The Toronto Maple Leafs revealed a number of special events and unveiled an exhibit to commemorate their 100th anniversary at a press conference at the Hockey Hall of Fame on Thursday.
“The Maple Leafs Centennial Anniversary comes at a very special time in the team’s history,” said Team President Brendan Shanahan. “It allows us to look back and celebrate the great players, accomplishments and special memories of one of the most important franchises in hockey, but at the same time, look ahead to the next 100 years and the start of an exciting new chapter in team history.”
Along with events previously announced ( such as Dave Keon, Tim Horton and Turk Broda being honored with a statue on Legend’s Row and the Centennial Classic on January 1 against the Detroit Red Wings), the club revealed a special logo and a number of other initiatives to recognize the franchise’s Centennial season.
They include:
1) The replacement of banners at Air Canada Center for players whose numbers have been previously honored. The original banners will be delivered to the hometowns of the players.
2) The club will play four pre-season games in non-NHL Canadian venues (in St. Catharines vs Buffalo, in Halifax and Saskatoon vs Ottawa and in Hamilton vs Detroit).
3) On March 18, 2017, the Leafs will play the Chicago Blackhawks and will wear the throwback St. Pats jerseys to honor the franchise’s name during the first eight seasons of their 100 years in Toronto.
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The Maple Leafs rookies went through their third and final day of drills and exercises at the Gale Center Arena in Niagara Falls, ON and hold the first of two Blue and White scrimmages on Friday at 10am. The scrimmage is open to the public and free with the donation of a non-perishable item of food, but will not be available online or broadcast on TV.
First overall pick Auston Matthews continued to show off his ample skills on a scoring/shooting drill, as he tipped the puck through his legs and over a barrier covering the bottom part of the net.
The highlight of the day involved Matthews and Mitch Marner, who went toe-to-toe in a one-on-one board battle. In spite of giving up three inches in height and nearly 50 pounds, the 2015 top pick held his own and provided some evidence to those who doubt that he is strong enough to play in the NHL next season.
“He’s a big guy, a physical player who can really control the puck down low.” Marner said of the 2016 top overall pick. “As a little guy, you gotta try to get in on his hands and try to cut him off of his angles.”
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