St. Louis Blues 5 at Toronto Maple Leafs 6 (SO) - January 6, 2011

After a 5-hour drive from Cleveland to Toronto, Sharpy and I found ourselves in front of the Air Canada Centre, home to our childhood heroes, the Toronto Maple Leafs. We had seen the Leafs on the road in ten different cities over the years (3-6-1) but never at home, so this would be a symbolic way to end the trip.

Air Canada Centre

Initially begun as a project for the Toronto Raptors of the NBA, the ACC was bought by Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (along with the Raptors) during its construction. MLSE changed the design to make the arena acceptable for hockey and when it opened in 1999, it immediately replaced venerable Maple Leaf Gardens as the home of the Leafs. It is located along Bay Street, just south of Front Street in downtown Toronto and is connected to Union Station, so you can take the subway there and avoid going outside if it is cold. It's also connected to the PATH system of underground tunnels so you can walk from many spots in downtown without having to endure the cold or slush. If you prefer to drive, there are parking lots nearby for $10, or free street parking a bit further away, south of Lakeshore Blvd, if you arrive at 5:00.

The arena is located on the site of the Canada Post Delivery Building and still retains two of the outside walls from the old structure. There is a display just inside the Bay Street lobby entrance which details the history of building and how it was modified to house a new sports venue.

The ticket window is inside the large lobby that acts as the main entrance to the venue. Line ups at game time here can be long but there are several other gates around, so if you want to get in right away, I suggest you try those.

Tickets for the Leafs are very expensive yet can be difficult to get at the box office on game day. Seats are colour-coded, going from the insanely costly platinums near the ice to the upper-deck purples.

When we arrived about 3 hours before game time, there were two options: $155 for lower bowl reds in the ends or $95 for second row greens in the upper deck. There are cheaper options but most sections are sold out well before game time. Of course, there are many friendly scalpers who will be happy to do business with you, but being so early we didn't expect a deal so we chose the upper deck seats and then went over to the Real Sports Bar & Grill for dinner. ESPN voted it the best sports bar in North America which is not surprising as it is really just a copy of the ESPN Zone concept. It is owned by MLSE, who are brilliant at determining other revenue streams. I thought it was OK, but rather expensive, although apparently $10 pints (including tax and tip) are the norm in Canada.

Gates opened an hour before the game and once inside the arena, we moved to the upper bowl to explore. At one end lies the Ice Box, a full service bar with great views of the ice. It is open to the public and you can watch the game from here, which I'd like to try sometime.

The upper concourse had a couple of interesting displays, including one dedicated to James Naismith, the inventor of basketball who was born near Ottawa in 1861. Items shown here include a whistle that Naismith used as well as a copy of Spalding's basketball guide from early in the century.

For Leafs' fans, there's a captain's wall with pictures of each Leaf captain since the team's inception. Dion Phaneuf has yet to be added.

Finally, look into some of the stairwells for some old pictures. The shot below shows Borje Salming and Bill Flett behind Michel Plasse of the Kansas City Scouts, probably around 1979. There's a number of these around so take your time and check them out.

In general, I find the concourses here rather narrow (that's the upper concourse below) but such is the nature of an arena built within a limited downtown space. I tried walking around during the intermission and it was a bit slow in spots, particularly around concession stands, of which there are many. Dining options are Canadian standbys such as Pizza Pizza, Tim Horton's and Mr. Sub, although there are a few other options. Having just eaten, I didn't partake inside the ACC.

The Leafs have a storied history, at least until 1967, and there are 13 Stanley Cup banners in the rafters. I was born in 1966 and I'm really hoping they can add one more before I die but that's getting less and less likely now.

The Leafs don't retire numbers, rather they honour them. Thus you can see the same number hanging from the ceiling for different players. I like this idea, and agree that current players should build on the existing legacy. For example, Colby Armstrong is #9, he should be playing harder knowing that legends Charlie Conacher and Teeder Kennedy sported the same jersey years ago.

I really like the upper deck seats, there are railings in front of every row which encourage leaning and seem to provide more room. The view is quite good too, as you can see below.

The warmup generally starts about 25 minutes before the game, which really limits the amount of time I can tour the venue as I love watching NHL warmups from the glass where you can figure out the lines and get a rough idea of how the team is faring. This is the only sport where you can be so close to the players before the game. Below are a couple of pics of Phil Kessel and Jonas Gustavsson.

Overall, the ACC is a good facility and I always enjoy seeing games here. As a long-time Toronto fan I love the historical touches that can be found as you wander. Unfortunately, the popularity of hockey in the city has sent ticket prices soaring but if they are selling out, I can't complain. Leaf fans are passionate but stupid (myself included) and will gladly continue to pay top dollar for a mediocre product. That shouldn't detract from the venue itself though but if you want to get in cheaply, try a Raptors' game instead.

The Game

The St. Louis Blues were in town in what was termed "Rivalry Night". It is true that these two teams used to be Norris Division rivals and had some heated playoff series in the 1980's but they are in different conferences now and this would be their only meeting this season. Interestingly, it was also the Leafs' 3000th home game in their history.

Gustavsson started for Toronto against Jaroslav Halak for the Blues. It didn't take long for a goal as Colby Armstrong scored just 15 seconds after the opening face-off, deflecting a Kris Versteeg shot off his jersey and behind a surprised Halak.

St. Louis shook off the early setback and tied it when David Backes forced Francois Beauchemin into a defensive zone turnover and ex-Leaf Alex Steen picked up the puck and beat Gustavsson low to the stick side. Backes added his own goal, popping in a rebound midway through the period and the Blues held the 2-1 lead at the break.

The Leafs started the second poorly but Gustavsson kept the puck out and eventually his offense tied it when Mikhail Grabovski (#84 below) scored on a beautiful feed from Clarke MacArthur. Just over two minutes later, Versteeg gave the Leafs the lead, scoring from the crease on a perfect pass from Armstrong behind the net. Ninety seconds later, Kessel received a perfect giveaway pass from St. Louis defenseman Vladimir Sobotka and skated in alone on Halak, beating him easily and sending him to the showers. All three goals were scored in the net just beneath us and it was pure elation, doubtless the best Leaf moment in years for us.

In the third, Kessel added another, coming off the bench to pick up a loose puck, skating in alone on replacement keeper Ty Conklin, and scoring short side. With the 5-2 lead, you might think we could relax, but after Canada blew a 3-goal lead the night before, we were not ready to celebrate yet.

Sure enough, Brad Winchester bounced one in off the post and Gustavsson's rear to make it 5-3. Winchester also pushed Gustavsson into the net but the puck had already crossed the line as we could see clearly from our location. The play went to review and the goal was upheld, and it seemed to deflate the Leafs, who promptly allowed another marker by Eric Brewer (#4 below picking up his stick) to make it a one-goal affair.

With less than seven minutes left, Matt D'Agostini was sent alone by Sobotka and deked Gustavsson, putting the puck high and tying the game. Yep, another 3-goal lead blown by a team wearing the maple leaf.

The Blues continued to put pressure on Toronto and came alarmingly close to scoring on several occasions but the puck stayed out and we went to overtime. Well, the Leafs had saved a point at least.

Not much happened in the extra period and a shootout was required. For me, it would be the 6th shootout in the 11 hockey games I had seen on this six-week journey. Toronto went first and Kessel missed. Steen followed with a deke that easily beat Gustavsson (below) and things looked grim.

But then Grabovski made the shootout goal of the year and completely changed the complexion of the game. An impossible to describe spin move, I've put four pictures to try to show it, but if you haven't seen it, here's a link.

There was a second of silence because it seemed like his was out of room, but he beat Conklin and the place exploded.

Brad Boyes followed for the Blues and scored. Versteeg was next for Toronto, needing to score to keep it going. He did, beating Conklin 5-hole and when D'Agostini was saved on his attempt, the shootout was now in overtime.

Tyler Bozak was poked by Ron Wilson and jumped over the bench. Could he be the hero? He skated in and beat Conklin with a laser off the post and suddenly the Leafs had a chance to win it. Patrick Berglund, who had not had a shootout attempt all season, was St. Louis' choice and he skated in, lost control, and the puck slid wide. Huh? OMG!!!! The Leafs won?!?!?! YES!

Sharpy and I jumped around for a while to celebrate what turned out to be an exciting, entertaining, and ecstatic game for Toronto and a great way to end our short 4-day journey.

Thoughts

Leafs win! The proof is above! Finally a great game that ends with a Leafs' victory. A fantastic experience, and thanks to the nice lady who gave me her commemorative ticket (below, with Ken Wregget pictured). Eight of the ten goals were scored in the net below us, which added to the enjoyment.

You have to feel for Ty Conklin who comes in down 4-2, plays well, and gets saddled with the shootout loss although Halak gave up 4 of the 5 goals.

Toronto teams won the last three games of the trip (including the NLL's Rock taking their season opener over Edmonton, which I saw a couple of days later). Such a rare occurrence requires me to rest from roadtripping, so I'll be taking a few months off to recharge here in Japan. I'll post more on my plans in a few days, but for now, I'm going to savor the win.

Best,

Sean

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Toronto Raptors 120 at Cleveland Cavaliers 105 - January 5, 2011

The original plan for this day was to return to Buffalo to watch the WJHC finals. I had expected the final to be between Canada and the US but when Canada lost to Sweden in the round robin, it changed everything. Fortunately, Sharpy and I witnessed Canada beating the Yanks in the semi-final, which was enough for us. So we decided to forgo the ridiculous ticket prices and stay in Cleveland to watch the Raptors take on the Cavaliers in a battle of two teams whose star player moved to Miami last summer. Needless to say, both teams are near the bottom of the league this season.

Quicken Loans Arena

Located at the corner of Huron and Ontario in downtown Cleveland, Quicken Loans Arena is known as the Q to locals. Progressive Field is next door and the two venues comprise the Gateway Sports and Entertainment Complex. Both were built from 1992-94, the first time in the country that two sports facilities were constructed simultaneously on the same site.

Originally known as Gund Arena after the owner at that time, Gordon Gund, who had bought the rights, the venue underwent a massive renovation in 2005 when new Cavs' owner Dan Gilbert, who also owns Quicken Loans, took over. Gilbert also bought the naming rights and the Q was born. It was an incredible remodelling and the venue is still like new despite being over 15 years old.

There is expensive parking near the arena ($25 at one lot) but I am sure you can find free street parking around. We stayed downtown so we walked to the arena, so don't have any parking tips.

Scalpers are plentiful and for a game such as this, desperate to sell. We had worn our Canadian hockey jerseys and wanted to sit behind the Raptors' bench to cheer them on, but nobody had those seats. Instead, we ended up with $101 club seats near center court for just $25 and we probably could have got them for cheaper had we negotiated with some other salesmen.

When you enter the venue, you go through metal detectors, sadly not an uncommon experience in the States. Game programs are free and available just inside the gates. I initially tried to go up an escalator to the second level to grab some pictures, but was refused as I had a club ticket. I tried to explain that I just wanted to take a look but the lady didn't quite understand me and so I gave up before the line behind me grew too large.

As you can see above, the lower bowl is separated into two distinct sections. The lower, flatter section is normal seating and can be accessed via the concourse. The upper, steeper area contains the club seats and these are accessed via elevators or directly from the parking garages connected to the arena.

I found it annoying to get from the club to the upper level as there is no obvious link between the two. I eventually found a door that led to a staircase that takes you to the other levels. This door is unguarded, so you can also enter the club without a ticket if you are looking to explore.

Frankly though, the club area isn't that special. The concourse is narrow and there are few concessions because most people get food delivered to their seat or eat at Bridges, the fine dining establishment for club patrons. The other concourses are more typical, much wider with plenty of food options. There is a Quaker Steak and Lube restaurant on the lower level that provides seating if you want something a bit more substantial.

The 4-sided scoreboard is excellent and provides extra info such as the point differential in the game as well as the FG% for both teams. The video quality is superb too.

The Cavaliers don't have a storied history, and having lost LeBron, it's doubtful any new banners will be raised anytime soon to join those below. There are a few retired numbers including Larry Nance and Mark Price which are hanging from the rafters as well.

As I walked around, I noticed one cute touch in that the signs for the bathrooms are holding little basketballs.

Otherwise there is nothing particularly special about the Q. I think they went a little heavy on the club seats but now that the primary attraction has left, it feels a bit forced. The limited access to the club is also mildly frustrating when you are sitting there and want to move around.

Still, it's a good place to watch a game, with tickets easily affordable, excellent sightlines, and passionate fans. The arena is easily accessible, with lots of bars and eateries (I liked Flannery's Irish Pub at Prospect at 4th) nearby. I certainly think Cleveland is a great sports town and if you haven't been there, check it out.

The Game

Both teams are terrible, but Cleveland is slightly worse, coming in at 8-23 and in the midst of a 1-17 run. In fact, when I saw them in Minnesota back on December 4th, they lost the 3rd game of this stretch, which means one win in over a month. Things are not pretty here.

Toronto was 11-20 and on a 1-6 streak of their own. Clearly, something had to give. Their "star" is Andrea Bargnani (below), the first overall pick back in 2005.

It was Antawn Jamison (below) bobblehead night which brought a good crowd out (announced as a sellout at 20,562 but there were lots of no-shows) and the Cavaliers responded early, dominating the first quarter, shooting nearly 80% in taking a 38-26 lead.

But Bargnani (below on offense) scored nine points to start the second and the Raptors went on a 24-10 run to take a two-point advantage. The teams exchanged the lead the rest of the half, which ended with Toronto on top 66-63.

It was quite a reversal and amazingly it was enough. Cleveland got within one point early in the third but the Raps put together a 12-3 run over 2:41 to take an 87-77 lead and the Cavaliers were done, never getting closer than 6 points the rest of the way. Toronto cruised to the 120-105 victory and Sharpy and I went home happy.

Ramon Sessions with a nice shot for 2 of his 16 points

Bargnani led the winners with 25 while Jamison paced the Cavs with 32. However, it was Jose Calderon who was the big star, dishing out 17 assists to go along with his 20 points.

DeMar DeRozan looks to shoot

It can be tough in basketball to determine what really led to victory; turnovers or defense or foul shooting or rebounding or something else. Looking at the boxscore, Toronto had 21 more FG attempts and 16 more FG, a consequence of good offensive rebounding and lots of second chance opportunities. The Raptors' defense was also that much better over the last three quarters and Cleveland had trouble finding any rhythm. These two factors combined to give Toronto the win and keep the road winning streak alive on this trip, now at 5-0.

The final score, note "The Diff" in the middle which shows the difference between the two teams. Can Cleveland fans not subtract?

With the Cavaliers scoring 100, another free chalupa was awarded, which meant two in two days. Unfortunately we had to get out of Cleveland early the next day and didn't have time to enjoy our bounty, but we certainly enjoyed our time in Cleveland. Go Raptors!

WJHC Final

After the game, we went to a nearby bar to watch the end of the hockey game in Buffalo. It was 3-3 when we arrived and we didn't know that Canada had blown a 3-0 lead. So we were excited to see the last 10 minutes, but when Russia added two more goals to win gold, our excitement dissipated somewhat. I'm glad we chose Cleveland and saw a Raptors' road victory though.

Returning to Canada the next day, I was shocked at how disconsolate the country was. Does the failure of a bunch of teenagers to win a single game mean that much here? They had a terrible period, but that happens in sports. It doesn't mean the "future of Canadian hockey is in danger" or anything else. Canada needs to get over itself regarding hockey, they have become far worse than Americans on baseball or basketball.

Best,

Sean

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Rochester Americans 4 at Lake Erie Monsters 3 - January 4, 2011

When I originally planned this trip, I needed to find an event close to Buffalo for Tuesday, the day between the WJHC semi-finals and finals. Turned out that the AHL has a team in Cleveland, the Lake Erie Monsters, and they had a game that evening. Cleveland is just 3 hours from Buffalo, so I decided to add another rink to my roadtrip resume.

Quicken Loans Arena

Located in downtown Cleveland next to Progressive Field, the Q is the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA as well. For the AHL, the upper deck is closed off, so I won't bother discussing it in detail here, as I saw the Cavs the following day.

For hockey, there are a number of seating options but it's best to buy the cheapest tickets at $10 and sit where you want. The arena has an interesting set up (as you can see above) in that the lower 10 rows are very flat and completely separate from the club section, which are much steeper and comprise the upper 20 rows in the sections down the sideline. I've never seen so many club seats in a venue, but these offer the best view for hockey.

This Tuesday also saw Ohio State playing in the Sugar Bowl, so there were maybe 500 fans in the rink (despite an announced attendance of 3,034) but the Monsters still put on a great show, including having the players skate out from a large monster head at one end of the arena.

Cleveland actually has a storied hockey history as the Old Barons of the AHL had a semi-dynasty, taking 9 championships over 25 years. Leaf legend Johnny Bower also spent several seasons here. Nice to see these commemorated in the rafters.

The Monsters also have a unique team cleaning the ice during official timeouts: The Mullet Brothers, an imitation of the Hanson Brothers from the movie Slapshot.

The view below is from the $10 seats, it's the last row of section 117 which is actually great for hockey.

I love going to big venues for small teams, it gives me a chance to see things that you might not otherwise get to see. For example, there is a VIP room at one end of the building, this is not accessible during Cavs' games but you can walk through when the hockey is on. However, I wasn't allowed to view the memorabilia, being instructed to walk right through. Nonetheless, here is a picture below.

The Game

Lake Erie's parent club is Colorado, goalie John Grahame, who spent 8 NHL seasons mostly as a backup, is perhaps their most famous player. Rochester is Florida's affiliate and boasts Kenndal McCardle (#22 below), whose lone NHL goal came nearly a year before against Toronto in a game I attended.

The teams traded unassisted goals in the first, but Grahame had trouble in the second, letting in 3 quick goals, starting with a power play marker from Michal Repik (below) at 10:01. Just 23 seconds later, Scott Timmins tipped a Repik pass home, and Jordan Knackstedt added another at 15:14. Despite just six shots on goal during the period, the Americans (Rochester that is, not Team USA!) had staked themselves to a solid 3-goal lead.

Rochester began the third shorthanded, and when Mike Kostka took a slashing penalty just 32 seconds in, the Monsters had a 2-man advantage. With 15 seconds left in the 5-on-3, Travis Gawryletz scored and seven seconds later Ryan Stoa added another. Suddenly we had a game! The 500 fans went wild! But Rochester netminder Jacob Markstrom (making a save below), who won a silver medal with Sweden in the 2009 WJHC in Ottawa, was able to keep the Monsters from tying the game and the visitors escaped with a 4-3 victory.

The power-play goals in the third period meant that everyone got a free chalupa at Taco Bell.

Afterwards Sharpy and I went to a bar to watch a bit of the Sugar Bowl. It was completely dead as most fans decided to stay warm and stay home to watch their Buckeyes. The bar closed before the game even ended (not that surprising when you consider how bloody long college football games can be) and as we made our way home through the deserted downtown streets, we hoped that the visitors winning streak (4-for-4 so far) on this trip would continue tomorrow when we returned to the Q for the Raptors and Cavaliers. Check back tomorrow for a post on that game.

Best,

Sean

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World Junior Hockey Championship Semi-Finals - January 3, 2011

The World Junior Hockey Championship (WJHC) is an annual tournament that features the top 10 ranked junior hockey nations. It is organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and officially called the Under 20 Championship. It's been held since 1977 but only recently has it become a premier event, at least in Canada, which has hosted the last two tourneys. For 2011, Buffalo was the host city, which was good news for me as I was able to revisit this great city and catch up will fellow roadtrippers Andrew and Peter from the Ultimate Sports Road Trip.

HSBC Arena

I don't like to comment on the arena if I'm not seeing the primary tenant, so I'll defer making a detailed description. But I do need to say that this is one of the best rinks I have seen - big, lots of well-preserved history, wide concourses, great sightlines, and a signature dish (Beef on Weck) that is much better than a hot dog. I'll just post a few pictures and wait to comment further when I finally see the Sabres here.

Jim Kelly's jersey among several in one display case at the Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame

Sabres' historical display on the second level

Tim Horton's last game jersey

Standings and Sabres' scoring stats from the last game at the Aud

The only retired line in the NHL?

View of the ice from section 315

Game 1 - Russia 4 Sweden 3 (SO)

Sweden won their pool thanks to a shootout victory over Canada and were expected to cruise over a Russian squad that had failed to score against them in the round robin. But things got off to a bad start for Sweden when Russian captain Vladimir Tarasenko scored a weak goal that beat keeper Robin Lehner (below), who had a cup of coffee with the Senators earlier this season.

Russia doubled their lead in the second when Denis Golubev moved out from behind the net and beat a fallen Lehner. It took a power play goal from Adam Larsson to get Sweden on the board late in the period and momentum followed into the third as Sweden began to dominate, resulting in a tying goal from Calle Jarnkrok just two minutes in. Russia battled and kept the score tied, but with just four minutes remaining, Dmitri Orlov took a stupid slashing penalty. Sweden capitalized a few seconds into the PP when Patrick Cehlin took a hard shot from the blue line that went over Shikin’s glove side (below).

It looked like Sweden would be on their way to the final but Russia, who had come back from a two-goal deficit against Finland in the quarter-final, managed to tie it with 1:27 to go when Sergei Kalinin poked the puck through Lehner on a goalmouth scramble. Amazing! Overtime!

The WJHC medal round has a 10-minute OT period, but this settled nothing and a shootout was required. Golubev scored on Russia's first shot and Sweden failed on all three of their chances as Shikin earned player of the game honours with his spectacular play, saving 46 of 49 shots in the game and the 3 in the shootout. The Russians celebrated wildly while the Swedish players were heartbroken, some in tears, as the Russian anthem filled the arena.

This was a great game, but obviously the appetizer to the evening's main course, when Canada sought revenge against the defending champs.

Game 2 - Canada 4 USA 1

Canada has gone through a goaltending "controversy" as Olivier Roy had looked less than inspiring in early play. So Mark Visetin (below) got the call against Switzerland in the quarters and was again in net for the semi, while the tournament's star keeper, Jack Campbell, started for the Americans.

This game was over pretty quickly. Curtis Hamilton scored at 2:38 of the first when he shot home a rebound past a sprawling Campbell and the US never challenged after that. Quinton Howden added a second later in the period and when Ryan Johansen scored midway through the third, the predominantly Canadian crowd sensed victory, chanting and doing the wave as the Americans folded their tent.

Zach Kassian (above) scored on a breakaway early in the third to salt the game away, and although the Americans managed a power-play marker to ruin Visentin's shutout, Canada held on for the easy 4-1 victory.

As the Canadian flag was raised, the arena loudly sang the O Canada. It was a great feeling, but as it turned out, it would be the last time our anthem would play at the tournament.

Thoughts

Canada's first sports network, TSN, has brilliantly marketed this tournament to fill up a rather empty holiday sports schedule. When I left Canada 15 years ago, the WJHC was barely on the radar and was often held in Europe. Now it is a premier hockey event and the talk of the nation come Christmas. Simply put, no other country cares about it except Canada. This was obvious with 15,000 Canadian fans among the sell-out crowd (look at all the red in the picture below) for the game as well as the party atmosphere on the streets afterwards.

Next year's event will be held in Calgary and Edmonton, while the 2013 tourney will be in Russia. But I expect it will return to Canada or a nearby border town after that as there is too much money to be made by selling overpriced tickets to Canadians such as myself.

Russia beat Canada in the final, yet again coming from behind to score 5 unanswered goals in the third period. I caught the last two goals in a Cleveland bar and was glad that I had skipped the final to see the Raptors. But more on that later. This experience was great and I'm looking forward to Alberta in a year.

Finally, a big thanks to Andrew for all his help and all the food, delivered straight to our seats. Great to see you guys again and look forward to another visit in warmer weather.

Best,

Sean

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