Toronto Maple Leafs take training camp to cottage country
The Toronto Maple Leafs are sharpening their skills in cottage country with one week to go before the start of a new season.
"What's up, Gravenhurst," the Toronto Maple Leafs posted to Twitter Wednesday, along with pictures of players greeting fans.
Fans flocked to the Leafs' practice at the Centennial Centre in Gravenhurst, filling the stands in their blue and white.
"Thankfully, we are doing drills that we've all done before today; otherwise, we would have been in one a bit," NHL superstar Austin Matthews said, adding he could barely hear Coach Sheldon Keefe over the cheering fans.
And the fans weren't the only ones enjoying the experience.
"You get out there, and you just hear the kids yelling. It's a blast to come out here and practice in front of them," said Leafs forward William Nylander.
"It's always fun to do these kinds of things," said Leafs forward Mitch Marner. "It's a good time hearing all those chants and the fans having fun with it."
Coach Keefe said fan interaction with the team was lost throughout the pandemic with empty arenas amid COVID restrictions.
"This year is even more special and unique for us, obviously, because we're involved in the local community more," he noted.
Fans young and old couldn't hide their excitement over having the Leafs in their backyard.
"It's amazing. It's really cool to see them that close. If you think about going to a stadium, you could never have this experience," said one attendee.
Some students got a break from school to attend the practice and see their favourite players on the ice. And for the team, it was a break from the grind of training camp.
"You know you get away. You get out of the city. Get out of our regular routine. It's a long season. You spend a lot of time in your facility," added Keefe.
Fans, including 400 students from Gravenhurst High School, will get one more chance to see the Leafs up close and personal in Muskoka when the team hit the ice again Thursday for another practice at Graeme Murray Arena.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestorsÂ
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.