MARCH 8, 2021 CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story said that John Tavares and Sam Gagner were the new owners of the Toronto Marlboros hockey club. Tavares and Gagner have not purchased the club but are at the point of submitting a proposal which will require the Greater Toronto Hockey League's Board of Directors' approval.
The corrected story and original report follow:
The local lads could be owners soon: John Tavares and Sam Gagner, two NHL players from Oakville, will now be transitioning into controlling members of the Toronto Malboros hockey club in the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL).
In a joint statement released last week, the Marlboros, Tavares and Gagner say the two players will be "transitioning into the role of controlling members of the Toronto Marlboros hockey club...subject to obtaining approval from the GTHL in accordance with its regulations."
Tavares and Gagner have both had extensive NHL careers. Gagner was the sixth overall pick in the 2007 NHL draft and has played for the Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks and most recently the Detroit Red Wings. Tavares was the first overall pick in the 2009 NHL draft and after playing for the New York Islanders, is currently the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Both Gagner and Tavares were teammates on the Marlboros for two years and won the OHL Cup in 2005. On the popular 31 Thoughts sports podcast, Gagner was asked why he wanted to be involved in minor hockey.
"My minor hockey experience was fantastic," said Gagner. "I feel very fortunate to have gone through it and I think it's a great opportunity to give back to a hockey community that has given a lot to me and it will be good to learn about that side." (By that side, he means the management side of hockey.)
He continues, "I'm always looking for different ways to improve my game and I think I can take a lot of that knowledge and help the next generation of players."
Gagner and Tavares released a statement saying that they are "very excited to begin the transition into the controlling members of the Toronto Marlboros." Both Gagner and Tavares received approval from the league in order to obtain the rights to the team.
Both of them thanked the former president and owners Jim Nicoletti, Lynn Dennis, and Mike Charaba for the great work that they have done over the last 35 years. Tavares and Gagner also thanked the GTHL for their support throughout the process.
Gagner and Tavares have made a proposal for James Naylor to be the team’s president and for Davide Nicolette to be the General Manager. They are thrilled about this because both of these people have such knowledge, expertise and vision and it will help the team continue to build on their rich history and tradition.
Gagner and Tavares are "very thankful for this opportunity to give back to the hockey community that means so much to them and they hope to use both their passion for the game and their expertise to help in any way that they can." They continue to say that, "Being a Marlboro is not something that is taken lightly, there is a huge sense of pride that goes into being a part of this team and they hope to continue that legacy."
Both Gagner and Tavares are looking forward to helping the next generation of Marlboro players and members of the organization become the best versions that they can be both on and off the ice.
Read the full statement from the Toronto Marlboros in February 2021 here. An updated joint statement from the Marlboros club, Tavares and Gagner is available here.