Editor's Note: You can watch the Leafs' first training camp practice via live stream here. While you are enjoying that, think about who is suffering because of them being on the ice.
The untold negative fallout of the NHL lockout ending is that local beer leaguers are losing ice time to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The effect was felt immediately yesterday when, as I first reported, the Maple Leafs decided to start their training camp with ice at the MasterCard Center. So rather than a cushy 2pm start time which would have allowed for an enjoyable Sunday afternoon we have now been saddled with a 10:45pm start.
Attn Face Offs
My name is [REDACTED] and I am the Chief Administrator for True North Hockey.
I am very sorry to be giving you such short notice on the game time change, but due to the NHL returning to ice, we are forced to make some changes to enable the Maple Leafs to practice.
You will still play tomorrow on Sun Jan 13th but the time will no longer be 2pm. The start time will be between 10-1045 start time.
Once we have final confirmation, the times will be posted on the website.
Please note all players I have issued this notice too. If anyone is missing, please let them know. I will also need 1 person to CONFIRM RECEIPT of this message.
Thanks
[REDACTED]
Chief Administrator
Needless to say, when the news broke while we were playing poker last night, one of the boys that had been in his cups was outraged. This is the semi-coherent rant that I've pulled together from a muddled memory considering I couldn't stop howling with outrage.
Note: while he is a Leafs fan, he's a much bigger Jays fan and often bemoaned the fact that SportsCenter led with 20 minutes of hockey during the lockout especially on the days where the Jays made big moves.
THIS IS BULLSHIT! The shitty Maple Leafs, who have been locked out for months for no good reason, are now punishing their fans again! How have you not angrily blogged about this?! [Editor's Note: We had been playing poker and watching football for three hours when we found out] You are a bullshit blogger if you won't stand up for the little guys *motions at self and others* when they are getting screwed over by these two corporate bastards!
These guys own the Air Canada Centre and the Ricoh!? How come they need to steal our good ice time? Now I can't make it to Bed, Bath, and Beyond or Home Depot! I won't shut up about this until you write about it [Editor's Note: he literally yelled at me for 45 minutes and only stopped when I promised to do this]. If the Jays had come down to Coronation Park and cancelled one of our softball games because they needed to 'practice' I would have said "NO! Fuck you JP Arencibia! This extra practice won't help you out. Fuck you Yunel Escobar! Go write "marica" [Editor's Note: He's not a big fan of Yunel's antics]on your face somewhere else. No one likes you here." That's what I would have done. [Editor's Note: There is no way in hell he'd do this]
I demand that this injustice against the Face/Offs be told to the world!
Ok, so hopefully now he'll shut up about it.