Carolina vs Toronto 2PM weekday Start?

[boredmale]

I was just looking at the list of games for tomorrow and noticed for some strange reason the Leafs have a home game at 2 in the afternoon. Anybody know the logic for this start

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[LeHab]

Shanahan and Tory got together Tuesday to promote Tuesday Dec. 19 as Toronto Maple Leaf Day. On Dec. 19, 1917, the Toronto Arenas — who would eventually become the St. Pats and then the Maple Leafs — played their first game, and the first game in the newly formed National Hockey League. (The Arenas lost 10-9 to the Montreal Wanderers on the same night the Canadiens beat the Senators 7-4.)
To commemorate it, the Leafs will play the Carolina Hurricanes, dressed in throwback Toronto Arena jerseys. The game will be played at 2 p.m., with the Leafs hoping to pack the Air Canada Centre with as many kids as possible. Season-ticket subscribers are asked to bring a child with them that game, or to donate the ticket back to the MLSE Foundation, which will give it to a school-aged fan.
“Our birthday comes on a Tuesday,” Shanahan said. “It is a school night. So the decision was made to do it at two in the afternoon, get kids in the city incentivized a little bit to get the afternoon off school and come watch a hockey game and make the arena a very youthful place with our next generation of hockey fans.”
A ticket to a Leafs game is expensive, generally out of the range of many families. As a result, it can be difficult for a team, even one as popular as the Leafs, to connect with new fans. For many, they have a TV or streaming connection to the Leafs only, and every team in the league is equally accessible.

Maple Leafs to celebrate birthday with Tuesday matinee game Dec. 19 | Toronto Star

 

[maacoshark]

2pm will the 100th year anniversary of the first NHL game played in Toronto to the exact minute.

 

[hotcabbagesoup]

The Leafs should do it more often. The Chicago Cubs are known for having matinee games. This is the way to break curses. The Cubs recently broke their century long championship drought, and the Leafs can too.

 

[Eddy Punch Clock]

Great opponent for the Leafs to honour their legacy and history of the game.

Man, those Leaf/Hurricane battles were epic back in the day!

 

[ZJuice]

This would be cool but I would be forced to check my work email/answer calls if I went on a non-vacation day

 

[Rich Nixon]

The Leafs should do it more often. The Chicago Cubs are known for having matinee games. This is the way to break curses. The Cubs recently broke their century long championship drought, and the Leafs can too.

I endorse this idea. If the Leafs can just play some day games, their drought will be over in only 58 years. That works for me.

 

[boredmale]

The Leafs should do it more often. The Chicago Cubs are known for having matinee games. This is the way to break curses. The Cubs recently broke their century long championship drought, and the Leafs can too.

Chicago also plays games in the Summer when more people are on vacation

 

[Advanced stats]

I understand the 2 o clock start...

Why in the big blue sky, would they play the game against freaking Carolina????? And that's no disrespect to Carolina, your fans are amazing.

 

[Rich Nixon]

Chicago also plays games in the Summer when more people are on vacation

Erm, children and teens mostly.

 

[AcerComputer]

"Season-ticket subscribers are asked to bring a child with them that game, or to donate the ticket back to the MLSE Foundation, which will give it to a school-aged fan."

Yes, leave it to the paying customer to do a good deed. It's not like MLSE can afford to reimburse season ticket holders who want to give their ticket away.

 

[Super Hans]

"I'm sorry Carolina. I know we've worked the schedule to have you on a road trip this week, but do you mind staying in a Motel 6 for a couple nights because you're not prestigious enough to play the Leafs?"

 

[boredmale]

"Season-ticket subscribers are asked to bring a child with them that game, or to donate the ticket back to the MLSE Foundation, which will give it to a school-aged fan."

Yes, leave it to the paying customer to do a good deed. It's not like MLSE can afford to reimburse season ticket holders who want to give their ticket away.

I have to agree, it is sort of a dick move to try shame your season ticket holders into giving away their tickets for a promotion you want to do, they could at least offer to pay fair value for those tickets(ie Cost of season tickets / 41)

 

[Hockeyholic]

2 pm? Wonder if the game will sellout.

 

[Super Hans]

I'm sure that most Leafs season ticket holders can afford to miss a day of work to make it to an afternoon game for the centennial.

 

[GlitchMarner]

Edit: Okay, I see why it's starting in the afternoon...

I'll be at work when the game starts. Will watch the replay in the evening if the Leafs don't suck.

 

[castle]

The Leafs should do it more often. The Chicago Cubs are known for having matinee games. This is the way to break curses. The Cubs recently broke their century long championship drought, and the Leafs can too.

The cubs don’t have a choice. The leafs do though.

 

[93LEAFS]

It's done as the exact anniversary of the first game of the NHL, at the exact same time. It's the whole reason they are wearing the Arenas jersey.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

The Europeans can watch this game prime time.

 

[Frank the Tank]

The Leafs should do it more often. The Chicago Cubs are known for having matinee games. This is the way to break curses. The Cubs recently broke their century long championship drought, and the Leafs can too.

The Cubs played matinee games for 107 years of futility. It took them decades to install lights in Wrigley Field so that night games were even a possibility. Even now, the Cubs, city, and neighborhood argue over how many night games should be allowed as they really disrupt the neighborhood.

 

[Marner]

2 pm? Wonder if the game will sellout.

Don't be silly, of course it will.

Probably won't be a full arena though.

 

[93LEAFS]

Don't be silly, of course it will.

Probably won't be a full arena though.

Tickets are no different really than another mid-week game vs an average opponent on Stub Hub. Jays tend to do fine during matinee games, I don't see why the Leafs won't during the holiday season. The amount of density around the ACC makes it easily accessible for anyone who wants to take a short day.

 

[naruto]

Ok the timing thing makes sense but why is it against the hurricanes. No offense to Carolina but no one really looks forward to playing against them... theres literally no history between the two teams.

Who was the team Toronto faced 100 years ago?

 

[Super Hans]

Who was the team Toronto faced 100 years ago?

Without looking it up, probably the Mississauga Mounties or some other now-defunct franchise.

 

[garnetpalmetto]

Ok the timing thing makes sense but why is it against the hurricanes. No offense to Carolina but no one really looks forward to playing against them... theres literally no history between the two teams.

Who was the team Toronto faced 100 years ago?

The Montreal Wanderers. Hey, at least our away set also has red and white!

For those not up on their hockey history, the Wanderers didn't even complete that first NHL season. They played four games, going 1-3, before the Montreal Arena burned down. They forfeited their next two games, and then disbanded. Prior to the formation of the NHL, though, they were a fairly dominant team, winning or defending the Stanley Cup some 10 times in their first 7 years as a team.