from Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun,

As bad as the Maple Leafs have been most of the past decade, despite the 47 years of anguish on Bay St., the assumption remains: Toronto would never support another pro hockey team.

But 40 years ago this season, the battle was on for the hearts, minds — and wallets — of fans in the city. It would be fought in the confines of the same building, the Leafs’ ancestral home at the Gardens. The invaders wore blue and red, with a snorting bull on their sweaters, and had nicknames such as Shot Gun Tom, Leapin’ Lou and Big Ned.

They were the Toros, “second to none,” as their theme song boasted on their home network, Global TV. Between 1973-76, when they lured disgruntled blue and white fans and provided a high school demographic some Friday night fun, the Toros were goring Leaf Nation.

“For a while, Harold Ballard was pretty worried about us,” said former Toro forward Mark Napier. “Our attendance was going up.”

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