Good morning Toronto Maple Leafs fans!

Lunch on Thursday will be a bit colder than usual as the Leafs hold their annual outdoor practice at noon at Nathan Phillips Square at Toronto City Hall.

The practice will be preceded by a PWHL Toronto skills competition at 10:30am and the whole afternoon will have "Activation Alley" where you can pick up food, drinks, and autographs.

Last year fans got to ride the subway up from Scotiabank Arena.

Toronto Maple Leafs players spotted taking public transit to outdoor practice
Players for the Toronto Maple Leafs were spotted taking public transit Sunday morning on their way to the team’s annual outdoor practice at Nathan Phillips Square.
Toronto

The festivities continue Friday and Saturday. Friday won't have any big events, just Activation Alley, but Saturday has a Leafs Alumni game at 1PM and a public viewing party of the Maple Leafs vs Senators game starting at 6PM.

You can find all of the details here:

Toronto Maple Leafs players spotted taking public transit to outdoor practice
Players for the Toronto Maple Leafs were spotted taking public transit Sunday morning on their way to the team’s annual outdoor practice at Nathan Phillips Square.
Toronto
Toronto Maple Leafs will host their annual Outdoor Practice presented by Sport Chek at Nathan Phillips Square | Toronto Maple Leafs
WHAT: The Toronto Maple Leafs will host their annual Outdoor Practice presented by Sport Chek at Nathan Phillips Square this weekend. The three-day event will include a packed schedule of activities at one of Toronto’s most iconic outdoor rinks to celebrate the game of hockey at all levels. All programming
Toronto Maple Leafs logo

Last night the Maple Leafs were back in regular action against the New York Islanders, and [RESULTS HAPPENED]

Tyler Bertuzzi got a haircut for charity.

Leafs’ Bertuzzi shaves off long hair for most heartwarming reason
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Tyler Bertuzzi looked a lot different when he took to the ice for practice on Sunday. Instead of the long, luscious loc…
blogTOPreston Hodgkinson, Daily Hive

As usual, it's defence, depth scoring, and maybe another goalie?

Where do the Maple Leafs’ real needs lie at the 2024 trade deadline?
With the NHL trade deadline just over a month away and player movement already underway – the Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan deals kicked off trade season — a lot of attention has turned to what exactly the Maple Leafs will do. We have already looked at the question of whether the Leafs should buy […]
Maple Leafs HotstoveAnthony Petrielli

Is Joseph Woll coming back? Who knows.

Toronto Maple Leafs’ Joseph Woll ‘not anywhere close’ to game action
Woll has been out of the lineup since Dec. 7.
Daily FaceoffTyler Kuehl

All the best to former Maple Leafs and Calgary Flame Lanny McDonald.

Flames alum Lanny McDonald suffers cardiac event returning from NHL all-star game | CBC News
Hockey Hall of Famer Lanny McDonald suffered a cardiac event Sunday after returning from the NHL’s all-star game in Toronto.
CBC

There's a lot going on behind the scenes with this, but it would benefit both leagues to get the top players to 1) play in the top development leagues before hitting college so they can be better trained before recruitment and 2) play in the development leagues before recruitment so CHL teams are better for those first few years.

Also CHL teams will up their under the table payouts so that benefits the players.

It's win/win/win.

Finally, Anson Carter hosted 30 players from around the world at the SBA in partnership with Hockey 4 Youth, a non-profit bringing hockey to players who can't have the same opportunities as others.

Carter hosts teens from around world at Hockey 4 Youth event | NHL.com
Seeing 30 kids skate on Maple Leafs’ home rink ‘something special’
NHL logoDave McCarthy

Enjoy your day everyone!

From The Branches