Gallery: Leafs practice facility

This new arena, officially known as the MasterCard Centre for Hockey Excellence, is where the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the club's AHL affiliate Marlies, hold practices. Though it's possible to score some autographs from Leafs and Marlies players, there are a few odd rules to keep in mind, reports Al, Hound Central 5.0's correspondent in all things related to Toronto.

This is the sidewalk, near the players' parking area, where hounds have to stand. Although it's a public parking lot for the arena, hounds have to yell over to the players, as they get out of their cars, to ask them for an autograph. If the player waves a hound over, the hound can approach the player and get an autograph. In some cases, though, the players will walk over.

The first few players get the spots nearest the doors they enter, which are the furthest from this sidewalk "staging area." As the parking lot fills up, the players eventually park right in front of hounds.

Here's a warning, though. If a hound approaches a player without being invited, apparently the security staff, as Al so eloquently puts it," gets its underwear in a knot" (don't they all?) and threatens to call the police. Thankfully, this didn't happen the day Al was out hounding.

Once inside, though, the facility, which has four pads of ice, allows fans to watch the Leafs practice from as close as the boards, as these photos attest:

The Leafs gather at the boards for a chalk talk from coach Ron Wilson.

Jason Blake, standing out in a red jersey, leads a group of Leafs players during the practice.

Goalie Jonas "The Monster" Gustavsson during the practice.

Alexei Ponikarovsky takes a spin around the rink.

Leafs players, from left, Luke Schenn, Phil Kessel, Jamal Mayers and Joey MacDonald. That's coach Ron Wilson in the background.