Scotiabank has been named title sponsor of the '17 NHL Centennial Classic, marking the first time the Canadian bank has been a title sponsor of a league event. The outdoor game, scheduled for New Year’s Day in Toronto between the Maple Leafs and Red Wings at BMO Field, will launch the league's year-long centennial celebration. Scotiabank has been a partner of the NHL in Canada since '07. Scotiabank branding will appear in the game’s logo, as well as with in-ice and camera-visible dashboard positions. Financial terms were not disclosed (Ian Thomas, Staff Writer).
SENS & SENSIBILITY: SPORTSNET.ca's Elliotte Friedman noted Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson "wants to meet with the Senators about a possible outdoor game elsewhere in the city, but the team and NHL were really hoping for Parliament Hill." The league was "looking at a 25,000-30,000 seat 'pop-up' stadium next December, but logistics were as big an issue as dollars." It would have "taken months to build the facility and the Canadian government didn’t want that disruption while Parliament was in session." It is already "hard enough to find parking around all the downtown Ottawa construction" (SPORTSNET.ca, 11/8).
