Toronto mayor impressed with World Cup Fan Village

TORONTO -- When Toronto was awarded the World Cup of Hockey 2016 last September, Mayor John Tory said his city was "the world capital of hockey."
Following a tour of the Scotiabank World Cup of Hockey Fan Village on Wednesday, he made sure to say it again.
"I think Toronto is the world capital of hockey," Tory said. "And for us to have not just the tournament here, but to have something I don't think the hockey world has ever seen before, which is a huge fan village, I think it's going to be something that is befitting the World Cup of Hockey."

The Fan Village, which will be open Friday through Sept. 25, will celebrate not only the sport of hockey, but the food, music and culture of all participating hockey nations. The fan festival is free and open to the public and will feature a diverse mix of programming designed for fans of all ages, including live musical performances, big-ticket prizes and giveaways, and viewing parties for every World Cup of Hockey 2016 game broadcast live on Pepsi Live Main Stage video screens.

On Wednesday, Tory, along with former NHL defenseman Mathieu Schneider, worked on his wrist shot at the Scotiabank Sport Pad, a ball hockey rink in the center of the village.
He also got to preview others attractions, including the SAP Skills Challenge Zone, Molson Canadian Human Bubble Hockey and the Pepsi Live Main Stage, which will feature a ticketed concert on Friday by Daya, Sam Roberts Band and The Killers. On Sept. 23, Green Day will take the Pepsi Live Main Stage for a ticketed concert.
"It will be a huge hit with the fans," Tory said. "This will give them a ticket to something that is more participatory, more fun and feel like part of the action. I want to come back and play these games myself."
Schneider, who is special assistant to NHL Players' Association executive director Donald Fehr, said he was most interested in the Human Bubble Hockey, the first of its kind.

"I'm interested to see how the bubble hockey works," he said. "The skills for the kids, the stage looks amazing. The store set up over there. I think it's going to be tremendous."
The Scotiabank World Cup of Hockey Fan Village, located in the city's Distillery District, has big screens spread throughout its 200,000 square feet, giving all fans a chance to be part of the action from Air Canada Centre, where the eight-team tournament begins on Saturday.
"It's a lot of fun to go to a place like the Fan Village and watch these games on big screens with a whole bunch of people who aren't in the arena. I hope to do that too," Tory said. "It's free, and there is more to do there than can keep you busy for an entire day.
"I think you can get a cold beverage here, there's going to be musical entertainment. It's going to be a ton of fun to be here with other people celebrating the outcome, whatever the outcome of these games is. It will all be exciting."