Latest news with #ScotiabankArena
National Post
23-05-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Leafs to study ways of enhancing home ice advantage with fan support
More than 25 years into its existence, 'the house of pain' vibe that the original builders of Toronto's home arena envisioned from a noise standpoint has yet to evolve. Article content Article content Blame it on a few things, led by the Leafs' corporate season ticket base that opens their wallets, but closes their mouth during play, especially in the lower bowl. Article content Ownership has also noticed. Article content Keith Pelley, CEO of MLSE, was thrilled at fan engagement during the playoffs but recognizes it could be more loud, or close to it, every game. Fixing that is on his to-do list now that he'll be taking some of Brendan Shanahan's presidential duties. Article content Article content Article content 'A really good question,' Pelley said Friday when asked why the Leafs don't make better use of Scotiabank Arena, where they lost three times in the playoffs. 'What happened in the playoffs, especially (at the start of) Game 7 showed us what this can be, in terms of a magical hockey atmosphere. Article content 'It's one we'll look to get better at on game day. A lot of it is getting people into their seats a bit earlier. We did a really good job of that in playoffs, turning lights off, blowing whistles. It makes a difference, it's great to have it for all three periods.' Article content But the catastrophic end to Game 7 with debris and Leafs sweaters littering the ice also showed Pelley there is damage control to be done this summer. That includes off the ice. Article content 'It's how players relate to the fans and quite honestly how we relate to the media. I understand the importance of the media, having worked in it for so long. We need to embrace the media and fans and be out there more. Article content
Hamilton Spectator
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Billy Joel cancels tour, including Toronto date, after being diagnosed with brain disorder: ‘I'm sincerely sorry'
Billy Joel has cancelled his upcoming tour, including a date in Toronto , after the legendary singer was diagnosed with a brain disorder. Joel, 76, announced on Friday that he has 'normal pressure hydrocephalus' (NPH), a brain disorder in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain's ventricles. An Instagram post shared on Joel's official account reads: 'This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance. Under his doctors instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period.' The post included a short statement from the Piano Man himself: 'I'm sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience, and thank you for understanding.' A post shared by Billy Joel (@billyjoel) Joel was originally set to perform at Rogers Centre in Toronto in March, but cancelled the show days before the tour date. Citing an undisclosed medical condition, Joel's team announced that the show would be rescheduled for 2026. A statement added that Joel was expected to make a full recovery. That rescheduled tour stop, along with 17 more shows set to take place in the U.S. and U.K., have now been cancelled. The last time Joel performed in Toronto was on March 9, 2014 at Scotiabank Arena. Joel also performed at the OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls last winter. In February, Joel fell on stage while performing in Connecticut. He appeared to quickly recover and was able to finish the show. It is unclear if his surgery was related to this incident. Known for piano playing and his signature blend of pop and rock music, Joel ranks among the bestselling artists of all time. His first album, 'Cold Spring Harbor,' came out in 1971. Since then, he's released a dozen more studio albums, seven live albums and 18 compilations album, and has sold more than 150 million records worldwide. Today, Joel is best known for megahits such a 'Piano Man,' 'We Didn't Start The Fire,' 'Uptown Girl,' and 'New York state of Mind.' In July, Joel performed for the 150th time at Madison Square Garden in New York City, marking the most lifetime concerts at the storied venue by any artist.
National Post
23-05-2025
- Business
- National Post
Tom Mayenknecht: Leafs and Knicks are big brands with small success
Article content Bulls-of-the-Week Article content Article content The New York Knicks and the Toronto Maple Leafs have a lot in common when it comes to their status as two of the leading heritage brands in their respective sports of basketball and hockey. In fact, they have had very similar trajectories — for better and for worse — over much of the past 50-plus years. Article content Both franchises tug at the historical roots of the two leagues they have been synonymous with, since 1946 in the case of the Knicks and 1917 in the case of the Leafs. They represent two of the four biggest sport markets in North America, with the Knicks playing in the city that never sleeps — the biggest media market in the U.S. — and the Leafs in the dominant sports market in Canada. They play out of two of the busiest arenas in the world, with the Knicks calling the iconic Madison Square Garden home and the Leafs at Scotiabank Arena, branded with the biggest naming rights deal in the world ($40 million per annum and $800 million over 20 years). Article content The Knicks and the Leafs have been traditionally at or near the top of the Forbes franchise valuation lists since those enterprise value estimates were first created in baseball in 1998. New York is third on the current NBA franchise valuation list at $7.7 billion US while the $3.8 billion US Maple Leafs have led NHL valuations in recent years. New York drives an estimated $543 million US in annual revenues while the Leafs reportedly grossed more than $308 million US last year. Article content The similarities are not limited to the dollars and cents that are central to the business of sport, with both franchises failing to consistently do as well in basketball operations on the court and in hockey operations on the ice as they have done in business. Outside of the 1950s, the early 1970s and the mid-1990s, the Knicks have had more than their share of frustration when it comes to championship-contending teams. Their championship drought dates back to 1970 and 1973. The last two times they made the eastern conference finals was in 1994 and 1999. Going into this year, all that they have had to show for the last quarter-century are division titles in 2013 and 2020. Article content Article content The Leafs shared the limelight with the Knicks in the mid-1990s, last making the eastern conference finals of the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs in 1994. Their last Stanley Cup victory at the end of the Original Six era in 1967 has become the stuff of legend. That was 57 years ago. And that's where the two storied teams went on divergent paths this past week. The Knicks eliminated the defending Larry O'Brien Trophy holders — the Boston Celtics — to reach this week's eastern conference finals against the Indiana Pacers. That keeps them alive for a chance to win their first championship in 52 years. And the television numbers will reflect that potential. Article content Article content Bears-of-the-Week Article content The Leafs were in a similar position, playing against the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in an eastern conference final that saw them an overtime goal away from a 3-0 best-of-seven series lead. That's where the Leafs took a wrong turn. And yet again, they are empty-handed after another missed opportunity for the core four of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares. The Game 7 loss last Sunday night effectively closed the door on the Brendan Shanahan era and a team presidency that goes back 11 years. It isn't what the scriptwriters were looking for in the rebuild of the mid-2010s. All that's for sure is that there are more questions than answers in Toronto this week. And it's over to the Edmonton Oilers as Canada's last chance to win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1993. Article content Article content
CBC
23-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
MLSE boss says Maple Leafs won't fill president's role after Shanahan's dismissal
The Maple Leafs' president's chair will remain vacant. Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment czar Keith Pelley says the conglomerate doesn't plan to fill the hockey team's top job after announcing Thursday that Brendan Shanahan's contract won't be renewed. The Hockey Hall of Famer spent 11 seasons in Toronto and rebuilt the floundering Original Six franchise, but was unable to break through in the playoffs despite a boatload of offensive talent led by Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. Pelley, MLSE's president and chief executive officer, spoke to reporters at Scotiabank Arena on Friday afternoon. The Leafs won just two of 11 series under Shanahan's watch with six consecutive Game 7 losses. The most recent defeat came at the hands of the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in a second-round matchup that saw Toronto suffer 6-1 losses in its last two games on home ice to seal both the Leafs' and Shanahan's fate.
New York Times
21-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
What I'm hearing about Brendan Shanahan's future with the Maple Leafs
TORONTO — With the future of Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan hanging in the air following the team's second-round series loss to the Florida Panthers, the Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment board of directors will meet Thursday as part of the organization's end-of-season review, multiple league sources briefed on the agenda of the meeting told The Athletic. Advertisement Shanahan just completed his 11th season in the position and is on a contract that is due to expire at the end of June. Internally, the bar ownership had set for progress on this Leafs season was an appearance in the Eastern Conference final, according to league sources. Toronto fell one win short of that benchmark, albeit in dispiriting fashion — with a pair of 6-1 losses to the Panthers at Scotiabank Arena in Games 5 and 7. The way that series ended has left ownership disappointed and embarrassed, according to sources. As close as the Leafs were to taking a meaningful step from previous seasons, the way they lost made it feel a little farther from reach. However, when it comes to determining Shanahan's future and the hierarchy of the team's hockey operations structure moving forward, ownership recognizes the need to take a methodical approach. They don't want to make any knee-jerk or emotional decisions. The Shanahan decision comes at a time of internal change at MLSE. While the sale of Bell's 37.5 percent stake in the company to Rogers Communications Inc., hasn't yet closed, that's viewed as a formality that will soon leave Rogers with a controlling 75 percent interest in the company. Edward Rogers, Tony Staffieri and David Miller currently occupy the Rogers seats on the board. It's not yet clear if Thursday's board meeting will result in a final decision on Shanahan's future. In the event the organization decides to move on from him, the team will likely move forward without a team president for the foreseeable future, according to the sources. Further complicating the path forward with Shanahan is the fact that the New York Islanders have expressed interest in speaking to him about their top hockey job, according to league sources. This marks the first opportunity for Keith Pelley to put his stamp on the Leafs since becoming MLSE president and CEO in April 2024. He decided against making any management changes following a first-round loss to the Boston Bruins last spring because of how little time he'd had on the job. Advertisement At that time, Pelley spoke positively about his first impressions in watching Shanahan and Leafs general manager Brad Treliving work together. 'Brendan is the president of the Toronto Maple Leafs,' Pelley told reporters last May. 'He's a champion. He's a three-time Stanley Cup winner. What I saw in my four weeks with the two gentlemen beside me showed me that the chemistry and unity is being built at the highest levels. And I don't have any other comments because I wasn't here in the last eight years. 'I understand the results, but I can only evaluate what I've seen in the first four weeks.' Pelley has since had another 12 months to make his evaluation, getting a first-hand look at a season where the Leafs finished atop the Atlantic Division with 108 points and beat the Ottawa Senators in Round 1 before being eliminated by the Panthers. This is a critical offseason for the team with top forwards Mitch Marner and John Tavares both eligible to become unrestricted free agents and Marner seemingly poised to test the open market on July 1. While Shanahan's future with the club is still being determined, there is a positive internal view on the job Treliving has done in his first two years as GM. He's under contract beyond this season. The hockey world is not exactly brimming with experienced high-end management talent, and no one currently available has a stronger resume than Shanahan. Already a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame as a player, the 56-year-old spent five years in the NHL's head office, rising to the position of the league's senior vice president, before arriving in Toronto. Shanahan was hired by the Leafs in April 2014 and spearheaded an extensive overhaul of the team's hockey operations department while restoring connections with the franchise's alumni. He's overseen an operation that has made nine consecutive playoff appearances, the longest active streak among NHL teams, but hasn't advanced beyond the second round during his tenure. The last time the Leafs reached the Eastern Conference Final was 2002. The team hasn't won a Stanley Cup since 1967.
