So I just returned from an exhausting but fantastic trip to Toronto, and of course made sure to catch the Maple Leafs on Saturday night. Seeing a game at the Air Canada Centre (pictured below as seen from the CN Tower) is a rollicking good time. Sure, getting to boo Jagr and the visiting Rangers helped, but the atmosphere at the ACC was undoubtedly electric. The Star Spangled Banner was well-received, and fans belted out O Canada along with the anthem singer. Thankfully no buffoons shouted “O” during either anthem.
The fans were friendly, passionate, and knowlegable. I sat next to a gentleman in a Swedish national team jersey who was a strong Sundin supporter. When I asked him how he felt about Nylander and Lundqvist of the visiting Rags, he replied, “Ya, sure, if they are wearing yellow and blue I root for dem, but not tonight!”
Now for a subject near and dear to my heart and liver: good beer options are plentiful at the ACC. I was saddened, but not surprised, so see several Coors Light and Bud taps, but as expected Molson and other Canadian brews abound. The prices were a bit shocking, however; their Small, Medium, and Large cups are $6, $9, and $12 respectively. The large is a 28-ounce cup, but it’s pricey stuff. Still, a few Molsons moistened this vocal fan’s vocal cords, and like a prize fighter returning from his corner at the start of a new round, I resumed my hearty cheering for the home team.
The game, a 7-6 Leafs loss in a shootout, was non-stop excitement. The well-informed crowd reacted intuitively and passionately to the smallest plays. They were loud but courteous; even the occasional well-crafted insult questioning the referee’s ocular capacity would not have offended the most delicate ears. There were certainly no fans on cell phones ignoring the game.
We sat in nose-bleed seats, yet saw the action clearly. We had great sightlines despite being only three rows from the top. Ticket prices are unsurprisingly ludicrous — I cannot imagine how much season tickets in the lower bowl cost — but the ten-year waiting list attests to the undying popularity of the team as well as the hockey-mad nature of Toronto-area citizens. On this count the Caps have a clear advantage; as a Caps season ticketholder in the upper deck I’m grateful for our team’s low ticket prices.
The ACC itself is well-run. Lines were long but quick, and for the most part the walkways were passable despite the capacity crowd of almost 19,000 people. Hockey pictures and memoribilia abound, far outweighing the occasional Raptors item. The Ice Box, a large bar located next to our upper-deck section, boasts multiple televisions and comfy seats that rival those at plush DC cigar bars.
The game was worth every Canadian penny! If you find yourself in Toronto, do yourself a favour and catch a game there. You’ll be glad you did.
COMING SOON: A pilgrimage to my personal Mecca, a.k.a. The Hockey Hall of Fame
10 Comments
Well sure, in Canadian dollars the beer was expensive, but that equates to what, $2.50 American?
And was the lower bowl filled? On TV it seems like the people in those seats are gone for half of the period.
Ha! I wish we did still have good exchange rates — the dollar-to-looney ratio is barely above even.
The lower bowl was mostly filled, though the Leafs have their corporate seats in the lower bowl (like the Caps do in the 200-level). So some of the corporate seats were indeed unused, much to the chagrin of my seat neigbors in the nose-bleeds.
Man, that’s awesome. I’m truly jealous. I have GOT to get to Toronto and catch a game there.
The best is the appreciation of the other fans there. You’re in their house as a visitor. And to just enjoy it as they do, that’s priceless. Looking forward to reading about your next trip!
Sigh, I want to go back to Tiranna. I never got to catch a game there- you’re so lucky!
The Air Canada Centre is nice, but it’s no Maple Leaf Gardens.
True, it ain’t no Gardens, but that’s the same throughout the League now. All the “old school” rinks are gone, and a lot of atmosphere went with them. Still, the ACC isn’t a bad place to watch a game, all things considered.
Watching live pretty much any NHL contest north of the 49th is a treat.
I saw a mid-season Flames / Wild game at the Saddledome (long lost cousin of the late Capital Centre) and it was rollicking and loud and beery and even smoky in the bars. It was like being in Texas except the weather was nice n’ cold, snow was piled up everywhere, and everyone loves hockey.
I wish I could have been able to see the Caps play in Edmonton this Saturday. Its on my list to see a game in the City of Champions.
**Watching live pretty much any NHL contest north of the 49th is a treat.
I know this is prototypical Canadian, but Toronto lies at about 43 degrees North, equivalent to just south of Portland, OR.
Good to hear you had a fantastic time! (insert cliched Eh here)
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