The Maple Leafs spent the past year celebrating the 100th anniversary of the franchise, and on Dec. 19 they will do so one more time while also turning the page to carry their rich history forward.
One hundred years to the day of the first game in NHL history, featuring the Toronto Arenas -- the pre-cursor to the Leafs, the current Maple Leafs will host the Carolina Hurricanes in a Tuesday 2 P.M. matinee at Air Canada Centre. Dubbed the "Next Century Game", the idea is to fill the arena with kids -- the next generation of Leafs Nation -- and look forward to a new century of Maple Leafs hockey.
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Toronto Mayor John Tory also proclaimed that Dec. 19 will be Toronto Maple Leafs Day in the city.
“The Maple Leafs are part of the heart and soul of our city, and this 100th birthday event is a perfect moment to come together to celebrate what they mean to us,” Tory said in a statement. “Generations of fans, young and old, are all excited about what the future holds for our Leafs and December 19 will be a moment that the team and fans alike are sure to remember for many years to come.”
As we celebrate our 100th birthday on December 19, thanks to @JohnTory it will also be Toronto Maple Leafs Day! #TMLtalk pic.twitter.com/Pc2BbzV4fw
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) September 12, 2017
The Leafs organization is looking to reward youth who "embody the team’s key pillars of Honour, Pride and Courage" with tickets to the game on the 19th of December. Among those to receive tickets are children who have dealt -- or are currently dealing -- with illness, as well as those who "show pride in hockey, the Maple Leafs and their community." Leafs fans attending the game are also encouraged to bring "a next generation fan to the game".
Need a note to get out of school for the Next Century Game pres. by @Scotiabank?
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) September 12, 2017
The kids here have a note (and two tickets!) #TMLtalk pic.twitter.com/fsfrQB2i6f
The unique concept is timely considering the club's turnaround last season, spearheaded by Calder Trophy winner Auston Matthews and fellow talented youngsters Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly, Nikita Zaitsev and Connor Brown.
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To commemorate the special day, the Maple Leafs will wear Next Century sweaters harkening back to the old Toronto Arenas.
To start the next century of @MapleLeafs hockey, on December 19 we’re going back to the beginning. #StandWitness pic.twitter.com/bCOpDYvfrN
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) September 12, 2017
“We’re now able to look ahead as we start to write the next great chapters in team history along with creating new generations of Leafs fans, which is an important part of this celebration," Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan said in a statement.