The Hershey Centre will be home to the first Canadian franchise in the Major Arena Soccer League next year.

Plans are in the works to bring a Toronto area team into the 16-team loop for the 2018-19 season. There are already teams spread across the United States and Mexico. The season runs from late October to April.

Toronto franchise CEO Sergio Giancola and president Peter Kovacs watched a game in the now-defunct National Professional Soccer League 17 years ago and have wanted to own an indoor team ever since.

“Last January we revisited the situation, and we started to do our due diligence,” Kovacs said in a press release announcing the expansion into Canada.