If you're a fan of the Maple Leafs and hate the idea of driving to Toronto, parking in an overpriced lot and paying through the teeth for a pair of nosebleed seats, what's a Leafs fan to do?

Simple. Shuffle off to Buffalo where tickets are just under 1/3 of the price you'd pay to see the Leafs in action. No wonder why you'll see a strong delegation of Leafs fans from across Southern Ontario cheering from the sidelines at Buffalo's First Niagara Center.

Time was, however, with no amenities near the First Niagara Center, out-of-towners would hightail out of Buffalo to the QEW as soon as the game ended. There was no reason or incentive to stick around. Until now. With the opening of the Harborcenter sports and entertainment complex directly connected to the NHL arena, and the stunning outdoor ice skating rink at Canalside directly across the street, Leafs fans can turn what was once a single game outing into an all-inclusive, two-day cross-border getaway, enjoying an array of restaurant options, unique locally owned retail shops, overnight accommodations and a one of a kind ice skating experience practically under one roof.

The pre-game action starts at Harborcenter's 716 Food and Sport restaurant. Inspired by and modelled after Toronto's Real Sports Bar and Grill, the 1,200 square metre restaurant is a gastronomic shrine to all things sports. With 72 television monitors throughout, including an 11.5-metre wide screen TV - the largest in the USA - your table is never far away from a game broadcast. From the NFL to the NHL, from MLB to the NBA, if it's on TV, it's at the 716.

While the game is what may pack fans in, it's the food that has them coming back. Maybe that's because 716 Food and Sports boasts pub fare with a distinctly Buffalo twist.

"We've created a facility that highlights Buffalo food in our menu," says Don Heins, Harborcenter's communications manager. "Our most popular menu item is Buffalo Mac and Cheese which takes the traditional comfort food to a new level of heat by adding Buffalo wings hot sauce."

And when it's time for the opening puck drop at First Niagara Center, no need to rush out. Your arena seats are only a few hundred meters away via a connected walkway. And once inside, you may feel like you never left The True North behind. From the singing of "Oh Canada," to our Maple Leaf flag proudly displayed on the scoreboard, to scores of Leafs fans proudly wearing their TML jerseys, Canadians fares prominently in Sabres territory.

"We love Southern Ontario Leafs fans," says Michael Gilbert, VP of public and community relations for the Buffalo Sabres. "When the Leafs are in town, thirty to forty per cent of fans holding tickets are from Southern Ontario," he adds.

By the time the final horn blows to end the game, a good night's sleep is probably what you're thinking of most. Marriott hotels have you covered with not one, but two locations steps from the FNC. The Courtyard Buffalo Downtown/Canalside is a skip away, while attached to the arena itself is the brand new Buffalo Marriott Harborcenter, providing an unparalleled experience in hotel comfort and convenience. And next morning, before heading across the street to Canalside rink for a few laps around New York State's largest outdoor recreational rink, you'll feel right at home enjoying breakfast at Harborcenter's flagship Tim Hortons - a Timmy's like you've never before complete with a statue of the famed Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leaf defenceman outside its front doors.

"Three years ago, Harborcenter was nothing more than a surface parking lot," says Brian Hayden, Communications Manager of Visit Buffalo Niagara tourism bureau. Today, Harborcenter is not only a symbol of a renewed and resurgent Buffalo, it makes a perfect close to home mini vacation for adventuresome Hamiltonians who love the Leafs, love Canada and love a good "double double" no matter which side of the border they are on.