Marlies building a holiday tradition
Eight-year-old Cole Saros had little interest in a reporter’s questions Friday afternoon. His focus was elsewhere, scanning for signs of blueand-white on the other side of the rink. But when the Ricoh Coliseum’s bright lights flicked on, his busy eyes got big.
“Here they come!” Cole shouted, as the Toronto Marlies made their way onto the ice for their Boxing Day matinee against the Hamilton Bulldogs.
This is the second year Cole’s parents — Peter Saros and Stacy Hewson — have taken him and his 6-yearold brother Jesse to watch the Marlies the day after Christmas in what’s become known as the Boxing Day Classic. The kids couldn’t care less that the Marlies have struggled badly this season and currently hold the AHL’s third-worst record.
“The boys were just saying it’s one of their favourite traditions,” Saros said. “I guess two years counts as a tradition when you’re 6 and 8 years old.”
Friday marked the fifth year the Marlies have hosted the Montreal Canadiens’ AHL affiliate in the holiday matinee and the Saros family’s budding tradition is exactly what the organization is attempting to build with the annual game.
“That’s what we want,” said Brad Lynn, the Marlies’ director of team operations. “We want moms and dads and their sons and daughters to be used to coming down to this game after Christmas every year. It breeds memories.”
With a multitude of competing entertainment options to choose from, sports franchises — especially those scrapping for attention in the minor leagues — are all looking to establish habit-forming event games. U.S. Col- lege Football has its Holiday Bowls and NCAA basketball draws in crowds it otherwise wouldn’t with its bracket-busting March Madness tournament.
Closer to home, the Toronto Argonauts have their annual Labour Day Classic against the Hamilton TigerCats, while the Blue Jays have celebrated Canada Day with a festive matinee game every year since 2011. Lynn said the Marlies are trying to build that same kind of consistency with the Boxing Day Classic, which is why they lobby the AHL every year for this home date along with Family Day.
“Our market is kids,” Lynn said. . . . We’ve got to fight for every fan. We work hard to put people in these seats, where it’s a given in other places. So we try to do everything we can to make it affordable and fun.”
Two years ago the Marlies-Bulldogs’ Boxing Day clash sold out the Air Canada Centre, which this year is occupied by the world junior championship — itself sold as a holiday tradition by TSN.
Perhaps a sign of how the international tournament has drawn away some of the city’s hockey fans, there were a few hundred empty seats at Ricoh on Friday. But it was a mostly full house, which had plenty to cheer about as the Marlies blanked the Bulldogs 4-0.
Matt Frattin opened the scoring with his sixth goal in just 15 AHL games, followed three minutes later by Brad Ross, who tucked a snap shot into the far top corner. Spencer Abbott rounded out the first-period scoring by tapping in a goal-mouth pass to give the Marlies a commanding lead.
Troy Bodie added another tally halfway through the third when he one-timed a pass from behind the net by Jamie Devane.
Christopher Gibson stopped all 25 shots his way for his first career shutout.
The AHL’s accessibility is what first attracted the Saros family and their hockey-mad kids.
“It’s a dollars and cents decision for us,” said Peter, who on Friday was joined by another family of four, all of whom were able to sit in the same row. Planning something similar for a Leafs game is “just not an option.”
A few rows down from the Saroses sat the Nicholson family, where 3year-old Zachary was taking in his first Marlies’ game alongside his brother Noah and parents Jeff and Erin. They said they hoped to come back next year.
“This is our first time,” Erin said. “But we’re trying to make it a tradition.”