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UPDATE: The Centennial Classic is expected to start 30 minutes later than the scheduled 3pm start time due to glare from direct sunlight. The NHL is expecting that the sun will set below the stands by 3:30 to make the playing conditions safe.
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The spacious environment of the Toronto Maple Leafs locker room at Exhibition Stadium on Saturday made it possible for members of the young club to be seated after practice next to alumni members and there was definitely some thought put into the stall assignments.
Walking into the room normally occupied by the CFL Argonauts, goalie Frederik Andersen was discussing the style of mask he wears with former Leaf great Curtis Joseph.
Noted antagonist Darcy Tucker had current Leaf pests Nikita Soshnikov and Zach Hyman on each side. Rookie winger Mitch Marner was seated next to childhood idol Doug Gilmour.
“(Gilmour) was a guy I grew up wanting to play like, so it’s pretty cool to sit beside him and get to talk to him a little bit. He did a lot for this city.… Marner said.
Top pick Auston Matthews has watched every Winter Classic and remembered fondly the game at Wrigley Field in 2009, where favorite players Pavel Datysuk and Jonathan Toews faced each other.
#Leafs take to the ice for practice at Exhibition Stadium. pic.twitter.com/OVNpdMox4d
— Michael Augello (@MikeInBuffalo) December 31, 2016
The 19-year-old could be well on his way to breaking all Leafs rookie scoring records and was billeted next to Wendel Clark, the Leafs other first overall selection who scored 34 goals in 1985.
“It’s really special to have these guys around. These are the guys that paved the way for us. There’s a lot of history in this franchise, and a lot of that is due to these guys who are here in this locker room.… Matthews said. “I’m sitting next to Wendel Clark. It’s nice to talk to him and sit down and meet everybody, Tie Domi, Dougie Gilmour and all these guys.…
Morgan Rielly was positioned next to Hall of Fame blueliner Borje Salming, who shared some little tidbits with the Leafs defenseman.
“I was watching Salming tape his stick and he was doing something pretty unique with his tape and I was talking to him about that. It was something I’d never seen before.… Rielly said. “I grabbed it and took it for a spin. It was a bit different but I liked it.…
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Not lost in all the hoopla and pageantry for the Leafs is the game on Sunday, where the home club hopes to extend their winning streak to five games against the Red Wings.
Toronto spent nearly an hour on the ice Saturday morning getting acclimated to the conditions, as the surface will not be available for a morning skate on Sunday.
“We kinda got off to a slow start in practice, There’s an adjustment. The ice felt good, it felt fast. You kinda just want to get used to (the conditions) and see how the boards play.… Matthews said. “(Depth perception) was tough at times today with the sun. We had the eye black on, the clouds were covering it up for half the practice and the sun came out again with a little bit of glare.…
Forward Josh Leivo saw a bit of time during practice on the second power play, but Babcock indicated that was due to Connor Brown taking part in penalty killing drills. The Leafs will go with the same lineup that played against Tampa, except starting Andersen in goal.
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