Following changes made during the NHL offseason, the Air Canada Centre will "treat fans like the sophisticated hockey watchers they are -- less intrusive during the action, and less commercial," according to Kevin McGran of the TORONTO STAR. The changes should "definitely make the place louder, like most other rinks." MLSE VP/Marketing & Communications Shannon Hosford said, "We were just looking to change the philosophy." McGran writes "hokey" is one word to "describe the in-game experience of the past decade." The "biggest change" is a C$1.5M investment in "over-the-ice projectors that will use the surface as a screen." Nine NHL teams "already have this," which can "show the rink's surface in near 3D." Another addition is Toronto-born actor Will Arnett "delivering an impassioned speech about being a Leaf fan" in a new video. Arnett in the video says, “We are a nation within a city." Meanwhile, "gone are some of the more sophomoric events such as slingshot hockey and goalie races during intermissions." Instead, the between-periods focus "will be on the game itself, with more -- and better -- replays on the over-the-ice screen." Also out are "many of the corporate promotions that often interrupted the excitement as it was building." Hosford: “Anything that’s a little gimmicky, we’re getting away from that. They’re sophisticated fans. They’re here to watch the game, enjoy the game.” McGran notes the changes "were inspired" by new Leafs President Brendan Shanahan, who is "hoping to build a true home-ice advantage." New in-game host Lauren Howe will do "less corporate shilling, although one corporation in particular will get a lot of positive in-game play." Ford also is "giving 200 fans per game the chance to sit in their own section, as some under-used corporate suites have been turned back into a kind of grandstand." These "promise to be the loudest fans and will probably be featured a lot" (TORONTO STAR, 10/7).
SO LONG, FAREWELL: On Long Island, Neil Best notes the Islanders franchise "faces a delicate challenge in how to mark -- and market -- its final season in Nassau County." Islanders Senior Marketing Manager Eileen Mathews said of the team's "We Play For You" campaign, "It's certainly going to look back and celebrate the past and also connect it to the current team" (NEWSDAY, 10/7).
