Leafs camp Niagara-bound for third year
Niagara Falls has scored a hockey fans’ hat trick.
For the third year, the Toronto Maple Leafs will open their training camp at Gale Centre — and, again, the full roster and not just rookies will hit the ice.
The National Hockey League team will be in town from Sept. 14 to 16 for on-ice practices and scrimmages, plus outdoor activities and contests for the fans.
There will be an alumni game featuring some of the recent stars from the team, and Leafs staff will conduct clinics with local minor hockey groups.
Plenty of optimism surrounds the team this year, with its off-season signing of star centre John Tavares. He joins a lineup that includes forwards Auston Matthews, Patrick Marleau, William Nylander and Mitch Marner, with Morgan Rielly on defence and Freddie Andersen in goal.
During last year’s visit, the players were spotted all around Niagara, including a group of them taking a ride on the Hornblower boat tours. As well, some of the players visited Niagara Children’s Centre, which received revenue generated by Leafs ticket sales and fan donations in Niagara.
Before the Leafs arrive in Niagara Falls, they will run through their pre-camp medicals at an arena in Etobicoke. Their first pre-season game comes two days after they leave Niagara Falls, when they travel to Lucan, Ont., near London to face the Ottawa Senators in the Kraft Hockeyville game.
When they were in town last year, the alumni game featured former stars Al Iafrate, Tomas Kaberle, Steve Thomas and Tiger Williams. They faced off against a Canadian Armed Forces team from Base Borden.