Oklahoma City Barons 3 at Toronto Marlies 5 (AHL Western Conference Final, Game 3) - May 21, 2012

There's nothing like playoff hockey on the unofficial first day of summer. In Toronto no less. Yes, although the Leafs and the post-season are not words that have been used in the same sentence since 2004 (unless said sentence includes the word "missed"), their minor league team is playing in the AHL's semi-finals. My visit to Toronto had been planned months ago and I didn't expect it to include a hockey game, but the AHL schedule maker was kind to me, slotting Game 3 on Monday afternoon, the Victoria Day holiday in Canada.



I bought a pair of tickets online as soon as they went on sale and invited my friend Sharpy who was in Toronto for the weekend as well. We showed up an hour before the game, only to be forced into a surprisingly large will-call queue. When I saw two games here a couple of years ago, the attendance was around 2,500 but there were nearly triple the number of fans and the Marlies didn't have the infrastructure to handle them. It took about 15 minutes till I had my tickets in hand, but it didn't bother me as I ended up with great seats, right at centre ice in the first row above an entry gate, so there was nobody in front of me.



The visitors were the Oklahoma City Barons who finished first in the west (the Marlies were a close second) and the two teams had split the first two games in Oklahoma. The Barons came out strong and dominated the first 10 minutes but Ben Scrivens (below), likely the future Leaf keeper, maintained his poise and kept the game scoreless.



Oklahoma City took the first penalty of the game against the run of play and Toronto capitalized when Phil Dupuis scored on a sharp-angled shot that Yann Danis should have stopped. The game remained as such until there were just 5 minutes left in the second. The Marlies added to their lead with another power play marker, this one by captain Ryan Hamilton who tipped home a perfect pass from Jake Gardiner (#19 below in the celebration).



As is typical in Toronto hockey games though, the two-goal lead was quickly erased as the Barons scored on a power-play shortly after Hamilton's goal and then tied the game just a minute later when Chris VandeVelde banged home a rebound. Unlike a typical Toronto game, the team didn't fold. Just 48 seconds after being tied, Matt Frattin intercepted a pass in the slot and beat Danis with a sniper's shot to again give the Marlies the lead heading into the third period.

The Marlies managed to maintain that lead through the first half of the frame, but with just eight minutes left, Magnus Paajarvi beat Scrivens with a wrist shot that again knotted things up. It looked like overtime might be needed which caused us some concern as we had to leave by 7 p.m. which meant we could probably only manage one OT period.



Fortunately, Frattin rendered our concerns mute when, with 2:02 left, he broke in alone and used a defenceman to screen Danis, beating him low to the stick side and sending the 7,327 fans into a wild celebration. Shortly thereafter, Mark Fraser was given a totally bogus tripping penalty and the fans held their collective breath, but Jerry D'Amigo (shooting above earlier in the game) added an empty net shorthanded goal to clinch it as the Marlies won 5-3 to take a 2-1 lead in the series.




A great afternoon that was completely unexpected just a few days ago. It is always fun having new games scheduled when I'm on a sports road trip, but when it is a playoff game featuring the future stars of my favourite team, it brings a new level of excitement that will be hard to duplicate. If the Marlies advance to the finals, they will take on Norfolk. I'm hoping for a game in Toronto on June 7th, when I am stopping over on my way to Atlanta for the Florida State League trip. It will be unlikely, but if it happens, I'll see you there.

Notes

Nazem Kadri started but was hurt in the first period and did not return. He is a key part of the team and the Leafs' future so hoping it is nothing serious.

Oklahoma City is Edmonton's affiliate. Earlier this season I saw the Leafs and Oilers in Edmonton, but since the AHL maintains the "home team wears white" rule, the uniforms in this game were quite similar. The result was similar too, with Toronto winning on a late goal (although the previous one was in overtime). Both Gardiner and Paajarvi played in that game as well.

Best,

Sean

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Hartford Wolf Pack 2 at Toronto Marlies 3 (OT) - March 7, 2010

After watching the Leafs in Ottawa the night before, I grabbed a Porter flight to Toronto on Sunday morning and made my way back to Ricoh Coliseum to watch their affiliate take on the Rangers' AHL team, the Hartford Wolf Pack. In a neat coincidence, the Rangers were the other team I had seen in Ottawa.

Ricoh Coliseum with the CN Tower in the background

When I saw the Marlies play last week, Joey MacDonald was the star in shutting down the league-leading Hershey Bears. But he was traded to Anaheim on deadline day, so I didn't expect him to be here. As it turns out though, the Ducks don't have an AHL affiliate of their own, so MacDonald stayed put, but today he was on the bench as James Reimer got the start.

I was also hoping to see Miika Wiikman again. He played for the ECHL's Charlotte Checkers when I saw them in Gwinnett back in January, and had recently been assigned to Hartford. But he was also moved on deadline day, this time to Phoenix, so the Hartford keeper was Chad Johnson.

The Game

Kyle Calder

After the great game last night, today was bound to be a bit of a letdown, and the first two periods were pretty dull. The Marlies' Ryan Hamilton scored on a snap shot late in the first but the shots were just 10-3 Toronto. The teams traded power play goals in the second, with ex-Leaf Kris Newbury tallying for Hartford, but the shots were a woeful 6-5 in Toronto's favour.

Chad Johnson relaxes in net

In the third, Hartford picked it up, and tough guy Donald Brashear (pictured above) tied the game midway through the period. The Wolf Pack pressure continued but Reimer was solid and the game went to overtime. It looked like I would witness another shootout, but with just a few seconds left, Brendan Mikkleson broke in down the right wing and snapped a shot that beat Johnson. There was just 1.1 seconds left, but it was enough as the Marlies won 3-2 in overtime. A great way to end the trip!

One note is that Wolf Pack defenceman Corey Potter also played for the Rangers in Ottawa just a few days ago. He was recalled for a few games while Michael Del Zotto was hurt, but was returned to Hartford once Del Zotto recovered. That's him below battling Andre Deveaux for the puck.

The final score

Thoughts

I now know why the Marlies have such trouble drawing fans. Parking at the CNE is $12 and it takes at least 45 minutes to get out of the parking lot after the game, with just 3, 000 fans. I'm afraid the Ricoh Coliseum, despite being a good arena, is in a bad area for transit and driving. I'm sure this is why Toronto fans would rather just avoid the team.

Thanks to Boyd and his family for joining me today and for the drive back to the airport hotel, which took over an hour due to the traffic getting out of the parking lot.

Next Up

I'm back in Japan for two days. On Thursday, I'm starting a 10-day non-sports trip to Thailand and the Philippines. The blog will be quiet for a while, but check back in late March for news of the summer's plans!

Best,

Sean

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Hershey Bears 2 at Toronto Marlies 3 - February 25, 2010

After lunch with an old colleague (Thanks Rob) and a much-needed nap to cure the jet lag, I boarded the streetcar to head over to the Ricoh Coliseum to watch some AHL hockey. The Maple Leafs' affiliate is the Toronto Marlies, and they were hosting Hershey, who are the farm team of the Washington Capitals.

The Arena

The Ricoh Coliseum is located on the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) grounds just west of downtown. Two streetcar routes, including the 509 from Union Station, terminate here at the Exhibition Place stop; from there it's just a minute walk to the main entrance. With a TTC ride costing $3, a group of 3 might be better off driving as there is parking on the CNE grounds.

The arena was built in 1921 and served primarily as an agricultural facility for the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair since then. It didn't become a hockey rink until the Toronto Roadrunners were relocated there in 2003. That team served as Edmonton's affiliate for only a season and after the lockout, the Maple Leafs moved their farm team here from St. John's, Newfoundland. The Marlies have played here since then, even achieving a division title back in 2008.

So that's what a Toronto championship banner looks like

There are two seating levels here - a "platinum" level that comprises the first 7 rows ($38), and the rest of the seats, which are divided into sides ($30) and end zones ($18). There's even a single row known as the red zone which is only $10. All prices are for tickets bought before game day; it's $4 more if you buy on game day. Tickets are also available at the Air Canada Centre. Given the lack of fans there, buy a cheap ticket and sit where you want.

In the main entrance there are several trophies that are presented annually to the Marlies' MVP, best defenseman, etc. It's interesting to note that almost none of the players have made an impact with the Leafs, which illustrates just how poor their farm system is. Having said that, there is a display that rings the ice surface just below the suites which is called "Developing Leafs since 1927" and lists dozens of Leafs who must have played in the AHL.

The concourse offers some displays on the other AHL teams including a great map that is a must for any roadtripper (shown below). Food options are typical and I didn't eat anything while I was there. There was a poutine stand that I'll try on my next visit.

Above the seating bowl is a wide concourse that encircles the rink. I spent the third period wandering around here watching the game from various angles. Seemed to be a few scouts that use this area as it is quite spacious and provides a good view of the ice. There are even TV's at one end; the picture below shows the Marlies scoring their 3rd goal just as the Canadian women were being presented with their Olympic gold medals (below - check out the red light at the far end).

If you enter the club area, you can see the Marlies going to and coming off the ice. Below is distant relative Joey MacDonald smiling after being announced as the 2nd star.

The Ricoh Coliseum is a good place to watch a hockey game. There are no distractions and no bad seats here. Easily accessible by transit and offering reasonably priced tickets, it's a mystery why the Marlies aren't more popular in the so-called "Center of the Hockey Universe".

Fans? Where are you?

The Game

The Bears are the top team in the AHL with a 44-12-2 record while the Marlies lie 6th in the North Division with a 24-27-10 mark. The league actually separates overtime and shootout losses, which I hate, so I've combined them above. Regardless, the Bears had to be favoured in this battle, and they started quickly. A giveaway in the Marlies end was poked by MacDonald right onto the stick of Andrew Joudrey who potted the easy goal for a 1-0 Bears lead just 64 seconds into the contest.

The Marlies fought back and tied the game midway through the period when Kyle Calder scored on a rebound. In the second, Toronto added another when defenseman Juraj Mikus found himself some open ice in the faceoff circle and snapped a shot that beat Bears' keeper Braden Holtby high to the glove side.

Holtby saved this Mikus shot

In the third, Hershey got into penalty trouble and Calder added his second on a 5-3 advantage to make it 3-1 Marlies. The Bears got one back when Steve Pinizzotto tipped home a point shot, but despite a flurry at the end, they could not get the equalizer and Toronto escaped with a 3-2 win.

It was fun to see a Toronto team hold a lead for a change. MacDonald played well and made a great toe save in the final couple of minutes to preserve the win.

MacDonald with another save

The game itself wasn't that exciting, a lot of chippy neutral zone play, but I can't complain - seeing a Toronto team win a game over the best team in the league is not something I'll enjoy often.

Other Thoughts

Where are all the hockey fans in Toronto? The Marlies are averaging just over 3,600 per game and only 2,725 showed up to watch this tilt. Maybe the weather and the women's gold medal game kept some at home, but still, it's terrible that Toronto is smitten only with the Leafs. Tickets here are reasonable and the on-ice product is good; the game crew puts on a good show to entertain fans during the intermissions and time outs. I really don't understand how minor league hockey can be so completely ignored here. Hey Toronto fans: get out and support the Marlies!

Too many empty seats

Next Up

LeBron and the Cavaliers are in town tonight but there are no good tickets and I'm not going to pay over face value from scalpers. With the Canada/Slovakia game starting at 9:30, I might skip the Raptors and make my way to a local for the hockey game instead. Either way, I'll update you tomorrow.

Best,

Sean

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