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TORONTO -- The NHL has confirmed that deputy commissioner Bill Daly met with a business group led by ex-NHLer Kevin Maguire who are interested in bringing a second team to the Toronto area.

Daly had told Sportsnet in an e-mail that he had a meeting but dismissed its importance and said the league has no plans for expansion.

"(The league) doesn't want to relocate any existing franchises," Daly wrote. "(The meeting) is no different than 20 other meetings like that I do a year."

The league echoed that sentiment.

"There is no consideration of bringing a second franchise to Toronto," the league said in a statement. "We have no intention to expand in the foreseeable future, and there is no desire to relocate any of our existing franchises."

Last week's meeting was first reported by The Globe and Mail, which said the group proposed building an arena in Vaughan, on land north of Pearson International Airport that's owned by businessman Victor De Zen.

"I truly believe getting an NHL team would be tremendous for the city of Vaughan, but the league has said that a second team in the Toronto area is not something that's on their radar screen right now," Maguire said in a news release.

"However, we wanted the NHL to know that if they ever change their mind, we think the city of Vaughan would be the best option and the proposed site the best location."

The group -- which has also discussed its proposal with Paul Kelly, the executive director of the NHL Players' Association -- presented its own market research stating that a second team located in northern Toronto would not impact the revenues of either the Toronto Maple Leafs or Buffalo Sabres.

The group is taking a long-term view, looking to add a team likely in the three-to-five year range, giving them enough time to build an arena as well as settle any territorial-rights fees for the Leafs and Sabres.

The total cost to bring a new franchise to Toronto could be upwards of $800-million.

One NHL owner told the paper that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has been "toying with the idea" of a second franchise in Toronto but would want to open it up to all parties in order to attract the highest bidder.

Should relocation be considered, the obvious choice for a move is the Phoenix Coyotes. The NHL had to step in to help the cash-strapped franchise stay afloat for the 2008-09 season. The Coyotes had an estimated loss of US$35-million this year.

Paul Kelly, executive director of the NHL Players' Association, was receptive to the possibility.

"Without discussing specifics, I have previously met informally with groups that have expressed an interest in putting a second team in Toronto or Southern Ontario,'' Kelly said in a statement. "The viability of a second team in Toronto or Southern Ontario should be explored, so, in the event that relocation needs to be considered for franchises that are struggling where they are currently located, a well-informed decision can be made.''

With files from THE CANADIAN PRESS