By 1980, Harold Ballard, owner of the Leafs, had decided that they needed a developmental team of their own,[9] with a spokesperson citing the limited number of roster spots as the rationale for the move.[2][3] MLGL launched the Cincinnati Tigers in the old Central Hockey League in 1981 to serve as their own affiliate, while retaining their share of the New Brunswick Hawks.[2][3][8][12][13][14] However, after the Tigers averaged only 1,500 fans and lost $750,000 in their first season, the Leafs folded the Tigers in the spring of 1982.[4][12][13][15][16] That same summer, with Chicago having already pulled out of New Brunswick in favour of affiliating with the Springfield Indians on their own,[4][13][16][17] the Maple Leafs announced that they would not operate the team in Moncton the following year after they couldn't come to terms with the city on a new arena lease,[4][13][17] even though the team had the fifth highest attendance in the league.[18]
The Maple Leafs wanted to relocate the team closer to Toronto, with both St. Catharines and Niagara Falls in Ontario potential destinations for the franchise.[12][15][19] When MLGL applied to the AHL to relocate the New Brunswick Hawks to St. Catharines, the nearby Buffalo Sabres initially blocked the move due to objections to a team moving into their territory without prior discussions with them.[13][20][21][22][23][24] However, following protests by fans in St. Catharines[25] and threats by Ballard to suspend the Moncton franchise to prevent another AHL team from playing in the city[13] and to sue the Sabres and NHL for $20 million,[22][23] the relocation was approved unanimously and the franchise became the St. Catharines Saints, serving as the Maple Leafs' primary affiliate.[12][20][23][26][27] At the same AHL Board of Governors meeting, the Edmonton Oilers received approval to purchase a new AHL franchise to replace the departed Hawks in Moncton,[20][23][26][27] leading to establishment of the Moncton Alpines as their affiliate that fall.[27][28]
