TORONTO, ON (September 11, 2019) – Today, Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited (Ford of Canada) and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) expanded their partnership by renaming the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Marlies training facility to the Ford Performance Centre, building on the auto company’s commitment to youth and hockey.

“It is very fitting to have a long-standing partner like Ford, with their demonstrated commitment to performance and excellence, featured in the name of this facility that is so important to the success of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization and development within the community,” said Jordan Vader, Vice President Global Partnerships and Retail at MLSE. “The youth coming through the Ford Performance Centre’s doors may one day be the next generation of hockey stars and we are thrilled to expand our partnership with Ford to allow them the opportunity to skate on the same ice as their Maple Leafs and Marlies heroes.”

“At Ford, we’re committed to engineering the best performance vehicles possible,” said Jim Hartford, vice president of Sales and Marketing, Ford of Canada. “MLSE’s commitment to putting an exciting product on the ice and to growing the game of hockey in Canada has been a natural fit for us, and we believe the Ford Performance Centre will help Canadian youth perform at their best as they engineer their own hockey dreams.”

In addition to being the official practice facility for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Marlies, the Ford Performance Centre will host the Ford Drills and Skills program, Ford Canada’s signature youth hockey program. The program offers an exclusive on-ice training experience for 16 youth hockey teams and a chance to meet a Leaf personality as well as tickets to Leafs and Marlies games.

Originally opened in September, 2009 as the Mastercard Centre of Hockey Excellence, the Ford Performance Centre operates in partnership with MLSE, the Hockey Hall of Fame, the Lakeshore Lions Club, the City of Toronto, and the Toronto District School Board. The Ford Performance Centre is recognized as the premier ice facility in the Greater Toronto Area for both professional and recreational athletes alike and sets the standard for training and hockey performance worldwide.

About Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited
Ford of Canada’s operations include a national headquarters, three regional offices, three vehicle assembly and engine manufacturing plants, two parts distribution centres, two R&D sites, and three Connectivity and Innovation centres. Ford employs approximately 8,000 people in Canada, while an additional 18,000 people are employed in the more than 400 Ford and Ford-Lincoln dealerships across the country. For more information, please visit www.ford.ca.

Media contacts:
Charzie Abendanio, MLSE – charzie.abendanio@mlse.com, 416-815-5455
Matt Drennan-Scace, Ford of Canada – mdrenna4@ford.com, 416-845-5101

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