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Mayor John Tory came out in support of a second NHL franchise in Toronto on Thursday, but before the day was up he backpedaled on the suggestion that he would spearhead a campaign.

In response to a question during a morning radio interview on The Edge’s Fearless Fred Show, the mayor said the city could “easily sustain a second franchise” and predicted a little hometown rivalry could “smarten the Leafs up a bit.”

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“I think it would be great for the city,” said Mr. Tory, a loyal fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs. “They would sort of really feel they had to give a bit of extra gusto to fight the local team from wherever it was from.”

He added: “Let’s get a campaign going.”

His office subsequently clarified his position on the delicate issue, which surfaced just days after the mayor stood alongside Leafs’ president Brendan Shanahan welcoming a donation from the hockey club’s owner to the city’s outdoor ice rinks.