[322]
• The Ontario Sports Hall of Fame was founded in 1994 in Toronto. Currently they only host an online museum instead of a physical sports museum, but their administrative office is located in Toronto. Their annual induction ceremonies take place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in downtown Toronto.
• Canada Basketball, the governing body of basketball in Canada, hosts an online hall of fame museum with its mission statement being “to recognize, honour, immortalize and enshrine the contributions to the development and advancement of basketball in Canada or internationally.”^[323] While it does not have a physical sports museum, their administrative office is located in Toronto, & their annual induction ceremonies take place at various Toronto-based venues, most recently at the Gladstone House for their 2023 induction ceremony.^[324]

Major league professional championships

The following is a list of when professional sports teams based in Toronto won their respective major league championship.

In addition to professional teams, several amateur teams in Toronto were also awarded major league trophies. The Grey Cup was initially awarded to the champions of Canadian rugby football, including both professional and amateur teams. Three amateur teams based in Toronto have won the Grey Cup, including the University of Toronto Varsity Blues in 1909, 1910, 1911, and 1920; the Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers in 1927 and 1930; and the Toronto RCAF Hurricanes in 1942. In 1954, a decade after the last amateur team won a Grey Cup, the only remaining amateur football union withdrew from Grey Cup competition and the trophy was transitioned into a purely professional trophy.

The Stanley Cup is another championship trophy that was originally open to amateurs and professional ice hockey teams. However, no amateur team based in Toronto was ever awarded the Stanley Cup. In 1909, the Allan Cup was created as a championship trophy for amateur hockey teams, with the Stanley Cup becoming a championship trophy awarded to professional teams.

Toronto Argonauts (CFL)

18 Grey Cup Championships

Toronto Blue Jays (MLB)

2 World Series titles

• 1992
• 1993

Toronto Blueshirts (NHA)

1 Stanley Cup

• 1914

Toronto FC (MLS)

1 MLS Cup

• 2017

Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)

The hockey club won its first championship in 1918 as the Toronto Hockey Club (informally the Toronto Arenas), whereas its second championships (in 1922) was won when the club was named the Toronto St. Patricks. All subsequent championships won by the club were awarded when the club was named the Toronto Maple Leafs.

13 Stanley Cups

Toronto Raptors (NBA)

1 NBA title

• 2019

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

In March 2020, sports leagues throughout North America suspended their operations in response to the

while others either curtailed or cancelled their 2020 seasons altogether.

Playing through travel restrictions

Due to travel restrictions imposed by the Canadian government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, many Toronto based teams in those leagues were unable to host games against American based teams until the travel restrictions were relaxed in July 2021. In response, various Toronto teams mitigated the issue by seeking venues in American host cities for home games against American based teams, or by hosting games in Toronto exclusively against Canadian-based teams:

• The Blue Jays' returned to play strategy for their 2020 "home" games featured playing in visitors ballparks as the home team for the first month until ultimately settling at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York as their home stadium for the duration of their abbreviated 60-game regular season. In 2021, the Blue Jays will play their first two months of their regular season home games at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida which will last from April 8 until the end of May. From June 1 onwards, the Blue Jays will return to Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York to play the remainder of their 2021 home games "until it is safe ... to return to play on home soil (at Rogers Centre)".^[325] On July 16, 2021, the Blue Jays received approval by the Canadian government for an exemption on border restrictions & played their first home game at Rogers Centre in Toronto on July 30, 2021, vs. the Kansas City Royals.^[326]
• Toronto FC's return to play strategy for their
  Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Florida, the home stadium for Orlando City SC. On July 14, 2021, Toronto FC was granted approval by the Canadian government to resume hosting games in Toronto vs. American teams on the condition that "clubs and match officials travelling to Canada will be subject to public health protocols required of all individuals entering the country," and that "only fully vaccinated players and staff will be excluded from Canadian quarantine requirements."^[327]
  They played their first game at BMO Field vs Orlando City SC on July 17, 2021.
• The Raptors also returned to play at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex where the remainder of the
  2020–21 home games were played at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida
  in an abbreviated 72-game schedule with the Raptors missing the playoffs.
• Unlike the other leagues, the NHL received an exemption to the travel restrictions, including an exemption from the mandatory 14-day self isolation upon entry into Canada, as part of their return to play in the
  2020-21 NHL season was an abbreviated 56-game season played exclusively against other Canadian-based teams in a realigned "North Division" during the regular season, thereby allowing them to play their home games at Scotiabank Arena this season. The realigned division also allows for an all-Canadian matchup for the first 2 rounds of the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs
  .
• The Toronto Six played in the
  Brighton, Massachusetts, with the top seeded Toronto Six being eliminated on the first day of play by the Boston Pride.^[330]
• In 2021, Raptors 905 played their 2021 NBA G League season & playoffs in a bubble at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, which was also used as the same venue for the 2020 NBA Bubble, with daily COVID-19 testing. The G League regular season lasted an abbreviated 15 games, followed by 3 single game playoff rounds. The top seeded Raptors 905 were eliminated in the second round by the Delaware Blue Coats.
• The Toronto Marlies played their abbreviated 35-game
  Calgary, Alberta for the 2020–21 AHL season to facilitate player transfers with their NHL parent club, the Calgary Flames, thereby allowing the Marlies to host games against them at Coca-Cola Coliseum as a North Division team. Unlike the Maple Leafs, the North Division, along with 3 other AHL Divisions, opted out of conducting a traditional 2021 Calder Cup Playoffs that season & did not issue a Calder Cup champion for the second straight year.^[331]
• For the
  Rugby ATL's facilities at Lupo Family Field.^[332]
• Toronto FC II began their 2021 USL League One season playing their first 3 home games at the Grande Sports World training facility in Casa Grande, Arizona, followed by 3 home games at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida. They ultimately resumed playing their home games in Toronto on July 30, 2021 when they hosted Greenville Triumph SC at the BMO Training Ground.^[333]

Curtailed or cancelled seasons

In some instances, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic forced some teams to curtail their season or cancel their season altogether:

• The Toronto Argonauts were unable to play in 2020 due to the CFL cancelling the 2020 CFL season. They resumed play in 2021 by playing their 1st game of the season on the road vs. the Calgary Stampeders on August 7, and playing their home opener vs. the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on August 21.
• The
  First Ontario Centre on December 4 vs the Albany FireWolves
  .
• The Toronto Marlies 2019–20 season was curtailed after playing their last game on the road vs. the
  Bridgeport Sound Tigers on March 11. The Marlies would resume play in 2021 by playing their 1st game of the season in Winnipeg vs. the Manitoba Moose
  on February 15, 2021, as a member of a revised all-Canadian North Division to avoid cross-border travel.
• Raptors 905's 2019–20 season was curtailed after playing their last game at home vs the College Park Skyhawks on March 11. They would resume play in 2021 by playing their 1st game of the season at the G-League bubble in Bay Lake, Florida vs. the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on February 10.
• Toronto FC II opted out of participating in the 2020 USL League One season due to COVID-19 restrictions, but resumed play for the 2021 season by playing their 1st game of the season in Casa Grande, Arizona vs. North Texas SC on May 22.

See also

• Amateur sport in Toronto
• List of sports teams in Toronto
• Multiple major sports championship seasons
• CJCL (Toronto all-sports radio station, Sportsnet 590 The Fan)
• CHUM (AM) (Toronto all-sports radio station, TSN Radio 1050)

Notes

References

1. ^ "The Badminton & Racquet Club – Club History". The Badminton & Racquet Club. Archived from the original on May 17, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
2. ^ Canadian Football League Facts, Figures & Records. (2009). pg. 23
3. ^ "Raptors 905: Frequently Asked Questions". raptors905.gleague.nba.com. NBA Media Ventures. 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
4. ^ Taekema, Dan (May 11, 2021). "Toronto Rock moving home games to Hamilton, but won't change team name". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
5. ^ "Toronto could shake up title hunt". ESPN. July 11, 2013. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
6. ^ Genova, Victor. "10 Random Toronto Indy Facts". Honda Indy Toronto. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
7. ^ ^{a b c} Anderson, Dave (October 19, 1992). "Toronto's Baseball Story And Its New, Wonderful Tale". The New York Times.
8. ^ ^{a b} "Vila intimates change coming". The Globe. December 2, 1918.
9. ^ "Millions of dollars for Federal League". The Globe. January 5, 1914.
10. ^ ^{a b c d} "Hepburn insists Toronto will have Feds". The Globe. February 20, 1914.
11. ^ "Toronto is in Federal League to a certainty: All doubt was swept aside last night". The Globe. January 27, 1914.
12. ^ "Toronto and the Federal Leaguers: Still a chance for a team in this city". The Globe. December 30, 1913.
13. ^ "Toronto joins Federal League: Tinker and Brown have jumped". The Globe. December 29, 1913.
14. ^ ^{a b} "Federal President visiting Toronto". The Globe. December 31, 1913.
15. ^ "Federal to keep Toronto in League: Another Crisis of Outlaw Organization Straightened Out at Chicago". The New York Times. February 8, 1914.
16. ^ "Want Toronto's place in Federal League". The Globe. January 15, 1914.
17. ^ "Cincinnati for outlaws?: Federal League May Transfer Toronto Franchise to Redland". The New York Times. January 23, 1914.
18. ^ "Toronto gives up hope of the Feds: Slight Prospect of This City Being Represented". The Globe. January 24, 1914.
19. ^ "Toronto Fed. Franchise is taken to Brooklyn". The Globe. February 14, 1914.
20. ^ "Federal League to play in Brooklyn". The New York Times. February 14, 1914.
21. ^ "Federals planning stronger circuit". The New York Times. October 25, 1914.
22. ^ "Toronto capitalist makes an offer to Ban". The Globe. December 6, 1918.
23. ^ "Most momentous week in the history of baseball". The Globe. December 5, 1918.
24. ^ "Major bee is buzzing again". The Globe. November 22, 1918.
25. ^ "Toronto is named to join American League rebellion". The Globe. November 7, 1919.
26. ^ "Emphatic denials that Toronto men get Boston option". The Globe. December 7, 1922.
27. ^ "Frazee flatly denies transfer of Red Sox". The New York Times. December 7, 1922.
28. ^ ^{a b c} Vipond, Jim (October 9, 1971). "Globe chairman seeks big-league ball for Toronto". The Globe and Mail.
29. ^ Nickleson, Al (April 28, 1953). "Bill De Witt Confirms Cooke Seeking Brownies' Franchise". The Globe and Mail.
30. ^ ^{a b} Vipovod, Jim (September 30, 1953). "Toronto Not Ready: Major League Ball Franchise For Baltimore". The Globe and Mail.
31. ^ ^{a b} Smith, Wilf (January 27, 1955). "Enlarged Ball Park To Seat 38,790 Fans". The Globe and Mail.
32. ^ "Toronto May Win Out With Major Franchise Of Philadelphia A's". The Globe and Mail. July 13, 1953.
33. ^
    Toronto Daily Star
    .
34. ^ Nickleson, Al (June 29, 1956). "Cooke in Bid for Detroit; Lions Withdrawing Offer". The Globe and Mail.
35. Toronto Daily Star
    . June 29, 1956.
36. ^ Vipovod, Jim (September 11, 1957). "Cooke to Apply for NL Franchise: His Bid Will Be Made Within Next 72 Hours". The Globe and Mail.
37. ^ Vipovod, Jim (October 2, 1957). "Sees Toronto Joining NL: O'Malley Outlines Ten-Team Circuit". The Globe and Mail.
38. Toronto Daily Star
    .
39. ^ Coleman, Jim (May 31, 1958). "By Jim Coleman". The Globe and Mail.
40. ^ "Toronto May Win Dodgers' Franchise". The Globe and Mail. May 24, 1958.
41. ^ Haggart, Ronald (May 28, 1958). "Metropolitan Toronto: Allen at Bat for the Big League". The Globe and Mail.
42. ^ "Didn't Favor Toronto, Warren Giles Insists". The Globe and Mail. June 10, 1958.
43. ^ "New Angle: Senators Latest To Talk Toronto In Rumor Mart". The Globe and Mail. July 7, 1958.
44. ^ Tuckner, Howard (July 28, 1959). "Third Major League Is Formed in Baseball". The New York Times.
45. ^ "Cooke Seeks AL Berth: Stadium Guarantee Included in Bid". The Globe and Mail. October 13, 1960.
46. ^ Drebinger, John (November 24, 1960). "Canadians ready if peace bid fails". The New York Times.
47. ^ "Toronto By-Passed in AL Expansion Moves". The Globe and Mail. October 27, 1960.
48. Toronto Daily Star
    .
49. ^ "Just Conversation: Cooke Denies Report He Has Bid for Reds". The Globe and Mail. March 31, 1961.
50. ^ ^{a b} Dechman, Phillip (August 28, 1967). "Hockey Leafs offer helping hand to struggling baseball namesakes". The Globe and Mail.
51. ^ ^{a b c d} Dechman, Phillip (September 7, 1967). "Game's not over yet for ball Leafs, support grows to keep team here". The Globe and Mail.
52. ^ ^{a b c} "Ballard lays Leafs' doom to apathy". The Globe and Mail. October 18, 1967.
53. ^ Dechman, Phillip (November 2, 1967). "Baseball club gives assurance stadium bill will be paid". The Globe and Mail.
54. ^ "Toronto bid made for N.L. franchise". The Globe and Mail. November 14, 1967.
55. ^ "Toronto submits one of six formal bids as N.L. decides to add two teams by 1971". The Globe and Mail. December 2, 1967.
56. ^ Vipond, Jim (November 10, 1971). "NL Padres officials turn down 2nd offer". The Globe and Mail.
57. ^ Baker, Alden (January 16, 1974). "East of Yonge near expressway: Free stadium if Metro adopts Ballard's $190 million development". The Globe and Mail.
58. ^ Simpson, Jeff (February 27, 1974). "Work could start this fall: Metro votes 23 to 6 to enlarge the CNE Stadium". The Globe and Mail.
59. ^ Vipond, Jim (January 24, 1974). "Baseball franchise seekers may pool their resources to expedite stadium plan". The Globe and Mail.
60. ^ ^{a b c} "Both major leagues will be approached". The Globe and Mail. November 20, 1974.
61. ^ ^{a b c} "Gardens will seek baseball franchise". The Globe and Mail. November 28, 1974.
62. ^ ^{a b} Trueman, Mary (December 4, 1974). "Franchise consolidation not sighted: Toronto bids likely to fatten price". The Globe and Mail.
63. ^ Parsons, Anne (October 11, 1974). "'Not a question of money': Godfrey leads Metro delegation seeking major-league franchise". The Globe and Mail.
64. ^ Trueman, Mary (November 29, 1974). "Fourth group pursues franchise: As among major baseball clubs sought for Toronto by Labatt". The Globe and Mail.
65. ^ "Orioles will be sold to highest bidder". The Globe and Mail. February 8, 1975.
66. ^ "Giants Moving: Toronto". St. Petersburg Times. January 9, 1976.
67. ^ CBC Archives (April 4, 1976), "Will Toronto Ever Get a Franchise", CBC News
68. ^ Vipond, Jim (December 4, 1975). "2 Toronto-based groups seek franchise at winter baseball meetings in Florida". The Globe and Mail.
69. ^ Proudfoot, Jim (March 16, 1972). "Big league baseball asks Ballard to buy team for Toronto". Toronto Star.
70. ^ Ramsay, Don (October 21, 1975). "Ballard confident Gardens group soon will buy Giants ballclub". The Globe and Mail.
71. ^ ^{a b c} Perkins, Dave (March 22, 1976). "Expansion approved In Eastern Division: Toronto can join American League in 1977". The Globe and Mail.
72. ^ ^{a b} Perkins, Dave (March 23, 1976). "Rival bidders meet president MacPhail in fight for team". The Globe and Mail.
73. ^ ^{a b} Patton, Paul (October 19, 1985). "Toronto group made NL bid before AL shift in expansion". The Globe and Mail.
74. ^ Patton, Paul (March 27, 1976). "Labatt's, Webster get ball franchise". The Globe and Mail.
75. ^ "Toronto Is Given A.L. Franchise". The New York Times. March 27, 1976.
76. ISBN 0-14-023978-2
77. ^ ^{a b c} Dunnell, Milt (February 28, 1987). "Bowie tells how he lost 'battle of Toronto'". Toronto Star.
78. ^ ^{a b} Patton, Paul (March 30, 1976). "National League asks Kuhn for Toronto priority". The Globe and Mail.
79. ^ "American League again says no to Kuhn's bid for a moratorium". The Globe and Mail. April 15, 1976.
80. ^ "AL defies Kuhn, votes to proceed with Toronto move". The Globe and Mail. April 17, 1976.
81. ^ Patton, Paul (April 27, 1976). "Baseball franchise in Toronto rejected by National League". The Globe and Mail.
82. ^ Koppett, Eonard (April 27, 1976). "National League Bars Expansion: N.L. Rejects Bid to Add Two Teams". The New York Times.
83. ^ "Why Toronto is becoming Basketball City".
84. ^ Rosknfeld, Bobbie (January 17, 1946). "Collegians, Pro Cagers Play to 11,867 Patrons". The Globe and Mail.
85. ^ "Basketball Bill Not Sell-Out Yet". The Globe and Mail. January 12, 1946.
86. ^ "Gardens Set For Cagers". The Globe and Mail. January 16, 1946.
87. ^ "History of Basketball in Canada". NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Retrieved April 13, 2007.
88. ^ "Huskies Drop From BAA Join Three Other Clubs As Pro Caqe Casualties". The Globe and Mail. June 28, 1947.
89. ^ Christie, James (October 27, 1993). "SkyDome exhibition not going through roof". The Globe and Mail.
90. ^ Christie, James (September 13, 1991). "NBA returns but passes on SkyDome". The Globe and Mail.
91. ^ Millson, Larry (October 22, 1991). "Suns shade 76ers". The Globe and Mail.
92. ^ Sokol, Al (January 15, 1972). "No decision on Toronto as a pro basketball town". Toronto Star.
93. ^ "Toronto cage fans are on trial as ABA teams unveil big stars". The Globe and Mail. January 13, 1972.
94. ^ Cauz, Louis (January 6, 1972). "Promoters hoping their doubleheader will lead to a basketball franchise". The Globe and Mail.
95. ^ Buffery, Steve (November 3, 2004). "The road was paved". Toronto Sun. Archived from the original on October 8, 2013. Retrieved October 8, 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
96. ^ Proudfoot, Dan (February 13, 1973). "Buffalo Braves may be experimental team: NBA will test Toronto basketball fans' appetites next season on part-time basis". The Globe and Mail.
97. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Fear, Jonathan (March 3, 1976). "Ruby Richman's quest: The pro basketball chase". The Globe and Mail.
98. ^ ^{a b c} "NBA awards expansion franchise to Toronto for 1975–76 season". The Globe and Mail. June 22, 1974.
99. ^ ^{a b} "Ballard covets NBA Rockets, sends Richman to make deal". The Globe and Mail. September 25, 1975.
100. ^ ^{a b} "Toronto dream of NBA team remains dream". The Globe and Mail. January 14, 1975.
101. ^ "Snyder rejects Gardens bid of $8.5 million for Braves". The Globe and Mail. October 5, 1974.
102. ^ ^{a b} "Basketball by this fall is MLG aim". The Globe and Mail. June 3, 1976.
103. ^ Goodman, Jeffrey (December 14, 1977). "Bid to bring Braves to Toronto has 50–50 chance". The Globe and Mail.
104. ^ "Toronto group seeking Braves". Windsor Star. December 14, 1977. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
105. ^ "Toronto bid made for Braves, club owner Paul Snyder says". The Globe and Mail. February 25, 1976.
106. ^ "Boston, Buffalo Exchange Owners; Buffalo Transfer to San Diego Approved". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. July 8, 1978. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
107. ^ "Brown now looking west". Daily News. June 23, 1978. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
108. ^ ^{a b} Goldaper, Sam (June 22, 1974). "N.B.A. Adds Toronto, Without Owner". The New York Times.
109. ^ ^{a b} Keller, Arlie (September 26, 1975). "Toronto is back in NBA picture". Toronto Star.
110. ^ "Ballard expects to win bid for NBA franchise by end of November". The Globe and Mail. November 8, 1974.
111. ^ Keller, Arlie (December 13, 1974). "Fresh backing is expected for Toronto's NBA entry". Toronto Star.
112. ^ "NBA lowers curtain on Toronto's quest for team next season". The Globe and Mail. January 15, 1975.
113. ^ "Richman seeks NBA backers for Toronto". The Globe and Mail. January 8, 1975.
114. ^ "Rockets' president doubts Ballard to get Houston NBA team". The Globe and Mail. September 26, 1975.
115. ^ Goodman, Jeffry (February 8, 1979). "Toronto's NBA bid is real longshot". The Globe and Mail.
116. ^ "roundup: Toronto team may join NBA". The Globe and Mail. February 5, 1979.
117. ^ McKee, Ken (June 29, 1979). "Don't order NBA tickets yet". Toronto Star.
118. ^ Palango, Paul (March 16, 1983). "Cav owner almost certain Toronto Towers in NBA". The Globe and Mail.
119. ^ Palango, Paul (March 15, 1983). "Brewery considers investing in Cavs". The Globe and Mail.
120. ^ Patton, Paul (October 21, 1983). "CBA today; NBA next?". The Globe and Mail.
121. ^ "Sports people; Toronto in N.B.A. Bid". The New York Times. August 21, 1986. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
122. ^ Davidson, James (August 20, 1986). "Toronto investors seek NBA franchise". The Globe and Mail.
123. ^ "No NBA club for Toronto". The Globe and Mail. April 23, 1987.
124. ^ Lankhof, Bill (October 31, 2004). "Raptors have been through plenty in trying decade of NBA existence". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
125. ^ "The steal: Larry Tanenbaum had every reason to think he'd get the city's NBA franchise. Then along came John Bitove, Jr". Toronto Life. October 1995.
126. ^ Shoalts, David (October 1, 1993). "Leafs left out in cold by NBA decision". The Globe and Mail.
127. ^ "Can Larry Tanenbaum transform his losing legacy?". Toronto Life. November 12, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
128. ^ "Magic backs Toronto's NBA bid". United Press International. June 15, 1993. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
129. ^ The New York Times, BASKETBALL; Dream Team Ends Its Sequel Predictably
130. ^ ^{a b} The New York Times, Sports of The Times; Toronto, Dream Team, The World
131. ^ "Why Can Pros Complete in International Events". www.usab.com. Archived from the original on January 20, 2015.
132. ^ "SCARBOROUGH SHOOTING STARS LAUNCHED AS FIRST GREATER TORONTO AREA FRANCHISE IN CEBL". Scarborough Shooting Stars press release. August 15, 2021.
133. ^ "WNBA sells out its first-ever game in held Canada with Sky vs. Lynx". MSN.com. May 13, 2023.
134. ^ "'Toronto wants WNBA': First-ever game in Canada shows viability of expansion to Toronto". CBC.ca. May 13, 2023.
135. ^ "Caribbean Premier League looking to bring cricket to Toronto". Toronto Star. May 19, 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
136. ^ "'We'd like franchises in New York and Toronto'". ESPN. June 29, 2016. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
137. ^ ^{a b} "Cricket Canada announces ICC-approved T20 league". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
138. ^ "Cricket Canada delighted with ICC approval for Global T20". ANI News. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
139. ^ "Second Edition of Global T20 Canada League to begin from July last week". Inside Sport. April 6, 2019. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
140. ^ "Brampton to host second edition of Global T20 Canada". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved May 5, 2019.
141. ^ GT20 Canada (May 16, 2023). "Global T20 Canada Returns". GT20.ca. Retrieved June 1, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
142. ^ "Golf". www.toronto.ca. City of Toronto. 2023. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
143. ^ "Suit Against N.H.A. Clubs". Montreal Gazette. March 19, 1917. p. 16.
144. ^ Holzman & Nieforth 2002, p. 157.
145. ISBN 1-894014-00-6
     .
146. ^ Holzman & Nieforth 2002, pp. 197–198.
147. ^ ^{a b} Sandler, Jeremy (December 1, 2010). "Maple Leafs' owners through the ages". National Post. Archived from the original on March 20, 2014. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
148. ^ ^{a b} McParland, Kelly (2011). "The Lives of Conn Smythe: From the Battlefield to Maple Leaf Gardens: A Hockey Icon's Story". National Post. Archived from the original on January 12, 2014. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
149. ISBN 0-7710-9078-1
     .
150. ^ ^{a b c} Patton, Paul (May 3, 1973). "Bassett buys WHA's Ottawa franchise, seeks Toronto home, nickname for team". The Globe and Mail.
151. ^ Beddos, Dick (January 21, 1972). "No WHA decomposure: New hockey body is 'alive and kicking'". The Globe and Mail.
152. ^ ^{a b} "Ballard gives WHA terms". The Globe and Mail. December 11, 1971.
153. ^ "WHA will operate in 2-division setup". The Globe and Mail. August 19, 1976.
154. ^ Strojek, Sylvia (October 11, 2009). "Peter Pocklington book says Oilers-Leafs almost swapped cities". Toronto Star. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
155. ^ ^{a b} McGran, Kevin (October 16, 2020). "GTHL players get a temporary pass to join outlaw hockey leagues, raising public health questions". Toronto Star. Torstar Corporation. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
156. ^ Bleddoes, Dick (April 18, 1973). "Bid to CFL for 2nd team in Toronto". The Globe and Mail.
157. ^ Sokol, Al (April 28, 1973). "Jake Gauaur is waiting for Bill Ballard's cheque". Toronto Star.
158. ^ Hornby, Lance (November 20, 2012). "Linking Toronto's football, hockey pasts". Toronto Sun. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
159. ^ Starkman, Randy; Hunter, Paul (November 30, 1988). "Ticats talked with Varsity brass". Toronto Star.
160. ^ ^{a b c} York, Marty (March 22, 1983). "Alternative to Tiger-Cats: Bassett sees Hamilton in USFL". The Globe and Mail.
161. Toronto Daily Star
     .
162. ^ "Goodell Confirms Bills Toronto Initiative - Buffalo Bills". www.buffalobills.com. Archived from the original on February 10, 2008.
163. ^ "More information about the Buffalo Bills in Toronto". February 16, 2008. Archived from the original on February 16, 2008.
164. ^ McKee, Ken (May 12, 1960). "Toronto, Montreal in AFL Bids: Expect Franchises to Be Approved Soon". The Globe and Mail.
165. ^ Vipond, Jim (May 19, 1960). "AFL Planners Endorse Toronto Bid". The Globe and Mail.
166. Toronto Daily Star
     .
167. ^ McKee, Kenneth (August 12, 1965). "No Chance for Canadian Cities in AFL". The Globe and Mail.
168. ^ "NFL Commissioner Rozelle Lists Toronto As Site for Franchise in Expanded League". The Globe and Mail. June 4, 1965.
169. ^ "Group Awaits Okay For Toronto Entry In US. Grid League". The Globe and Mail. March 12, 1964.
170. ^ "May Accept Toronto Into UFL Here Today". The Globe and Mail. March 21, 1964.
171. ^ "UFL Will Consider Toronto Bid April 4–5". The Globe and Mail. March 24, 1964.
172. ^ "Bid Cancelled For UFL Entry". The Globe and Mail. April 4, 1964.
173. ^ ^{a b} "Move to Toronto Was Last Resort Says Co-Owner of Football Rifles". The Globe and Mail. February 9, 1965.
174. ^ "Canton Transfer Is Strictly Rumor". The Globe and Mail. December 10, 1964.
175. ^ "Toronto in 10-team Pro Football League: New Continental Circuit Formed by UFL and ACL Teams". The Globe and Mail. February 8, 1965.
176. ^ "New pro league is formed here by football men". The New York Times. February 7, 1965.
177. ^ Lipsyte, Robert (February 8, 1965). "Cooperation of N.F.L. and A.F.L. Sought by New Major League". The New York Times.
178. ^ "Rifles dissolved under financial gun: League may draft players". The Globe and Mail. September 6, 1967.
179. ^ "Rosen on way: Rifles to keep franchise alive playing on road". The Globe and Mail. September 12, 1967.
180. ^ Dechman, Phillip (September 22, 1967). "Rifles' footballers unemployed again". The Globe and Mail.
181. ISBN 9781552779491
     .
182. ^ Batten, Jack (October 1, 1972). "Will the Canadian Football League survive?". Maclean's. p. 85.
183. Toronto Daily Star
     .
184. ISBN 0-88862-284-8
     .
185. ^ "Basset says Northmen likely to move". The Globe and Mail. May 4, 1974.
186. ^ "Toronto of W.F.L. Gets Memphis Home". The New York Times. May 7, 1974.
187. ^ Martin, Lawrence (February 7, 1975). "Bassett wants to challenge Lalonde again". The Globe and Mail.
188. ^ "WHL president likes Toronto". The Globe and Mail. February 8, 1975.
189. ^ Martin, Lawrence (February 19, 1975). "Second WFL season could include Canada, head of league says". The Globe and Mail.
190. ^ White, Peter (February 21, 1975). "Lalonde lone worry facing WFL in bid for Canadian team: Bassett". The Globe and Mail.
191. ^ York, Marty (February 2, 1983). "USFL thwarted by Davey". The Globe and Mail.
192. Hamilton Spectator
     .
193. ^ York, Marty (October 24, 2000). "Martinez to manage Blue Jays". The Globe and Mail.
194. Hamilton Spectator
     .
195. ^ Zelkovich, Chris (November 25, 2013). "Bon Jovi, MLSE and the NFL in Toronto: The latest in a series of fantasies?". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
196. ^ Wawrow, John (March 26, 2014). "Ralph Wilson made sure Bills will stay in Buffalo for at least six years". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on March 30, 2014. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
197. ^ Grange, Michael (March 26, 2014). "Wilson's passing leaves Bills' future in question". Sportsnet. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
198. ^ Kryk, John (March 26, 2014). "Bills to stay in Buffalo until at least 2020". Toronto Sun. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
199. ^ Kryk, John (April 10, 2014). "Bon Jovi part of Toronto group expected to bid on Bills". Toronto Sun. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
200. ^ Waldie, Paul (October 6, 1995). "Investors in brawl with Gardens Angry shareholders assail hockey stadium's board over ownership battle, executive bonus". The Globe and Mail.
201. ^ York, Marty (September 14, 1995). "Fight for football fans may move to new arena". The Globe and Mail.
202. ^ York, Marty (October 16, 1995). "Toronto tackling arena football 1996". The Globe and Mail.
203. ^ York, Marty (January 20, 1996). "Cahill snubbed by Argonaut brass: Former coach, GM wants Toronto job". The Globe and Mail.
204. ^ York, Marty (July 29, 1998). "Arena football team may land in Toronto". The Globe and Mail.
205. ^ York, Marty (March 17, 1999). "CFL is looking at new arenas to keep football alive". The Globe and Mail.
206. ^ Donovan, Vincent (November 3, 1998). "Arena football hopes to fill Bills fans' summers". Toronto Star.
207. ^ Sandler, Jeremy (August 19, 2000). "Arena football may touch down in Toronto: Businessman interested: New franchise would compete with Argos for fans". National Post.
208. Canada NewsWire
     . October 17, 2000.
209. ^ "Toronto shelves football team". The StarPhoenix. September 21, 2002.
210. ^ ^{a b} "Two Toronto teams in lacrosse loop". Globe. January 29, 1932.
211. ^ Rodden, M.J. (June 29, 1931). "On the highway of sports: Maroons and Leafs in lacrosse opener tonight". Globe.
212. ^ "Maple Leaf Gardens granted franchise". Globe. December 10, 1931.
213. ^ ^{a b} Rodden, M.J. (January 29, 1932). "On The Highways of Sport: Local Seniors Will Test Olympic Team Tonight". Globe.
214. ^ Murray, jack (June 20, 1932). "Maple Leafs score decisive victory". Globe.
215. ^ Rodden, M.J. (May 9, 1932). "On The Highways of Sport: Tecumsehs' Victory Creates All-Round Tie". Globe.
216. ^ Rodden, M.J. (October 31, 1932). "On The Highways of Sport: Mustangs on Rampage at U. of T.'s Expense". Globe.
217. ^ Rodden, M.J. (June 1, 1932). "On The Highways of Sport". Globe.
218. ^ "So-called Torontos beaten in New York". Globe. June 3, 1932.
219. ISBN 9780801869389
     .
220. ^ ^{a b} Cauz, Louis (July 18, 1968). "Leafs respond with win for new coach Kapasky". The Globe and Mail.
221. ^ Golla, James (April 9, 1968). "Big gamble by backers in lacrosse". The Globe and Mail.
222. Toronto Daily Star
     .
223. ^
     Toronto Daily Star
     .
224. ^ "Pro lacrosse league suspends operations". The Globe and Mail. March 18, 1969.
225. ^ "St. Kitts, Kitchener to join Leafs, Petes in eastern lacrosse". The Globe and Mail. April 1, 1969.
226. ^ Cauz, Louis (May 9, 1969). "'Coolest spot in town': New-look boxla Leafs move to new home". The Globe and Mail.
227. ^ "Lacrosse Leafs win on floor, lose at gate; move out of Gardens". The Globe and Mail. July 25, 1969.
228. ^ Millson, Larry (March 17, 1972). "Lacrosse rejects Topless Bikinis: Team named Shooting Stars". The Globe and Mail.
229. ^ Fraser, Rick (December 20, 1972). "Bid to put NLL back on course: Windsor franchise may be moved to Oshawa". The Globe and Mail.
230. ^ Cauz, Louis (March 21, 1974). "Room for two teams in Toronto lacrosse, Bishop maintains". The Globe and Mail.
231. ^ "Shooting Stars say Tomahawks scalping OLA team's chances". The Globe and Mail. March 12, 1974.
232. ^ ^{a b c} White, Peter (April 30, 1975). "Reorganization of professional lacrosse benefits Ontario league". The Globe and Mail.
233. ^ "Tomahawks leave town for the U.S.". Toronto Star. September 12, 1974.
234. ^ "Hawks quit Toronto, move to Long Island". The Globe and Mail. September 12, 1974.
235. ^ "NLL seeking deal for U.S. TV show". The Globe and Mail. October 19, 1974.
236. ^ "New lacrosse job for Jim Bishop". Toronto Star. December 5, 1974.
237. ^
     Montreal Gazette
     . p. 28.
238. ^ "Sports roundup". The Globe and Mail. January 9, 1975.
239. ^ Eskenazi, Gerald (January 16, 1975). "A New Game for L.I. Coliseum: New Game In Coliseum Is Lacrosse". The New York Times.
240. ^ "ROCK RELOCATE HOME GAMES TO HAMILTON". Toronto Rock press release. May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
241. ^ "Rochester Democrat and Chronicle". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
242. ^ Bower, Aaron (April 27, 2016). "Toronto Wolfpack to enter League One next season, RFL announces". The Guardian. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
243. ^ "Rugby Football League officials joined by Mayor John Tory to unveil team brand and league information". April 25, 2016. Archived from the original on April 26, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
244. ^ MCCARTNEY, AIDAN (October 13, 2014). "Coventry Bears could face Canadian opposition as Toronto seek to join League One in 2016". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
245. ^ Campbell, Morgan (October 3, 2015). "Local group looks to bring Rugby League to Toronto". Toronto Star. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
246. ^ "Toronto Wolfpack pull out of Super League season as relegation is cancelled | Toronto Wolfpack | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com.
247. ^ "PACK IS BACK". Toronto Wolfpack RLFC. March 31, 2021. Archived from the original on March 31, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
248. ^ "ORL Fixtures/Results". Canada Rugby League Association. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
249. ^ "Clubs". Toronto Rugby.
250. ^ "Marshall Leagues – Rugby Ontario". www.rugbyontario.com.
251. ^ "Content Page – Page 10015942 – Rugby Ontario". www.rugbyontario.com.
252. Vancouver Province
     . Retrieved September 5, 2016.
253. Canadian Press
     . November 3, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
254. ^ "Rugby Today – Enrich Your Lifestyle". Archived from the original on June 20, 2019. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
255. ^ "Ireland to play USA in New Jersey as Pro12 eyes North America expansion". The Guardian. February 21, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
256. ^ "New York and Ontario in Major League Rugby talks". November 13, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
257. ^ "Ontario Arrows to launch Elite Rugby Team in September". Americasrugbynews.com. August 25, 2017. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
258. ^ Davidson, Neil (September 8, 2017). "Ontario Arrows take first step toward becoming pro rugby outfit". Toronto Star. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
259. ^ "Toronto Arrows Set for Downtown Move to Lamport Stadium". Toronto Arrows.
260. ^ "ARROWS ANNOUNCE 2022 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE". Toronto Arrows. November 9, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
261. ^ "Toronto Arrows, Canada's lone entry in Major League Rugby, not playing in 2024". www.sportsnet.ca. November 27, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
262. ^ Waring, Ed (October 30, 1946). "Heavy Losses In First Year Of Pro Soccer". The Globe and Mail.
263. ^ "Greenbacks Win Over Pioneers, 1–0". The Globe and Mail. April 21, 1947.
264. ^ Waring, Ed (December 8, 1967). "Pro soccer merger hinges on unified Toronto team". The Globe and Mail.
265. ^ Waring, Ed (December 13, 1967). "Falcons' boss insists he has sole ownership of merged franchise". The Globe and Mail.
266. ^ "20 cities picked for soccer loop". The New York Times. December 14, 1967.
267. ^ Waring, Ed (March 29, 1968). "Legal action could boot soccer Falcons from Toronto". The Globe and Mail.
268. ^ Waring, Ed (November 8, 1968). "Falcons fly wrong way for Peters". The Globe and Mail.
269. ^ Waring, Ed (September 26, 1969). "Toronto City studying invitation from NASL". The Globe and Mail.
270. ^ "Toronto enters soccer team in U.S. league". The Globe and Mail. December 11, 1970.
271. ^ Waring, Ed (February 6, 1975). "Toronto Croatia purchases 50 per cent share of soccer Metros". The Globe and Mail.
272. ^ Labow, Jeffery (February 1, 1979). "95% of shareholders in favor Sale of Metros approved". The Globe and Mail.
273. ^ Labow, Jeffery (February 6, 1979). "NASL gives Global unanimous support". The Globe and Mail.
274. ^ ^{a b} Peddie, Richard (2013). Dream Job. HarperCollins.
275. ^ Byers, Jim (October 19, 2004). "Soccer 'theatre of dreams'; CSA boss Pipe 'ecstatic' about site Argo owners hoping to land MLS team". Toronto Star.
276. ^ "Metros-Croatia split two games". The Globe and Mail. March 15, 1976.
277. ^ Labow, Jeffery (January 20, 1982). "NASL officials feeling good despite splotches of red ink". The Globe and Mail.
278. ^ Davidson, James (January 20, 1987). "Hamilton turning to MISL". The Globe and Mail.
279. ^ "Toronto has the team, Copps gets the games". The Globe and Mail. July 11, 1988.
280. ^ Da Costa, Norman (November 2, 1996). "League bails out soccer's Stars". Toronto Star. p. E7.
281. Hamilton Spectator
     . March 11, 1997.
282. ^ "Shooting Stars to go on hiatus for one season". Toronto Star. August 15, 1997. p. E5.
283. ^ "Toronto group seeks soccer franchise". Waterloo Region Record. April 1, 1998.
284. ^ "NPSL adds Toronto Thunderhawks". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. June 7, 2000. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
285. ^ "ThunderHawks sit out MISL season". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. August 8, 2001. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
286. ^ Husted, Jeff (April 7, 2017). "MASL Announces International Expansion". Major Arena Soccer League. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
287. ^ "Greater Toronto Area-based Team to Debut this Fall". Major Arena Soccer League. August 9, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
288. ^ "Metrostars Canada Launches 6-City Tour in Niagara & Hosts Marvel Super Hero Weekends!". www.metrostars.ca. November 7, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
289. ^ Davidson, Neil (November 29, 2019). "Indoor soccer takes another hit in Toronto as MetroStars pull out of MASL". The Chronicle-Journal. Canadian Press. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
290. ^ Keating, Jack (July 11, 1996). "A-League future lies with merger". The Province.
291. ^ Stinson, Dan (July 12, 1996). "A-League merges into Major League 2nd division". Vancouver Sun.
292. ^ "Recap: Toronto FC vs Seattle Sounders". mlssoccer.com. December 9, 2017. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
293. ^ "FIFA ANNOUNCES TORONTO AND VANCOUVER AS CANADIAN HOST CITIES FOR THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP". CanadaSoccer.com. June 16, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
294. ^ Straus, Brian (October 4, 2017). "USA, Mexico, Canada 2026 World Cup Bid Trims Potential Host List to 32 Cities". SI.com. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
295. ^ "Toronto Ultimate". Hall of Fame Ken Westerfield. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
296. ^ "WFDF World Ultimate Rankings". World Flying Disc Federation. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
297. ^ "Toronto Rush Ultimate". Retrieved January 4, 2013.
298. ^ "Toronto Ultimate Franchise Ultimate". Toronto Rush Takes Flight. November 23, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
299. ^ "AUDL". Retrieved March 4, 2013.
300. ^ "Toronto Rush". Founding Partners. Archived from the original on February 3, 2015. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
301. ^ "Toronto Rush". History of Ultimate. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
302. ^ "The Greatest Sport in the World Is Not What You're Thinking". Huffington Post Issac Saul. April 21, 2014. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
303. ^ "Ultimate Frisebee Recognized by the International Olympic Committee". World Flying Disc Federation. August 3, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
304. ^ "Ultimate Frisbee recognized by International Olympic Committee". Sports Illustrated Dan Gartland. August 2, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
305. ^ ^{a b} Edwards, Peter (July 24, 2015). "Toronto has made 5 attempts to host the Olympics. Could the sixth be the winner?". Toronto Star. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
306. ^ "'Not this time': Toronto Mayor John Tory won't bid on 2024 Olympics". cbc.ca. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
307. ^ "Canadian Football Timelines (1860 – present)". Football Canada. Archived from the original on June 4, 2007. Retrieved July 3, 2007.
308. ^ "The colour of Toronto". The Toronto Star. November 12, 2008. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
309. ^ "Argonauts Rowing Club – About Us". Argonaut Rowing Club. Archived from the original (application/word) on July 14, 2010. Retrieved August 30, 2009.
310. ISBN 978-1-55022-779-6
     .
311. ^ "The original Maple Leafs: Pro-baseball in Toronto before the Blue Jays". CBC News. October 14, 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
312. ^ Shea & Wilson 2016, p. 35. sfn error: no target: CITEREFSheaWilson2016 (help)
313. ^ Lance Hornby "The Story of Maple Leaf Gardens, 100 Memories at Church and Carlton", p. 37.
314. ^ Newcomb, Tim (June 9, 2019). "Studio Stories: Naming and Designing the Original Toronto Raptors". sportslogos.net. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
315. ^ ^{a b} Elliott, Josh K. (June 2, 2019). "How the Toronto Raptors chose their name and the infamous 'Barney jersey' look". Global News. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
316. ^ "Before they were the Raptors, Toronto's NBA team was nearly the Beavers, Hogs or Dragons". CBC Radio. May 31, 2019.
317. ISBN 978-1-4597-4237-6
     .
318. ^ Knight, Ben (May 12, 2006). "Generic FC: Toronto's pro soccer team has an odd name, a cool logo - and no identity". sportsnet.ca. Archived from the original on August 7, 2007. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
319. ^ Lefton, Terry (May 11, 2006). "Closing Bell – MLSE, MLS Unveil Toronto FC As Name Of League's 13th Franchise". Sports Business Daily. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
320. ^ "NAME & LOGO". WhitecapsFC.com. MLS Digital. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
321. ^ https://etobicokesports.ca/about-us/
322. ^ https://etobicokesports.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Inductee-Nomination-Form.pdf
323. ^ https://www.basketball.ca/en/alumni/hall-of-fame#
324. ^ https://www.basketball.ca/news/canadian-basketball-hall-of-fame-class-of-2023-announced
325. ^ Bonesteel, Matt (May 5, 2021). "Blue Jays to move home location to Sahlen Field beginning June 1". Toronto Blue Jays press release. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
326. ^ "Blue Jays get approval to return to Canada on July 30". ABCNews.go.com. July 16, 2021.
327. ^ "Toronto FC gets green light to play at home in front of 7,000 fans on Saturday". CP24. July 14, 2021.
328. ^ Sadler, Emily (January 14, 2021). "NWHL releases 2021 bubble season schedule, beginning Jan. 23". Sportsnet. Rogers Digital Media. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
329. ^ "Transcript: NWHL media availability on the suspension of the 2021 season". SB Nation. February 3, 2021.
330. TheGlobeAndMail.com
     . March 26, 2021.
331. ^ "AHL announces plans for 2021 playoffs, 21–22 calendar". AHL.com (Press release). April 29, 2021.
332. ^ "Toronto Arrows Club to Establish Temporary Home in Atlanta". OurSports Central. February 3, 2021.
333. ^ "Toronto FC II return to Canada to play first match at home on July 30". Toronto FC communications. July 29, 2021.
334. ^ "Rock Relocate Home Games to Hamilton". May 11, 2021.

Bibliography

• Holzman, Morey; Nieforth, Joseph (2002). Deceptions and Doublecross: How the NHL Conquered Hockey. Toronto, ON: Dundurn Press.