Planned power outage in Durham Region to be delayed if Leafs game goes to overtime

As the Toronto Maple Leafs look to turn the lights off on the Tampa Bay Lightning’s NHL season, a planned power outage east of the city will be delayed if the playoff game runs late.

Earlier this week, Hydro One announced the planned Saturday night outage would affect as many as 17,000 customers in Durham Region between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.

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Customers in Bowmanville, Ont. and those to the west of the town are expected to be most affected, according to an outage map released by the power company.

However, since many of those residents will likely be tuned into Game 6 of the Leafs playoff series against the Bolts tonight, Hydro One has said it will delay the outage if the game goes into overtime.

“We know that Saturday night is an important night for Leafs Nation. In the unlikely event that the game goes into overtime and approaches 11 p.m., Hydro One will delay the start of the outage,” a company spokesperson said in an email.

The Leafs are up 3-2 in the best-of-seven series and could advance to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2004 with a win tonight.

Saturday night’s game starts at 7 p.m. and, if extra play is required, the eight-hour outage will follow and may run longer than 7 a.m.

The outage is the result of planned equipment replacement at Hydro One’s Wilson Transmission Station, allowing for an alternative backup power supply to Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington Nuclear Generating Station in Clarington, Ont.

Hydro One is encouraging customers to turn off all appliances ahead of the outage and to make sure cell phones are fully charged.

As well, residents should keep their refrigerator and freezer doors closed for as long as possible in order to avoid spoilage.