The Toronto Marlies are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League that serves as the farm team for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League. They play in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at the Ricoh Coliseum. They are the only AHL team that currently plays in the same market as its NHL affiliate (following the Philadelphia Phantoms' move after the 2008–09 season).
The AHL had a strong presence in Atlantic Canada in the 1980s and 1990s, but by 2004 the St. John's Maple Leafs were the only remaining team in the region. Although the team was extremely popular and had excellent attendance, the desire of the parent Toronto Maple Leafs to reduce travel costs and have a tenant for its Ricoh Coliseum resulted in the team's relocation to Toronto for the 2005–06 season. Previous minor league and junior ventures in Toronto had not met with success, and there was a general feeling that Toronto fans were only interested in the Toronto Maple Leafs, and not other levels of hockey. With the Marlies as the Leafs top affiliate, it was felt that this obstacle could be overcome, however, attendance of barely 2,800 for the Marlies first home playoff game in April 2006 again raised questions about the viability of the franchise.
The team is named after the former Toronto Marlboroughs junior hockey team, but the abbreviated "Marlies" name was chosen to avoid any potential association with the similarly named cigarette brand.
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