Maple Leafs fans in the cold north have long puzzled over why MLSE decided to affiliate with the Orlando Solar Bears ECHL team. Aside from the amazing jerseys (clearly a reason in themselves), why should the Leafs send down their AHL players to a place far, far below the border, to the second-most-southern franchise in the ECHL, narrowly beaten by the Florida Everblades?
People have pointed out the convenience of moving the affiliation to a closer team, for the sake of players being more easily monitored by the training staff and front office, and for a shorter distance to travel when players are sent back up.