Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan will unveil plans for a “legacy initiative honouring Leafs greats” on Thursday during which the first player to be honoured will be announced.
According to the Toronto Sun, the Leafs have chosen three iconic players for the first phase of a monument that will be displayed outside of Air Canada Centre.
Construction has begun on the monument in Maple Leaf Square and will take the form of a bench on which additional statues will be added leading up to the franchise’s 100th anniversary. At least three Leaf greats will be added every year leading up to the centennial in 2017-18.
The two additional first-phase honourees will be announced during the team’s Fan Fest from Sept. 5-7, according to the report.
There has been talk of building such a monument since the ACC opened in 1999, but the idea was pushed to the forefront by MLSE boss Tim Leiweke, who is planning on turning the Leafs’ centennial into a massive celebration.
