Coca-Cola Coliseum - Toronto Marlies
- Dave Cottenie
- Apr 20
- 6 min read
Photos by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.00
Coca-Cola Coliseum 19 Nunavut Rd. Toronto, ON M6K 3C3 Canada
Year Opened: 1921
Capacity: 7,851
The Duke of the Kingdom
The original Toronto Marlboros were a junior hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1904 to 1989. In the old farm system of the Toronto Maple Leafs, they were the protestant team that competed on the ice against the St. Michael’s Majors, the Catholic team of the Leafs. Owner Conn Smythe believed that protestants and Catholics should not play on the same team until they got to the NHL. The Marlies played at Maple Leaf Gardens and were famous for matching their games with Leaf games for Saturday hockey doubleheaders.
The lineage of the Marlies in the OHL leads to the modern Guelph Storm. The current version of the Marlies plays in the American Hockey League and is the top affiliate of the Leafs. The team is officially named Marlies to distance itself from the American cigarette brand. In reality, the original team was named after the Duke of Marlborough.
The lineage of the AHL squad dates back to 1978 with the inception of the New Brunswick Hawks, a joint farm team between the Leafs and Chicago. Over the years, the Leafs formed a dedicated squad and bounced the team around with stops in St. Catharines, Newmarket, and St. John’s, Newfoundland.
What is now the Coca-Cola Coliseum was originally built in 1921 as an arena for agricultural shows, specifically for the Royal Winter Fair. The Coliseum underwent a massive renovation in 2002, completely rethinking the building to attract a professional hockey team. After the one-season failure of the Toronto Roadrunners of the AHL, MLSE vacated St. John’s and moved their affiliate close to home.
The Marlies were reborn in 2005 and have given the Leafs a tool that has become prominent in the business of hockey: a close-by affiliate and an arm of the organization that can take on promotional and charitable tasks that may be unattractive to the parent club.
Food & Beverage 5
Coca-Cola Coliseum is operated by MLSE, so many of the concession options that are found at Scotiabank Arena are also here. Some recognizable brands are found throughout the Coliseum, including Pizza Pizza, Smoke’s Poutinerie, Tim Horton’s, and St. Patties. Traditional arena fare is found at the Food Junction stand, some of the most unique items are also found here, including Buffalo Chicken tenders, Korean Fried Chicken sandwiches, Beef Taco Loco Fries, Bacon Mac & Cheese eggrolls, and Jerk Chicken Patty Sandwiches. Molson Canadian, Coors, Heineken, and Steam Whistle are available beers. The Crown Royal bar has a number of spirits available as well as wine.
Atmosphere 4
With the renovation of the early 2000s, the exterior facade of Coca-Cola Coliseum remained. Light coloured brick with unique arched architecture over the entrances keeps the classic exterior look. Large windows above the southwest entrance allow natural light into the building. The other main entrance to the Coliseum is at the south, through the exhibit hall, which maintains the light brick and arches over the entrance but adds concrete columns for an even more stunning look. A large, bronze Coke bottle sculpture before the entrance reminds fans who the title sponsor of the building is, and agricultural art embedded in the brick wall across from the main entrance links back to its origins.
Entry in the Coliseum at the southwest corner brings fans past the ticket windows and past huge wooden doors, which were used to keep livestock in their pens. Along with the doors are posters and captions giving the history of the building.
A few steps further, and past security brings fans into the main concourse. Marlies Alley, which is just beyond the ticket windows, is open for some Marlies games and has several family-friendly activities for the kids to participate in. There are markings all over the concourse for the Marlies, with external walls a classic-looking, white-painted brick.
The seating bowl is one level that is split. The ice is south-north oriented, and the east side is where one would get a picture of the centre ice logo. An upper concourse is found behind the seating bowl, at the top, and offers some additional concession stands and washroom access. Above centre ice hangs a four-sided video board with an LED ring above and four slim rectangular boards below. Suites are found above the seating bowl on the east and west sides.
For Toronto Maple Leaf historians, the facade of the suites will be of particular interest. Encircling the entire arena are several Maple Leaf emblems, each with the name of a former Marlie who went on to play for the Maple Leafs. These date back to the original Marlies and begin in 1927, and provide a who’s who of Toronto hockey royalty.
Names like Conacher, Boudreau, Palmateer, Armstrong, Brewer, Baun, Thomas, Reid, Ellis, Nylander, Hyman, and Pulford are the tip of the iceberg. At the back of the north end hang the conference championship banners, along with the 2018 Calder Cup banner.
The gameday production at a Marlies game is pretty simple. The in-game host is energetic and keeps the promotions on track while engaging the crowd. The Marlies mascot, Duke, can be found interacting with the crowd. A unique feature of Coca-Cola Coliseum is that the players travel through parts of the concourse and descend a small set of stairs to ice level between the benches.
Neighbourhood 5
Coca-Cola Coliseum is located on the grounds of Exhibition Place in the Niagara neighbourhood of Toronto. It is immediately south of Liberty Village, which is the closest neighbourhood for fans to get some pre- or post- game food. It is easily walkable. Some options in Liberty Village include Liberty Village Market & Cafe, Local Public Eatery, Brazen Head, Chiang Mai, NODO, and Fox And John’s.
Coca-Cola Coliseum is shared with the Toronto Sceptres and is the future home of the Toronto Tempo. BMO Field is across the parking lot and is home to the Toronto Argonauts and Toronto FC. A few minutes east, and fans could take in the Toronto Blue Jays, Maple Leafs , or Raptors.
Toronto Metropolitan University is northeast and fields Bold hockey and basketball teams in the former Maple Leaf Gardens. The University of Toronto also fields a full complement of Varsity Blues athletic teams, including football, basketball , and hockey. There are also a ton of other tourist options in Toronto. Medieval Times and RBC Amphitheatre are close. However, hockey fans must take in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Fans wishing to stay near Exhibition Place can choose Hotel X, Radisson Blu, The Neptune, or a host of other options nearby.
Fans 3
For the 2025-26 season, the Marlies averaged over 5,400 fans per game. This was down a few hundred from the previous season. The Marlies ranked 18th in attendance in the 32-team American Hockey League. There is plenty of room for improvement for the Marlies. Marlie fans are loyal and often break out the “Let’s Go Marlies” chant. However, they are not overly excitable or loud.
Access 4
Coca-Cola Coliseum is located on the grounds of Exhibition Place in the Niagara neighbourhood of Toronto. It is on the south side of Manitoba Drive, and immediately south of the Gardiner Expressway. Although it has a very close proximity to the expressway and is easier to get to from the west than the rest of Downtown Toronto, it can still be a challenge, as Toronto traffic can be a significant issue.
There is plenty of parking on site, which will require payment at a kiosk or on a parking app. Fans should be cognizant of what other activities are taking place at Exhibition Place, as this can drastically affect parking. For fans wishing to take public transit to the Sceptres games, they have a couple of options. A GO Transit station is at the north end of Exhibition Place. There are also buses and streetcars that can be found at Exhibition Place. Fans should consult the GO Transit and TTC websites for fares, schedules, and maps.
Getting around the Coca-Cola Coliseum is not too difficult; however, initially, the concourses can get congested during pregame. Once people start to utilize the upper concourse, it thins out a bit. The washrooms are adequate for the facility.
Stadium Journey strongly suggests fans consult the Toronto Marlies and Coca-Cola Coliseum websites for the most up-to-date security information, including prohibited items and bag policy. Coca-Cola Coliseum is a cashless facility.
Return on Investment 4
Tickets for the Toronto Marlies begin at $16 for select games. They go up to $62 with the most expensive seats in the lower, silver sections. Parking is going to be on the expensive side, and concession prices are about what one would expect. In the end, fans will definitely enjoy their trip to Coca-Cola Coliseum, a classic venue with plenty of history, and a team that puts together a good gameday production.
Extras 3
An extra mark for the Marlies acting as the promotional and charity wing of MLSE.
An extra mark for the renovation of Coca-Cola Coliseum, keeping the classic look while making it a modern facility.
An extra mark for the display of Marlies and Maple Leafs history at Coca-Cola Coliseum
Final Thoughts
The Toronto Marlies may have a bit of trouble getting noticed in the very crowded Toronto sports scene, however the AHL squad has a good following and play in a classic hockey arena. Fans will definitely enjoy their trip to Coca-Cola Coliseum.
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