Photos by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.43
Westwood Arena
90 Woodbine Downs Blvd
Etobicoke, ON M9W 5S6
Year Opened: 1996
Capacity: 1,800
Sound The Charge
The Toronto Patriots were founded as the Quinte Hawks in Deseronto, Ontario, between Belleville and Kingston. They were part of the now defunct Metro Jr A Hockey League. They unfortunately counted disgraced NHL Player Agent, David Frost, among their coaching staff. Frost was charged with a number of counts of sexual exploitation and was part of a bizarre murder-for-hire plot involving player Mike Danton with Frost as the target. In 1998 the league folded and the Hawks moved from Deseronto to Bancroft and what would eventually become the OJHL. In 2008, fully distanced from the Quinte days, the team moved to Toronto and became affiliated with the exclusive Upper Canada College private school. Eventually, they were purchased by Everest Academy and settled in Westwood Arena as the Toronto Patriots, where they have remained since 2014.
The current home for the Patriots is the privately owned Westwood Arena. Located in the Rexdale neighbourhood of what used to be Etobicoke in Toronto, Westwood Arena opened its doors in 1996 and is a hockey hub complete with five rinks and offices for a number of local travel teams. The main rink has a capacity of 1,800. Westwood Arena’s parent company, Buckingham Sports Properties counts a number of facilities in Toronto, Cambridge, London and Quebec.
Food & Beverage 4
The main concession at Westwood Arena, The Snack Bar, has a decent variety of options. Hot dogs, burgers, chicken fingers, fries, grilled cheese, bagels, muffins, pizza, popcorn, and onion rings are all on the menu. Breakfast offerings also on the menu hint at the business of the facility. Coca-Cola products are the main soft drink options, and water, Powerade, milk, coffee, tea and hot chocolate are also all available. Right beside The Snack Bar is the Fuel Up Smoothie Bar, which offers a number of blender beverage options. For those looking for something a little slower, or some alcoholic beverages, The Penalty Box is a full service bar and grill and is right in Westwood Arena, with some seating looking out on some of the smaller rinks.
Atmosphere 3
The exterior of Westwood Arena does not show the true size and scope of the facility. Light brick and siding with blue trim with a fairly pedestrian main entrance highlights the exterior. Maintaining one of the themes throughout the building, a large banner for the Patriots hangs near the entrance letting everyone know that this is the home of the team. Entering the lobby shows how deceptively large the facility is. There is no massive and spacious atrium, but a functional lobby that leads to the entrances to the various rinks and shows offices for a variety of youth hockey teams as well as the Patriots. A simple touch of note in the lobby is the seemingly endless number of framed pictures of NHL players who have all come through the GTHL. A treasure hunter could spend quite a while going through these pictures that includes the likes of Mike Palmateer, Peter Ing, Mark Osborne, Paul Coffey, Pat Flatley, Mike Liut and John Tavares, to name but a few. The entry to the main rink is quite obvious to fans as there are markings for the Patriots all over including the doors, floor and above the doors. The Patriots debuted a new logo in the 2024-2025 season and they are definitely making the most of it.
Inside the main rink, fans will find a bright and clean facility with huge, low profile support beams that cross over the ice. It looks as if everything in this rink has benefited from a fresh coat of paint. The ice is oriented from east to west with seating only on the north side. Seating consists of 11 rows of contoured plastic benches on concrete steps. There are some minor hockey banners hanging on the east side, but no banners hang for the Patriots. However, fans will definitely know this is the home of the Patriots as the entire south wall is painted with Patriot markings, showing off that new logo and the “Sound The Charge” hashtag being pushed by the team. Although the Patriots won the Buckland Cup in 2014 and 2015 and won their division in 2012, there are no banners commemorating the successes of the team. A simple scoreclock hangs on the west wall.
The gameday production for the Toronto Patriots is very simple. Fans are provided with a simple, one page, printed program. There are no promotions happening of note. The PA system is decent and the Patriots employ an excitable announcer, who at times is too loud making announcements inaudible. The Patriots also provide a massively wide variety of music, side-stepping the cliche of the same old songs and mixing it up and keeping it fresh.
Neighbourhood 4
Westwood Arena is located in the Rexdale neighbourhood of what was once Etobicoke and is not part of Toronto. The arena is in a fairly industrial area, so food or drink outside of Westwood Arena will require a trip with the car. Some options that are not too far include Smash Pit, Little Hut Bar and Grille and a number of chain restaurants south of the arena on Finch Street.
Being Toronto, there are a huge number of other sporting options. OJHL teams in Toronto include the Toronto Jr. Canadians, North York Rangers and Markham Royals. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Marlies, York Lions, TMU Bold and Toronto Varsity Blues are all other hockey options at different levels, in other parts of the city. The Toronto Raptors, Toronto Argonauts, Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto FC are major league franchises in other sports. Toronto also has a near infinite number of tourist options. Most will gravitate downtown and take in the Hockey Hall of Fame and CN Tower, however, in the same area as Westwood Arena is Woodbine Racetrack and the Casino at the Great Canadian. For fans wishing to stay in the area, the Great Canadian is right there.
Fans 2
Fan support for the Toronto Patriots is not the greatest. OJHL attendance can be a bit of a challenge to assess as reporting by teams can be a bit spotty. For the 2024-25 season, at the time of writing, the Toronto Patriots were averaging 119 fans per game. They ranked 16th in the OJHL, which easily puts them in the bottom third of the league. The previous season, they averaged 136 fans per game. The crowd is mostly friends and family and are generally pretty reserved.
Access 4
Westwood Arena is located in the Rexdale neighbourhood of what used to be Etobicoke and is now Toronto. The arena is between Highways 401 and 407 and 427 and 27. It is located on Woodbine Downs Boulevard and north of Carrier Drive. Rexdale is probably one of the neighbourhoods of Toronto that is the most easily accessible coming from the west or north. That being said, Toronto traffic, even though Rexdale is not downtown, is a real thing and can be frustrating depending on the time of the game. Leave a little extra time for traffic if traveling to Westwood Arena by car. There is plenty of free parking on site. For fans wanting to take public transit to the game, there are TTC buses that run on Carrier Drive. Fans should consult the Toronto Transit Commission website for fares, schedules and maps. Getting around Westwood Arena is not too difficult, however, with five ice pads, it could get a bit crowded in the lobby if multiple games are beginning or ending at the same time. Usually, the Patriots play during a bit of a slower time for the arena. The washroom facilities at Westwood Arena are adequate for the facility.
Return on Investment 4
OJHL hockey is very affordable and the Toronto Patriots are no different. A ticket for the Patriots runs $15 with discounts for students and seniors. Tickets must be purchased at the box office and they only accept cash. Patriots tickets are on the high side for the league, but are still more than affordable. Parking is free and concession prices are not terrible. The level of play on the ice is high and fans will enjoy the simple production.
Extras 3
An extra mark for the Patriots embracing their new identity and doing everything they can to show patrons that Westwood Arena is the home of the Patriots.
An extra mark for the full service bar and grill on site, The Penalty Box.
An extra mark for Westwood Arena as a hockey hub for the west end of Toronto.
Final Thoughts
Taking in OJHL hockey is a low-cost endeavor and a great way to check out some high calibre hockey. The Toronto Patriots offer a strong product on the ice in a facility that, being privately owned, is a little different than most other OJHL venues. Westwood Arena is a great place to catch a game and grab a bite to eat. After taking in the Patriots experience, fans will definitely Sound The Charge!
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