The Toronto Maple Leafs are planning to shake things up in the 2015-16 season, and season ticket holders were told by club president Brendan Shanahan, “Do not be embarrassed to be Leaf fans. Be proud and hold your head high.” This inspiring statement kicked off the second annual Leafs Nation Fan Fest last weekend.
The Maple Leafs management welcomed 3,000 season ticket holders to the Air Canada Centre on Sept. 10 for an exclusive chance to ask questions as the team opened its doors for Fan Fest in Toronto.
For its second year, admission to Fan Fest was free and fans enjoyed exclusive access to the Air Canada Centre for Q&A with management, coaches and players as well as meet and greet with current and former Leafs players. Visitors were also able to tour the dressing rooms and take photos with lowered banners of honoured players such as Mats Sundin and Wendel Clark.
The newest statues to Legends Row were unveiled this weekend as well, with Mats Sundin joining Borje Salming and other Leafs greats in this monument to the team outside the Air Canada Centre. Sundin told The Toronto Star that he was “shocked” and proud to be joining Salming, one of his own idols, in Legends Row.
Sundin predicts that “Leafs fans will have their Stanley Cup” under the new leadership and supports the changes that Shanahan and the team are making to the organization. With the first pre-season game less than two weeks away, Leafs fans are excited to get started. There have been some major changes to the roster in the off-season, including welcoming aboard new head coach Mike Babcock.
Other changes made to the organization by Shanahan over the summer include bringing new players in on one-year contracts and trading Phil Kessel to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Lou Lamoriello was hired as general manager, with Shanahan stating that the former president and GM of the New Jersey Devils will be a “mentor” within the Leafs organization.
The Leafs have also brought on board new amateur and pro scouts as well as medical staff, and introduced a sports science and performance program to ensure excellence in player performance.
The Maple Leafs management team is confident in the organization and the product they are creating while Shanahan focuses on a plan of steady, gradual improvement and Lamoriello emphasizes that “it’s going to take patience.”
Last year’s Fan Fest drew unanticipated crowds and the event was unable to accommodate all of the fans in attendance. This led to complaints about the long lines to get into the event and the cost of the tickets. This year’s free ticket system is through an online lottery for members of Leafs Nation. Shanahan issued a statement that these changes were a way for the Maple Leafs to thank their loyal fans for their continued support.
The Maple Leafs will play their first game of the regular season on Oct. 7 in Toronto against the Montreal Canadiens.
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The Ontarion publishes independent, student-produced news, opinion, and commentary for University of Guelph students so that they can make informed decisions in their lives. To do this, The Ontarion provides learning opportunities and training in journalism, media production, leadership, board governance, and other aspects of nonprofit news.
The Ontarion is the University of Guelph’s independent student newspaper. It began in 1951 as part of the Ontario Agricultural College and then began to represent the entire University of Guelph once it amalgamated in 1964. The Ontarion incorporated in May 1970 as The Ontarion, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation registered with the province of Ontario.