After much acclaim and fanfare for past seasons of HBO’s 24/7: Road to the Winter Classic, the show has made its way over to hockey-crazed Toronto to follow the Maple Leafs and the perennial playoff-contending Detroit Red Wings in a lead-up to the NHL’s Winter Classic taking place on New Year’s Day at 1 p.m. in Ann Arbor, Mich.
With the debut episode airing on Sunday night on Sportsnet East, Ontario and Pacific, the Twitter-sphere has been abuzz over what kind of inside information HBO was able to collect.
Turns out, everything from Dion Phaneuf’s closet to Randy Carlyle’s breakfast makes an appearance.
Sunday was a day of patience for Canadian viewers.
The show began with a quick recap of the Leafs’ historic Game 7 collapse against Boston from last year’s first-round playoff series, bringing a sour taste to the mouths of fans who thought they were done with the devastating loss.
Daniel Alfredsson tailoring, Todd Bertuzzi’s choice of beverage and the cinematic effects of HBO’s introduction highlight the early moments.
Joffrey Lupul has some choice on-ice words vs the Los Angeles Kings that aren’t entirely family-friendly.
The extensive wardrobe of Leafs captain Phaneuf might have only be outshone by the most memorable take-away from the episode, coach Randy Carlyle’s breakfast hijinx.
