"We've got a serious problem": PC Party leader calls for strict changes as Toronto traffic forces Leafs opponents to walk to rink

PC Party leader Doug Ford criticized Toronto’s traffic after the Utah Hockey Club walked to Scotiabank Arena to play against the Leafs. The team’s bus got stuck in downtown gridlock on Sunday, caused by road closures for the Santa Claus parade. Ford stressed the need to address Toronto's traffic issues.

Ford posted on X (formerly Twitter):

“When Toronto traffic is so bad that NHL teams have to walk to their games, we’ve got a serious problem.”

Ford also highlighted his government’s plans to fix gridlock by revising bike lane policies, building new highways and improving public transit. He talked about speeding up construction on projects like the Gardiner Expressway.

"That’s why it’s so important that we deliver on our plan to fight gridlock by bringing sanity back to bike lane decisions, building highways and public transit, and speeding up construction on the Gardiner," Ford added.

The Utah team’s walk was shared in a video online, showing another example of traffic affecting major events. Ford’s comments follow Ontario's recent bike lane bill, which requires provincial approval for certain municipal bike lane projects. The bill also removes some bike lanes in Toronto to restore lanes for vehicles.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow blamed the gridlock on the Santa Claus parade, with its floats and crowds jamming streets.

"All the big floats and the people flooding out from the Santa Claus parade was jamming that whole area," Chow said (via Sportsnet). "It was just because of that reason."

Ford, however, pointed to broader issues, saying Toronto’s congestion is deterring people from downtown.

Toronto Maple Leafs secured a 3-2 win over Utah

The Maple Leafs beat the Utah Hockey Club 3-2 at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday. The Utah are now 1-4-0 in their last five games.

Utah scored first at 17:48 of the first period. Dylan Guenther’s one-timer deflected off Cooley for a power-play goal. The Maple Leafs tied it 1-1 at 5:15 of the second. John Tavares sent a long pass to Mitch Marner, who scored on a breakaway. Marner made it 2-1 at 9:34 with a power-play goal, banking the puck off Karel Vejmelka’s pads.

Nylander increased the lead to 3-1 at 10:50. He stole the puck from Cooley, broke away, and scored five-hole on Vejmelka. Jack McBain made it 3-2 early in the third, deflecting Cooley’s point shot.

Utah coach, Andre Tourigny, said:

"The boys fought hard, they deserve credit for that, but we need to learn to manage the game better."

The Maple Leafs have now won four straight games and are 7-1-0 in their last eight games.