Fans flock to NHL All-Star weekend in downtown Toronto
Thousands of hockey fans crammed along the red carpet Thursday afternoon, hoping to see their favourite NHL All-Star up close.
The Toronto Maple Leafs' Mitch Marner and William Nylander were among the players walking the red carpet, stopping to take pictures with fans and sign autographs.
"It's really cool to meet the biggest stars in the world," said Mike La Rocco, who made the trip to Toronto from Glendale, Arizona. "We come to all the All-Star games to try and meet the players and get an autograph."
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
The red carpet event kicked off NHL All-Star weekend and the Fan Fair at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
Some fans like Kayla Hild lined up hours before the doors opened, hoping to get a front-row seat along the red carpet. Hild has collected several autographs from members of the Maple Leafs, but she's hoping Leafs superstar and All-Star captain Auston Matthews will sign her jersey this weekend.
"I tried to get him last year at the outdoor practice, but he wasn't there - it would be special," she said.
The Fan Fair takes over 3,000 square feet at the convention centre. It includes skills challenges, NHL memorabilia, the league's 19 rewards on display, and an opportunity to get up close with the Stanley Cup and take a picture with the iconic trophy.
"Just the history about it (Stanley Cup) - so amazing up close," said one fan visiting from Montreal.
There are also meet and greets with NHL players and alumni.
Former Maple Leafs defenseman Al Iafrate was signing autographs on Thursday afternoon.
"I was born in the eighties so I remember him from my childhood and to meet him now is a pleasure," said Leafs fan Ben.
The NHL estimates more than 25,000 people will partake in the festivities, which it describes as four days of hockey heaven.
"It's fun, celebration, a love letter for the city of Toronto and for people who love the sport of hockey, there is something for everyone here," said Sophie Kotsopoulos, the NHL's vice president of partnership marketing.
The new Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) is also being showcased. Some of the PWHL's best players hit the ice at Hockey Rink for All at Nathan Philip's Square Thursday morning.
"We didn't have the same accessibility to look up to our role models, so now seeing they can come out and support us on a nightly basis its pretty special," said Renata Fast with the PWHL Toronto team.
The PWHL stars will compete in a 3-on-3 showdown Thursday night at Scotiabank Arena. That will be followed by the return of player draft, which will see team captains choosing their squads for Saturday's All-Star Game.
This is the ninth All-Star Game Toronto is hosting and the first time since 2000.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Parents of infant who died in wrong-way crash on Ontario's Hwy. 401 were in same vehicle
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit has released new details about a wrong-way collision in Whitby on Monday night that claimed the lives of four people.
Three Quebec men from same family father hundreds of children
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
'What have we done?' Lawyer describes shock at possible role in Trump's 2016 victory
A lawyer who negotiated a pair of hush money deals at the centre of Donald Trump's criminal trial recalled Thursday his "gallows humor" reaction to Trump's 2016 election victory and the realization that his hidden-hand efforts might have contributed to the win.
Conservative MP says Chinese hacking attack targeted his personal email
A Conservative MP is challenging claims by House of Commons administration that a China-backed hacking attempt did not impact any members of Parliament, because the attack was on his personal email.
B.C. mayor stripped of budget, barred from committees over Indigenous residential schools book
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Loblaw leaders call criticism 'misguided,' say they aren't to blame for high food prices
Loblaw chairman Galen Weston and the company's new CEO are pushing back against critics who blame the grocery giant for soaring food prices, as a month-long boycott of the retailer gets underway.
Orangutan observed treating wound using medicinal plant in world first
Scientists working in Indonesia have observed an orangutan intentionally treating a wound on their face with a medicinal plant, the first time this behavior has been documented.
'Giant-killer' Kazushi Kimura to race in Kentucky Derby this weekend: 'I'm representing Canada and Japan'
Six years ago, at age 18, Kazushi Kimura left his home and family behind in Hokkaido, Japan to chase a dream. This weekend, he'll ride in the Kentucky Derby.
President Joe Biden calls Japan and India 'xenophobic' nations that do not welcome immigrants
President Joe Biden has called Japan and India “xenophobic” countries that do not welcome immigrants, lumping the two with adversaries China and Russia as he tried to explain their economic circumstances and contrasted the four with the U.S. on immigration.