Shane Doan becomes an assistant to Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving as the club shores up its deep ties to Arizona. Will that be enough to extend Auston Matthews? The Toronto Maple Leafs still have a lot of business to take care of during the off-season, but we now know one of the dates of their pre-season schedule. The club will host the Buffalo Sabres on Sept. 27 in St. Thomas, Ontario at the Joe Thornton Community Centre in St. Thomas, Ontario. The venue is fitting as Thornton played one season with the Maple Leafs. It was during the 56-game pandemic-shortened season which saw Toronto exclusively play against Canadian teams. The Kraft Hockeyville initiative sees NHL teams play in small communities across Canada and is in its 17th year. Each community receives $250,000 in arena upgrades while the NHLPA Goals & Dreams fund also donates $10,000 worth of hockey equipment to the winners. “Kraft Hockeyville provides us an exciting opportunity to bring the Maple Leafs closer to fans in smaller communities, who might not otherwise have the chance to see the team up close,” Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving said in a statement. “We’re very much looking forward to participating in Kraft Hockeyville to give back to so many fans who have helped make this game what it is today.” Related Report: Maple Leafs Have Shown Interest in Re-Signing Restricted Free Agent Ilya Samsonov [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/news/report-maple-leafs-have-shown-interest-in-re-signing-restricted-free-agent-ilya-samsonov] Report: Travis Green to Join Devils as Assistant Coach, Maple Leafs were an Option [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/news/report-travis-green-to-join-devils-as-assistant-coach-maple-leafs-were-an-option] Reports of Search for New Assistant Coach Virtually Confirms Sheldon Keefe’s Return to Maple Leafs [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/news/reports-of-search-for-new-assistant-coach-virtually-confirms-sheldon-keefes-return-to-maple-leafs]
