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Maple Leafs Training Camp: Day One On Ice

by on September 18, 2010- 97 Comments

The Toronto Maple Leafs held their on-ice portion of training camp today. Players have been split into three squads to accommodate the 63 players invited to camp.

Among the contingent of fans outside the ice surface at the MasterCard Centre for Hockey Excellence was a throng of media and of course, Leafs staff.

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MLHS Exclusive: Nazem Kadri on Offseason & NHL Expectations

by on September 7, 2010- 135 Comments

Last Wednesday (September 1st), Toronto's MasterCard Centre for Excellence, the Maple Leafs' own practice facility, played host to the 2010 NHLPA Rookie Symposium in association with trading card leaders Upper Deck and Panini America. MLHS' own Gus Katsaros was in attendance, and has kindly provided audio from his own conversation, as well as portions of a larger media scrum Q&A, with Leafs' top prospect Nazem Kadri.

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12 Burning Questions: Will Mike Komisarek Have A Bounce Back Season?

by on August 19, 2010- 233 Comments

In part three of his 12 burning questions series, Derek Harmsworth looks at whether Mike Komisarek can rebound from a tumultuous first season in Blue and White.

It's no secret that Brian Burke likes his hockey teams to be, for the most part, big, nasty, and in your face physical.  He also has a penchant for looking for players from his home country of the United States, but as he said, he would sign players who were from the moon if they could play the game. [more…]

Maple Leafs Practice – Goalies Get Workout

by on March 19, 2010- 187 Comments

It was a light day practice wise as the optional skate drew only a handful of players to the MasterCard Centre for Hockey Excellence.
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Leafs Practice Notes – March 17

by on March 18, 2010- 15 Comments

I attended practice at the MasterCard Center for Hockey Excellence, watching a loose group of players reveling in the 4-1 win over their provincial arch rivals. It all began with a loose skate, just a warm-up involving firing some pucks off the boards along the way.
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Tempering Tampering and Tending

by on October 8, 2009- 96 Comments

A classic distraction story, taking the heat away from an 0-3 start. Canucks responded with a 7-1 drubbing of the Habs in their second home game.
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Training Camp Day2: Kadri Doesn’t Get an Audition

by on September 14, 2009- 1,553 Comments

Leafs coach, Ron Wilson made it clear, Nazem Kadri will not be getting a nine-game audition this season, just to be sent down to the OHL London Knights. Answering questions in the media scrum after the scrimmage at training camp in the Mastercard Centre of Hockey Excellence, Wilson was adamant about being against an audition for the young pivot. In order to stick with the Leafs, the 1st round pick in the 2009 draft will have to beat out one of Mikhail Grabovski, or Matt Stajan for a top-6 role in order to stick, and as of Wilson right now, both are ‘way ahead’ of Kadri for a spot at the moment.

Kadri will get every opportunity to earn a top-6 spot, but unless he completely overwhelms, expect to see him in London for the entire season.

More notes from Training Camp, Day 2.
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Day 1 Training Camp Notes

by on September 13, 2009- 1,959 Comments

The Maple Leafs began on-ice workouts today at their new practice facility, the Mastercard Centre for Hockey Excellence.

I’ve been given credentials and was on site for the first day and will be attending all three days of on ice practice.

The following are a series of notes from Day 1 …

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