Toronto Toros
Order classic Toronto Toros tees, hoodies and hats. The Toros skated at Varsity Arena and then Maple Leaf Gardens, drew five-figure crowds and had former star Frank Mahovlich in the lineup during their WHA run from 1973 to 1976. Celebrate Toronto's other hockey team by browsing all of our Toros gear, then read the team history below. We are a small business dedicated to bringing back the history and designs of fondly remembered and long-lost hockey teams from throughout hockey history.
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Toronto Toros History
The Toronto Toros where an original WHA team - but during the league's first season they were known as the Ottawa Nationals. They left Canada's capital when they left town over money they owed the city of Ottawa. So in 1973–74 they moved to Toronto and became the Toros, playing at the University of Toronto's Varsity Arena . The Toros finished with 41 victories and made a playoff appears. The team relocated to Maple Leaf Gardens for their second campaign in 1974–75, and they would become another WHA franchise that struggled financially because of unfavorable lease arrangements in an NHL facility.
Famously, Frank Mahovlich, a former NHL player and Toronto Maple Leafs legend signed for the Toros for their second season in Toronto in an effort to make a big splash and drum up fan support. Their second season in Toronto, third as a franchise, was successful on the ice again as they recorded 43 wins and made the playoffs. Unfortunately, they would be bounced in the first round of the post-season. and the squad had another season with 40 or more wins. The successful season and Mahovlich gambit were both successes as Mahovlich recorded 82 points in 73 games and the team's attendance was over 10,000 per game.
However, the success was short-lived. Despite another big season from Mahovlich and adding 18-year old Mark Napier who would score 92 points (!) the team would only manage 24 wins. The team struggled on defense, allowing nearly 100 more goals (398) than they did in the prior season (304) as netminder Gillies Gratton moved onto the St. Louis Blues.
The team's lease would prove to be too difficult to sustain. For the 1976–1977 season, they would relocate to Birmingham, Alabama, and become the Birmingham Bulls.
