TORONTO — Ryan McLeod knows more texts will be coming, probably fast and furious, too.
He’s not exactly keen to look — not because he’s worried about any type of distraction — but more so for what it’ll lead to on his next credit card statement.
The price for tickets in Toronto isn’t cheap. McLeod, as a local guy set to play for the first time in Toronto as an NHL player in a game with fans in the stands on Saturday, knows he’s going to be hit hard.
“I’m actually not too sure. A lot of them are my parents’ friends,” the Oilers centre said. “We’ll see when all the ticket requests come in.”
McLeod is one of seven Oilers who grew up in the Greater Toronto Area.
The Mississauga native joins Connor McDavid, Darnell Nurse, Zach Hyman, Devin Shore, Evan Bouchard and Warren Foegele in that group. Hyman double dips as a former Maple Leaf, too, a distinction he shares with Cody Ceci and Jack Campbell.
Toronto is a notable place for many Oilers and, by extension, their families. It looks like McLeod will take the cake for the number of requests for tickets this time.
McLeod and Bouchard, both 23, played their first games as NHLers here last season, but COVID-19 restrictions meant fans were barred from the rink. It was a fan-less affair just like the truncated 2021 campaign.
Absent on Saturday will be McLeod’s two older siblings. Mike is a New Jersey Devil, whereas his eldest brother, Matt, is in Northern Ireland skating for the Belfast Giants. His parents, Rich and Judi, will be in the stands. They’re just the tip of the iceberg.
McLeod is just waiting to see how many tickets he’ll be on the hook for and what the damage will be.
“Hopefully not too many,” he said, laughing.
Saturday’s game is a big deal to McLeod, but a return to the Ontario capital is old hat for some of the Oilers.
Shore has dinner plans with his parents, Kyle and Andrea, on Friday but neither is expected to be attending the game. He said he’s played in Toronto three times in games with fans in his career.
McDavid’s in the same boat.
There’s a ton of pomp and circumstance for the NHL’s best player making a lone appearance just down the road from his hometown of Newmarket, especially since he missed last season’s game with COVID-19.
However, he said the game will be sparsely attended by loved ones. His older brother, Cameron, for instance, is out of town. He’ll be having a Friday dinner with his mother, Kelly.
“Not a lot of people circled it on the calendar, I guess,” he said, jokingly.
As the counter ticks up for players like McDavid and Shore, the rare trip to Toronto becomes a little less unique — even though a Saturday “Hockey Night in Canada” matchup changes that equation a bit.
But it’s a little different for the likes of McLeod and Bouchard — who’s also never played an NHL game so close to home with spectators in attendance.
Bouchard is from Oakville, the next city west of McLeod’s Mississauga. He believes he’ll have six family members and friends in attendance on Saturday, likely including parents Gary and Paula. Even at that modest number, he’ll be out more than $2,000.
“Tickets here are crazy expensive,” he said. “They really bumped the price up for this one.
“But there’s a little extra motivation playing in front of family and friends. It’s going to be a fun one for sure.”
It isn’t just the nine players — almost half the team — that have ties to the city or Saturday’s opponent.
Coach Jay Woodcroft grew up in Don Mills, which is now part of Toronto, as the youngest of three brothers. He’s part of what he calls a “proud hockey family” as his two older siblings, Craig and Todd, are also coaches.
Woodcroft has been behind the bench in Toronto as an assistant coach for NHL games and with Team North America at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey but never in the head job. He replaced former coach Dave Tippett on Feb. 10, 2022, more than a month after the Oilers’ only trip to the city last season.
“To come home and lead such a proud organization like the Edmonton Oilers, I feel proud,” Woodcroft said.
A trip to Toronto gives Woodcroft a chance to catch up with friends. Ever the coach, he wants to ensure his team is at its best for those watching with keener eyes Saturday night.
“We know what’s before us, which is a really good hockey team that’s going to push us in ways that we better be ready for,” the coach said.
The Oilers come into the game brimming with confidence. They crushed the Maple Leafs 5-2 at home last week and just overcame a two-goal deficit against the mighty Bruins on Thursday.
Bouchard is one of the players who’s been a beneficiary of the Oilers’ new look and roster improvements. He’s responded accordingly, most notably by scoring Edmonton’s first goal in Boston.
The biggest pre-deadline move GM Ken Holland made was acquiring sturdy defensive defenceman Mattias Ekholm from Nashville. Bouchard has been paired with the reliable Ekholm and elevated to the second pair much like the second half of last season when he was placed with Duncan Keith.
“He’s an unbelievable player,” Bouchard said. “There’s a veteran presence. He’s so steady every game. His consistency is a huge thing. He’s been rock solid back there.”
The cost to acquire Ekholm was steep, primarily in future assets like a 2023 first-round pick and 2022 No. 32 draft choice Reid Schaefer. The package sent to Nashville also included top power-play unit quarterback Tyson Barrie.
Bouchard went from understudy to a full-fledged member of the star-studded cast with McDavid, Hyman, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
“I get to touch the puck more and see the ice a little more,” Bouchard said. “It gives you a little bit of momentum and confidence with the puck.
“The four guys that I play with, if the puck’s in their hands, I like our odds. You just want to put them in the best spots that you can. When the shot presents itself, you’ve got to take it.”
Ekholm’s addition and the emergence of Vincent Desharnais means Bouchard’s time as a penalty killer is now reduced to emergency situations. The Oilers are using him to his strengths and have placed him in the best position to succeed.
What better time to play in front of family and friends, right?
“I’m excited,” Bouchard said. “Growing up, I’d come to games maybe once a year. To get to play now is going to be fun.”
(Photo: Andy Devlin / NHLI via Getty Images)
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiS2h0dHBzOi8vdGhlYXRobGV0aWMuY29tLzQyOTY2NTMvMjAyMy8wMy8xMC9vaWxlcnMtbWFwbGUtbGVhZnMtZ2FtZS10aWNrZXRzL9IBUWh0dHBzOi8vdGhlYXRobGV0aWMuY29tLzQyOTY2NTMvMjAyMy8wMy8xMC9vaWxlcnMtbWFwbGUtbGVhZnMtZ2FtZS10aWNrZXRzLz9hbXA9MQ?oc=5
2023-03-11 12:20:50Z
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