Latest news with #ScotiabankArena
National Post
2 days ago
- Business
- National Post
Drake bids heartfelt goodbye to Masai Ujiri after Raptors fire team president
Article content Themed ' Welcome Toronto ' nights also occur throughout the season in which Drake's logo appears on the court. Article content As part of the partnership, Drake and the team have donated over a million dollars to help refurbish local community basketball courts and have invested heavily in Canada Basketball to help grow the sport across the country. Article content 'It's nice to have the uniforms and the fancy court and the merchandise and stuff like that, but what was most important to me was just the call to action,' Drake said in 2018. 'In this day and age, it's really easy to go on social media and talk about things that we'd like to see change or things that we think are wrong, then there's an opportunity, when you're presented with one, to be able to do something about it. Article content 'The biggest thing I'm most proud of with this partnership is the million dollars that we're going to be giving to the city to redo these courts and, hopefully, to create an amazing atmosphere for anyone in that community to come out and either play casual basketball or potentially breed the next generation of Canadian basketball superstars, which goes to our other donation of $2 million to Canada Basketball who have produced incredible talent.' Article content Article content With the stands closed on-and-off during the pandemic, Drake was one of the few hundred fans that was allowed in the Scotiabank Arena during parts of the 2021-22 season. Article content Article content Pelley was asked about a rumoured rift between Ujiri and Edward Rogers, the executive chair of Rogers Communications, the majority owner of MLSE, but he said the decision to fire the popular exec was his alone. Article content 'At the end of the day, this was my decision, supported by the board,' he told the Sun's Steve Simmons. Article content
CTV News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Adam Sandler to stop in Toronto for ‘You're My Best Friend' stand-up comedy tour
Adam Sandler attends the "Adam Sandler: Love You" premiere at The Plaza on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) Adam Sandler has announced his upcoming 'You're My Best Friend' tour and Toronto is the only Canadian stop on the list. The comedian, whose long-awaited 'Happy Gilmore 2' is set to be released next month, released the dates in an Instagram post on Thursday. The North American tour kicks off on Sept. 5 in Jacksonville, Fla. and will wind up the States before making one trip across the border on Oct. 12. Tickets for the Toronto show at Scotiabank Arena go on sale Friday. Sandler is no stranger to the city and has filmed a number of movies here, including 'Billy Madison,' 'Pixels,' and 'You're So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah,' the last of which resulted in several fan sightings of the comic in Yorkville.
CTV News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Adam Sandler to stop in Toronto for ‘You're My Best Friend' stand-up comedy tour
Adam Sandler attends the "Adam Sandler: Love You" premiere at The Plaza on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) Adam Sandler has announced his upcoming 'You're My Best Friend' tour and Toronto is the only Canadian stop on the list. The comedian, whose long-awaited 'Happy Gilmore 2' is set to be released next month, released the dates in an Instagram post on Thursday. The North American tour kicks off on Sept. 5 in Jacksonville, Fla. and will wind up the States before making one trip across the border on Oct. 12. Tickets for the Toronto show at Scotiabank Arena go on sale Friday. Sandler is no stranger to the city and has filmed a number of movies here, including 'Billy Madison,' 'Pixels,' and 'You're So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah,' the last of which resulted in several fan sightings of the comic in Yorkville.
National Post
23-05-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Leafs to study ways of enhancing home ice advantage with fan support
More than 25 years into its existence, 'the house of pain' vibe that the original builders of Toronto's home arena envisioned from a noise standpoint has yet to evolve. Article content Article content Blame it on a few things, led by the Leafs' corporate season ticket base that opens their wallets, but closes their mouth during play, especially in the lower bowl. Article content Ownership has also noticed. Article content Keith Pelley, CEO of MLSE, was thrilled at fan engagement during the playoffs but recognizes it could be more loud, or close to it, every game. Fixing that is on his to-do list now that he'll be taking some of Brendan Shanahan's presidential duties. Article content Article content Article content 'A really good question,' Pelley said Friday when asked why the Leafs don't make better use of Scotiabank Arena, where they lost three times in the playoffs. 'What happened in the playoffs, especially (at the start of) Game 7 showed us what this can be, in terms of a magical hockey atmosphere. Article content 'It's one we'll look to get better at on game day. A lot of it is getting people into their seats a bit earlier. We did a really good job of that in playoffs, turning lights off, blowing whistles. It makes a difference, it's great to have it for all three periods.' Article content But the catastrophic end to Game 7 with debris and Leafs sweaters littering the ice also showed Pelley there is damage control to be done this summer. That includes off the ice. Article content 'It's how players relate to the fans and quite honestly how we relate to the media. I understand the importance of the media, having worked in it for so long. We need to embrace the media and fans and be out there more. Article content
Hamilton Spectator
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Billy Joel cancels tour, including Toronto date, after being diagnosed with brain disorder: ‘I'm sincerely sorry'
Billy Joel has cancelled his upcoming tour, including a date in Toronto , after the legendary singer was diagnosed with a brain disorder. Joel, 76, announced on Friday that he has 'normal pressure hydrocephalus' (NPH), a brain disorder in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain's ventricles. An Instagram post shared on Joel's official account reads: 'This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance. Under his doctors instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period.' The post included a short statement from the Piano Man himself: 'I'm sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience, and thank you for understanding.' A post shared by Billy Joel (@billyjoel) Joel was originally set to perform at Rogers Centre in Toronto in March, but cancelled the show days before the tour date. Citing an undisclosed medical condition, Joel's team announced that the show would be rescheduled for 2026. A statement added that Joel was expected to make a full recovery. That rescheduled tour stop, along with 17 more shows set to take place in the U.S. and U.K., have now been cancelled. The last time Joel performed in Toronto was on March 9, 2014 at Scotiabank Arena. Joel also performed at the OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls last winter. In February, Joel fell on stage while performing in Connecticut. He appeared to quickly recover and was able to finish the show. It is unclear if his surgery was related to this incident. Known for piano playing and his signature blend of pop and rock music, Joel ranks among the bestselling artists of all time. His first album, 'Cold Spring Harbor,' came out in 1971. Since then, he's released a dozen more studio albums, seven live albums and 18 compilations album, and has sold more than 150 million records worldwide. Today, Joel is best known for megahits such a 'Piano Man,' 'We Didn't Start The Fire,' 'Uptown Girl,' and 'New York state of Mind.' In July, Joel performed for the 150th time at Madison Square Garden in New York City, marking the most lifetime concerts at the storied venue by any artist.
