TORONTO

No matter the state of the hockey team in the Air Canada Centre, from now on there’ll be solid bench strength just outside.

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment has begun construction on its long-discussed touchstone team monument. As revealed in the Toronto Sun in January, the concept will be an evolving art piece of famous players from nearly 100 years of franchise history, in various poses on a team bench in Maple Leaf Square.

A source familiar with the project says the first three players have been chosen, with details to be released Thursday morning at the chosen site, near the ACC’s West entrance. The first phase will place three life-sized statues along the bench, adding at least three more per year to a maximum of 10 or 11, leading to the club’s 100th anniversary in 2017-18.

A "historical committee" of various people associated with the team, such as Leaf alumni and broadcaster Joe Bowen, voted on which players would be honoured. The idea of creating such a photo opportunity for fans has been discussed since the ACC opened in 1999 and was heartily endorsed by current MLSE president Tim Leiweke to show his intent not to forget the team’s past. But unlike the Wayne Gretzky or Bobby Orr monuments outside rinks in Edmonton and Boston it was decided long ago that trying to pick one Leaf from one period as the centrepiece of a sculpture would be hard to narrow down.

Thus a group of stars will be honoured, to cover the first days of the Gardens, the Cup dynasty of the late 1940s, the last golden era of the ‘60s and modern times, perhaps Darryl Sittler, Borje Salming, Wendel Clark, Doug Gilmour or franchise scoring leader Mats Sundin.

Players such as Dave Keon, Tim Horton, Frank Mahovlich, King Clancy, Johnny Bower, Turk Broda and Teeder Kennedy often score well in fan polls as the best Leaf, while there is a soft spot for ‘51 Cup hero Bill Barilko and fighters such as Tiger Williams.

One now-deceased Leaf will be in the first three selections and will have family representing him at Thursday’s announcement, while the other two will be introduced during the club’s Fan Fest in the Square on Sept. 5-7.

Provision will be made for at least one future player addition to the artwork, who MLSE hopes will one day emerge as the face of the next title -worthy team. For as much as 100 years will be something to celebrate, 2017 would also be 50 years since Toronto’s last NHL champiosnhip, already a league-worst Cup drought. It remains to be seen if Leaf coaches, managers, perhaps even team founder Conn Smythe and iconic broadcaster Foster Hewitt will have a place at or near the monument.