The ACC: Ten Years Later

When the Toronto Maple Leafs left Maple Leaf Gardens in 1999, the promotional slogan was “Memories and Dreams.” This tagline not only reflected on the moments that occurred in fabled hockey arena, but also the moments that would occur in the Leafs’ new arena, the Air Canada Centre.

It has been 10 years now since the Air Canada Centre first opened. In its short history, the ACC has become one of the busiest arenas in North America. Although it has yet to establish the same type of legacy as Maple Leaf Gardens, the arena has seen its share of noteworthy moments.

In honour of the Air Canada Centre’s 10th anniversary, here are the top 10 sports moments that have occurred in the ACC so far:

10. April 14, 2001 – Arena football comes to Toronto

Rogers Communications felt Toronto would be an ideal market for the Arena Football League. As a result, the telecommunications firm purchased the New England Sea Wolves and re-christened them as the Toronto Phantoms. In front of 10,023 spectators, the Phantoms made their debut at the ACC on Apr. 14, 2001, losing to the Buffalo Destroyers, 61-54. Unfortunately, arena football never took off in Toronto, and the Phantoms, who drew an average of 6,976 fans to their home games, disbanded following the 2002 AFL season.

9. August 15, 2004 – Orton becomes youngest champion

The ACC was the site of the 2004 edition of WWE: SummerSlam. The main event that night featured Chris Benoit defending the World Heavyweight Title against Randy Orton. Despite Benoit’s experience and technical craftsmanship, the 24-year-old Orton emerged victorious, capturing the title and becoming the youngest heavyweight champion in WWE history.

8. February 20-21, 1999 – The first game(s)

The main tenants of the ACC – the Leafs and Raptors – played their first games at the new arena during the weekend of Feb. 20-21. On Feb. 20, the Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens 3-2, thanks to an OT winner by Steve Thomas. The following day, the Raptors beat the Vancouver Grizzles 102-87. Rookie Vince Carter led Toronto with 27 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals.

7. February 6, 2000 – World All-Stars defeat North America

Toronto was the host city for the 50th NHL All-Star Game. The contest, which showcased the best of North America against the best of the World, was a close affair after two periods of play, with the World stars leading 5-4. In the third period, the World team scored four unanswered goals, en route to a 9-4 victory. Pavel Bure, who was playing for the Florida Panthers at the time, was named the game’s most valuable player. The Russian Rocket scored three goals, including the winner.

6. September 17, 2006 – Stratus wins final match and title

The ACC was picked to host WWE: Unforgiven in September, 2006. In front of a hometown crowd, Toronto native Trish Stratus took on Lita for the WWE Women’s Title. The match had special significance as it would be Stratus’ last match before retiring from the WWE. Using the sharpshooter submission maneuver, Stratus defeated Lita, becoming a seven-time winner and retiring as a champion. For added emotion, the entire arena chanted “Thank You Trish” repeatedly. Stratus choked back tears as she saluted her fans.

5. November 21, 1999 – Hart captures WCW Title

Six months after losing his brother, Owen, Bret “The Hitman” Hart took part in WCW: Mayhem, the first pay-per-view event held in Canada by the now-defunct wrestling promotion. Hart competed in a tournament for the vacated WCW (World) Heavyweight Title. After defeating Sting in the semi-finals, the Hitman faced Chris Benoit for the championship. The match lasted close to 18 minutes before Hart used the sharpshooter and forced Benoit to submit. Members of Hart’s family flooded the ring to help celebrate his latest title victory, much to the excitement of the ACC crowd.

4. Spring, 1999 & 2002 – Leafs come up short

Over the last decade, there have been two separate occasions where the Maple Leafs have come close to ending their Stanley Cup drought. In 1999, the Leafs made it to the Eastern Conference Final after beating Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in the first two rounds of the NHL playoffs. However, Toronto was unable to get past the Buffalo Sabres, who defeated the Leafs in five games. Three years later, the Leafs were back in the Eastern final after winning battles against the Islanders and Ottawa. Unfortunately, they could not stop the Carolina Hurricanes, who beat the Leafs in six games. Despite this inability to make the Stanley Cup Final, the city of Toronto was filled with excitement and the ACC was the epicentre.

3. May 14, 2005 – Rock win 5th NLL Championship

Since moving to the ACC in 2001, one could argue that (performance wise) the Toronto Rock have been the arena’s most successful tenant. On May 14, 2005, the Rock hosted the Arizona Sting for the NLL Champion’s Cup. The match was played before an NLL record crowd of 19,432, as well as a national television audience. The Rock did not disappoint their fans as they defeated Arizona 19-13, capturing their fifth championship in seven years. Although the team was jubilant, most Rock players were playing with a heavy heart. Former General Manager and Coach Les Bartley, the man who led Toronto to four of their five league titles, was battling colon cancer. Sadly, Bartley passed away on May 15, 2005; 18 hours after the Rock won the championship.

2. February 27, 2000 – Carter scores 51

Before he was “public enemy number one,” Vince Carter was the man who many thought would lead the Raptors to glory. On Feb. 27, 2000, Toronto hosted the Phoenix Suns, and those who had tickets were in for a treat. Carter scored an incredible 51 points, leading the Raptors to 103-102 victory. Carter’s performance set the Raptors’ franchise record for most points scored in a game by a single player. Since then, no one has broken that record.

1. September 11, 2004 – Lecavalier scores in overtime

Canada took on the Czech Republic in the semifinals of the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. The match was a nail biter, with the score tied 3-3, heading into sudden death overtime. At the 3:45 mark of the first overtime period, Vincent Lecavalier netted the winning goal, sending the tension-filled ACC into a state of euphoria. Canada went on to win the World Cup, beating Finland in the final, which was also played at the ACC.