It is the coldest day of the year in the middle of February, and its Saturday - Hockey Night In Canada  - what better time then to acknowledge our hometown boys playing in the most prestigious hockey league in the world. At present there are 64 hockey players from the Greater Toronto Area on active National Hockey League rosters. There is an almost even split with 25 of these players from the City of Toronto and 30 from the suburbs of Toronto. A total of fourteen of Toronto's suburbs boast a hometown boy on an active NHL roster. The largest of this contingent is from Mississauga which has a total of 9 players on NHL rosters. 

The GTA is so well represented that just 4 NHL teams do not currently have a player from the Greater Toronto Area listed on their roster. These NHL teams include: Detroit, San Jose, Los Angeles and aghast - wait for it - your hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. Now before you go and get all upset over this little bit of trivia it should be noted that while many players from the last Toronto Maple Leaf Stanley Cup team in 1967 hailed from small towns across Ontario there were just two players on the last Toronto Maple Leaf Stanley Cup roster from the Greater Toronto Area; including centre Brian Conacher and backup third string goalie Al Smith.

The St. Louis Blues with 5 players and the Vancouver Canucks with 4 players boast the two highest totals of players from the GTA. It should not be any surprise that these two NHL teams with the most GTA players, are also currently two of the best teams in the NHL. Another source of local pride are the high number of emerging NHL superstars whose hometown roots are in the GTA. These rising stars include: Tampa Bay Lightning Steven Stamkos from Markham, New York Islander John Tavares, from Mississauga, New York Ranger Michael Del Zotto from Stouffville, St. Louis Blues Alex Pietrangelo from King Township, Boston Bruin Tyler Seguin from Toronto and P.K. Subban from Toronto who plays for the Montreal Canadiens.

Tonight when your watching Hockey Night in Canada have a special look out for these hometown GTA stars who are helping to pave the way for the next generation of great stars currently playing in the Greater Toronto Hockey league.