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The Holiday Inn at Yorkdale is being demolished and replaced by a series of condos.
I was a little sad, and certainly a very nostalgic, even though I didn’t stay there a lot.
My first trip to Yorkdale was March Break 1978, I saw the Leafs and Islanders play that night a few months before their epic playoff series.
A decade later I was at Yorkdale during an an NHL scheduling rarity; the Leafs were at home on a Thursday ( v Islanders ), Saturday ( v Philadelphia ) and then again Sunday night ( v New Jersey ).
Of all the Leafs games I’ve ever been to, the 7-4 win over the Flyers on February 13, 1988 was the most enjoyable…Ron Hextall’s save percentage that night was .793. We slept well at Yorkdale that night.
Plus, the Calgary Olympics were underway at that time and I watched ” The Battle of the Brians ” climax in my room on the Friday night.
For special occasions in the Big Smoke, the Yorkdale Holiday Inn was my lodge location
Mike Cancellera’s wedding in 1994 was a day after the Platers had played to a 4-4 tie at Kitchener
The 30th year reunion for the Ryerson Radio-Television Arts Class of ’82 came in September of 2012 and coincided with the opening of the Ontario Hockey League season.
I did miss the Attack opener against Saginaw that weekend but still managed to see Kitchener at Mississauga at the Hershey Centre, plus enjoyed the 3 decade catchup with the RTA Class, all while using the Yorkdale Holiday Inn as home base.
I know there will be other significant Toronto based events in the years ahead, I’m just not sure where I’ll stay, certainly not at The Yorkdale Holiday Inn.