By Adrian Bueno
The Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC), formerly known as Maple Leaf Gardens, is one of two athletic facilities at Ryerson available to students, faculty and the public. The building is also home to the Ryerson Rams basketball, volleyball, hockey and figure skating teams and intramurals, among others.
A little bit out of the way on Carlton and Church streets, some students may never actually step foot in the building until they graduate. For those who do, navigating the building can be a little overwhelming. So here’s a helpful breakdown of what you’ll find on each floor.
First Floor
The first floor contains the building’s box office where you can buy tickets to Ryerson Rams games. With a valid Ryerson OneCard, you get free admission into all Rams home games and can skip the floor altogether.
Second Floor
Proceeding up the stairs toward the second floor, you will see a large reception desk where Mattamy staff can assist you. Beside the desk is the entrance to the building’s fitness centre. Benches, racks, weights, treadmills, ellipticals, machines and a hardwood dance section are available for use.
If you are a Ryerson student, your tuition covers membership to the fitness centre, and all you need to do is swipe your OneCard to get in. If you’re hungry, just outside the fitness centre is a cafeteria, offering a fast and nutritious menu catered toward athletes. They provide fruits, sandwiches and a variety of salads.
Coca-Cola Court is also located on the second floor, and is the home and practice court of the Ryerson Rams basketball and volleyball teams. The foldable bleachers of the court can seat up to 1,000 people and accessible seating is available for those who need it. The court is also open for pickup games and camps.
Third Floor
Heading up to the third floor takes you to the bottom level of the home and practice rink of the Rams hockey teams and figure skaters. The ice is an NHL regulation rink, and features arena-style seating and concessions. The rink can also be covered and converted into a hardwood court, a concert stage and a convention space. Around 2,000 to 2,500 people can be seated for events.
There is also access to the upper level of Coca-Cola Court and Eggy’s Summit, a meeting room that overlooks the court. Additional meeting rooms like the Blue and Gold room and the Bunker are situated on this floor. These rooms are used by Rams teams for game planning and studying game footage. They are also available for rent.
A small lounge area with games such as table tennis rounds out the upper level of the court, which you may be able to access during down time. Game footage for basketball and volleyball games are recorded here, too.
Fourth Floor
The final floor has a concourse that borders around the upper level of the hockey arena. There are concession stands, entrances into the arena and designated media seating.
The RTA School of Media’s Sportsnet Production Centre is situated on this level, producing online webcasts and content for Rams games.
The Alumni Lounge is on the fourth level as well, and is equipped with projectors and a sound system.
You may also see a neat skating treadmill which is used by some of Ryerson’s athletes as well as people learning how to skate. You can book training sessions by contacting blade@ryerson.ca.
MAC artwork and history
The next time you make your trip to the MAC, make sure to also look around the building for the artifacts and artwork scattered across each floor, such as original Maple Leafs Gardens seats and photos of concerts from artists like the Beatles.
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