Scotiabank Arena Game Day Guide
Toronto Maple Leafs · Toronto, ON
Know Before You Go
- Bag policy
Only small purses, clutches, and fanny packs smaller than 6.5 x 4.5 inches are permitted.
A medically or otherwise necessary larger bag may be admitted after X-ray inspection at Gates 1, 3, or 5.
- Bag storage
A limited, first-come bag check in the Galleria across from Gate 1 accepts noncompliant small bags for $25.
Capacity is limited, so the arena strongly recommends bringing only a permitted bag.
- Gate opening
General gates open one hour before puck drop for Maple Leafs games.
The Premium Entrance opens two hours before puck drop for suite and restaurant access.
- Mobile tickets
Maple Leafs tickets are delivered digitally and can be accessed in the Maple Leafs app, Ticketmaster, or an Apple or Android wallet.
Print-at-home PDFs, ordinary paper printouts, and screenshots are not valid for entry; an official physical ticket issued by MLSE or Ticketmaster remains valid.
- Re-entry
No re-entry is permitted after a guest exits the arena gates.
- Prohibited items
The arena prohibits bottles and cans, coolers, poles and sticks, aerosols, weapons and pocket knives, fireworks, wheeled recreational devices, outside alcohol or food, illegal drugs, selfie sticks, large umbrellas, noisemakers, balloons, luggage, and noncompliant bags.
For Maple Leafs games, camera lenses must not exceed 75 mm; video cameras, GoPros, and selfie sticks are prohibited. Review the event page because restrictions can change.
- First aid
Paramedics are stationed outside Sections 105A, 116A, 309A, and 319A.
First aid kits are also at Fan Services at Gate 1 and outside Section 301 and at all fixed concession stands.
- Nursing and lactation
The Infant Feeding Room is on the 100 Level Concourse by Gate 1.
For help with the room, visit the Level 100 Fan Services desk near Section 120.
- Family restrooms
Universal accessible washrooms are near Sections 103/104 and 114/115 on Level 100 and Sections 310/311 and 317/318 on Level 300.
Men's and women's washrooms also have baby-changing tables.
- Tickets for children
Children 24 months and younger may enter without a ticket if they sit on an accompanying adult's lap; older children need a ticketed seat.
The policy can vary for individual events.
- Guest services
Fan Services desks are on Level 100 at Gate 1 and Level 300 outside Section 301.
During events, text your inquiry and seat location to 647-694-0454; during business hours call 416-815-5982.
- Service animals
Individually task-trained service animals may accompany fans in public areas, and the arena requires the fan and animal to use accessible seating.
The venue may request documentation identifying the animal as a service animal.
- Smoking and vaping
Smoking and electronic-cigarette use are prohibited throughout the arena, restaurants, suites, and lounges.
Leaving to smoke does not permit re-entry, and smoking inside can result in immediate ejection.
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at Scotiabank Arena, hour by hour.
Explore the downtown core
Walk the Entertainment District along King Street West, restaurants, bars, and the Royal Alexandra Theatre are all within blocks.
Pregame on King West or Bremner
Real Sports Bar (the largest sports bar in North America, owned by MLSE) is the definitive Leafs pregame destination. Expect a line.
Doors open
Enter via the Bremner Boulevard or PATH entrances. Walk the concourse, grab a drink, and watch warm-ups.
Find your seat
The arena fills, all 18,800 seats, every night. The energy builds through the anthem and opening faceoff.
Game time
Three periods of hockey in Canada's hockey cathedral. The atmosphere for Habs or Bruins games is transcendent.
Grab a poutine or peameal sandwich
Toronto poutine and peameal bacon sandwiches are the signature foods. Prices are steep. It's Toronto.
King Street West nightlife
Spill onto Bremner Boulevard and walk to King West for post-game drinks. Or duck into the PATH to avoid winter weather.
Tips & Fan Reports
Real Sports Bar is the pregame spot. It's huge, but it still reaches capacity 2 hours before puck drop for big games.
Prices are in Canadian dollars. American visitors get roughly 30% more value on everything.
PATH underground connects Financial District hotels directly to the arena. You never go outside in Toronto winter.
Maple Leaf Square (Jurassic Park) outside has a huge screen. It's standing-room-only during playoff games.
The PATH underground connects Union Station, the arena, and several hotels. Use it in winter, Toronto cold is serious.
Leafs tickets are the most expensive in the NHL. Budget accordingly. Even nosebleeds are $100+ CAD.
The bag limit is 16.5 by 11.5 centimetres, and anything larger costs C$25 to check in the galleria opposite Gate 1.
Park under Maple Leaf Square if the weather is bad. It connects indoors to the retail concourse and the arena without going outside.
The gate printed on your ticket is a suggestion, not a requirement. The arena tells you to join the shortest line at any gate.
Coming off the Gardiner from the west, the Spadina exit and a left onto Bay Street is the route the arena itself gives.
Before the Game
A Leafs game begins on the northwest corner of Lakeshore Boulevard West and Bay Street, and everything about arriving there is vertical rather than horizontal. There is no lot, and the pregame is downtown Toronto. Park underground at Maple Leaf Square if you drive: it runs 24/7 and connects indoors through the retail concourse straight into the building, with entrances off York Street and Bremner Boulevard. Two things are worth settling in advance. Bags must be under 16.5 by 11.5 centimetres or they cost C$25 to check in the galleria opposite Gate 1, and while your ticket names a preferred gate, the arena's own advice is to join whichever line is shortest.
Where to Go Before the Game
Maple Leaf Square underground parking
The public garage beneath Maple Leaf Square, open 24/7 with indoor access to the retail concourse and straight into the arena. Entrances are off York Street and Bremner Boulevard.
Known for Indoor access to the arena · Open 24/7 · York St and Bremner Blvd entrances
Lakeshore Boulevard West at Bay Street
The arena sits on the northwest corner of the two, which is the landmark every driving route ends at: off the Gardiner at Spadina from the west, or down Lake Shore Blvd East from the Don Valley Parkway from the north.
Known for Northwest corner · Gardiner and DVP approaches
The galleria bag check, across from Gate 1
In the galleria across from Gate 1, where anything over the size limit goes at C$25. The arena admits only small purses, clutches or fanny packs under 16.5cm x 11.5cm, and MLSE’s stated preference is that you bring no bag at all.
Known for C$25 per bag · Across from Gate 1 · Over 16.5 x 11.5cm
Pregame Rules
What Scotiabank Arena allows before the game, and what it does not.
- Scotiabank Arena is on the northwest corner of Lakeshore Blvd. West and Bay St. in downtown Toronto.
- Underground public parking is available at Maple Leaf Square, open 24/7, with indoor access to retail and to the arena. Entrances are off York Street and Bremner Blvd.
- Only small purses, clutches or fanny-pack type bags smaller than 16.5cm x 11.5cm (6.5" x 4.5") are permitted, and MLSE strongly encourages fans to bring no bag at all.
- Bag check is available for C$25 for items that do not meet the size requirement, located in the galleria across from Gate 1.
- The preferred entry gate is listed on your ticket, but fans may enter through the shortest line at any gate.
- SpotHero is recommended for booking surrounding lots in advance, at rates below the drive-up price.
Weather
Scotiabank Arena is indoor, so these are the conditions for the parking lot and the walk in, not the seats.
Across the NHL season the warmest month is October, with an average high of 62°F, and the coldest is January, when the average low is 19°F. April is the wettest month at 4.1 inches and January the driest at 2.4 inches.
That January low ranks 7th coldest of the 32 NHL venues, and April here ranks 13th wettest.
October
2.9 inchesNovember
2.7 inchesJanuary
2.4 inchesMarch
2.7 inchesApril
4.1 inchesWhat to Bring
- Only the outside food and drink the rule allows
Outside food and beverages are prohibited except for allergy or medical needs confirmed with Fan Services.
- A card or a phone wallet
Scotiabank Arena is fully cash-free and accepts debit cards, credit cards, and major contactless payment methods.
- A coat for the walk in
January lows average 19°F between the lot and the door at Scotiabank Arena.
- A poncho for the walk in, not an umbrella
Umbrellas are on Scotiabank Arena's prohibited list, and April averages 4.1 inches of rain.
How We Checked This Page
Every section below names the source it was read from and the day it was read. Where we could not reach a published figure, the page says so rather than presenting an estimate as a checked fact.
- Game day timeline
Gate opening time checked against the venue's own gate-opening policy: General gates open one hour before puck drop for Maple Leafs games.
- Pregame
Scotiabank Arena official site: Getting Here, Plan Your Visit FAQ, and Bag Policy
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
Current Scotiabank Arena FAQ, bag-policy, customer-service, arrival, and mobile-ticket pages reviewed for Toronto Maple Leafs game-day policies.