. ▁However , ▁due ▁to ▁ob jections ▁from ▁Map le ▁Le af s ▁vice ▁president ▁Bill ▁Ball ard , ▁the ▁Tor os ▁played ▁at ▁V ars ity ▁Arena ▁before ▁briefly ▁becoming ▁ten ants ▁of ▁the ▁Le af s ▁at ▁Map le ▁Le af ▁Gard ens . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 0 s , ▁there ▁were ▁efforts ▁to ▁bring ▁a ▁minor ▁professional ▁hockey ▁team ▁to ▁the ▁Col ise um . ▁ ▁Pl ans ▁to ▁move ▁the ▁d orm ant ▁Phoenix ▁Road run ners ▁of ▁the ▁International ▁Hockey ▁League ▁to ▁Toronto ▁for ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 2 - 2 0 0 3 ▁season ▁fell ▁apart ▁when ▁the ▁league ▁dissol ved ▁and ▁six ▁teams , ▁but ▁not ▁the ▁Road run ners , ▁were ▁absor bed ▁by ▁the ▁American ▁Hockey ▁League ▁( A HL ) ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁ ▁The ▁same ▁group ▁then ▁attempted ▁to ▁purchase ▁the ▁Louis ville ▁Pan thers ▁A HL ▁franch ise , ▁which ▁had ▁susp ended ▁operations ▁for ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 1 - 2 0 0 2 ▁season , ▁and ▁re loc ate ▁it ▁to ▁the ▁Col ise um , ▁but ▁the ▁A HL ▁voted ▁against ▁the ▁transaction ▁in ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁ ▁The ▁Toronto ▁Map le ▁Le af s ▁press ured ▁the ▁Hamilton ▁Bul ld ogs , ▁who ▁held ▁territorial ▁rights ▁to ▁Toronto ▁since ▁it ▁fell ▁within ▁their ▁ 5 0 - mile ▁home ▁territory , ▁to ▁v eto ▁the ▁transaction . ▁ ▁The