A candidate for mayor of Mississauga, Ontario is vowing to bring an NHL team to the city, adding he would bring together the local business community for the bid.
It seems like a lofty proposal, but a person running to be mayor of an Ontario city is promising voters he will draft a bid immediately to bring an NHL team to the town if he wins the election. Peter McCallion, who is the son of former Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion, said if he wins a byelection in June, he'll bring together the local business community and get a bid drafted for an NHL team as soon as possible.
McCallion isn't stopping there. He also said Mississauga should have a Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) team and intends to make a bid for that as well. As for the Toronto Maple Leafs being so close to Mississauga, McCallion said that shouldn't make a difference.
McCallion insisted the team, should he get it, would not rely on taxpayer's money, adding the private sector will build the arena needed for the team, and he would use his power as mayor to get the province of Ontario to help get a rink built faster.
Besides the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ontario also has the Ottawa Senators. There has been talk for many years about the possibility of another NHL team for Toronto. Mississauga, which has a population of around 830,000 is right next to the city of the Maple Leafs.