The Toronto Maple Leafs practiced at the Taylor Sportsplex today (January 31) before their game against the Detroit Red Wings tomorrow in downtown Detroit.
The Leafs are the third NHL team to practice at the Sportsplex in the past three winters, joining the Red Wings and the Dallas Stars.
Toronto, an “Original Six” team and one of the NHL’s Canadian stalwart franchises, brought quite a crew with them. The Leafs, a Stanley Cup favorite this season, are in second place in the Atlantic Division. They have 62 points, but surprising Tampa Bay is running away with the division with 76, 14 more than Toronto.
On hand watching today’s practice was a large contingent from Hockey Night in Canada and even former Red Wing Hall of Fame inductee Brendan Shanahan, now the Leafs’ president.
Before tomorrow’s game, former Wing and Leaf great Red Kelly, now 91, will have his number retired by Detroit. Kelly, one of the greatest defensemen of the 1950s, led the Red Wings to four Stanley Cup titles. After a rift with legendary Wing Coach Jack Adams, Kelly was dealt to Punch Imlach’s Maple Leafs.
Oddly, Imlach made Kelly into a center. Toronto constantly vying with Montreal in the playoffs, and Imlach needed a defensive center to cover the great Jean Beliveau. With Kelly at center, the Leafs captured four Stanley Cup titles.
Source: City of Taylor
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