web1_TTL022916Feature1_toned.jpg

Scooters and sunshine: Mild weather makes for a perfect Sunday outdoors

web1_Buck-Dallas3.jpg

Caught on Camera

<p>There&#8217;s two common themes for every kid growing up in the Greater Toronto Area: hockey and the Maple Leafs.</p><p>That&#8217;s what dominated Matia Marcantuoni&#8217;s childhood in the Toronto suburb of Woodbridge, Ontario. He played hockey on the ice and in the street, watched it on television every weekend and even ran into Don Cherry at the grocery store a few times.</p><p>Marcantuoni also enjoyed living so close to Toronto that he could take a quick drive to enjoy city life, and also make an easy exit to get back to the peace and quiet of his neighborhood.</p><p><strong>Player:</strong> Matia Marcantuoni</p><p><strong>Hometown:</strong> Woodbridge, Ontario</p><p><strong>Type:</strong> Suburb</p><p><strong>Population:</strong> 101,170</p><p><strong>Distance from Wilkes-Barre: </strong>399 miles</p><p><strong>How big is hockey in a Toronto suburb? </strong>&#8220;The only thing you really see on TV is hockey. Friday night, Saturday night and even Sunday during the day it&#8217;s hockey. Anytime you go on TSN it&#8217;s pretty much hockey. All my friends all played hockey - street, roller, you name it. The whole Toronto area is strictly hockey and that&#8217;s all people think about.&#8221;</p><p><strong>So hockey is big, I take it Don Cherry is pretty popular as well?</strong> &#8220;Don Cherry is huge. I actually saw him a couple times at convenience stores, grocery stores. It&#8217;s kind of normal just seeing him around.&#8221;</p><p><strong>What do you do for fun outside of hockey?</strong> &#8220;Relax and hang out with friends. My family has a place in Florida so we go down there and enjoy the beach. I also do a little work with my dad.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Growing up in Woodbridge did you make a lot of trips to Toronto?</strong> &#8220;It&#8217;s a 25-minute drive without traffic. You go downtown for dinner. There&#8217;s an endless amount of restaurants and things to do. You just park your car and walk around. Kind of like New York City but smaller.</p><p><strong>Did you like living outside of the city rather than in it?</strong> &#8220;It&#8217;s fun to be in the city but it gets very crowded and the traffic gives you a headache. It&#8217;s nice to leave the city and go into a quiet neighborhood.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Are there any similarities between Woodbridge and Wilkes-Barre?</strong> &#8220;Everything&#8217;s a little different in the downtowns, but for the most part the neighborhoods kind of the same. People are friendly and they know each other.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Is Woodbridge a place you&#8217;d like to go back to one day?</strong> &#8220;I bought a property in Toronto so whatever happens with hockey, down the line I&#8217;ll end up back in Woodbridge or Toronto.&#8221;</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_Marcantuoni.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Marcantuoni </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_Marcantuoni.jpg</photo0><caption0>Marcantuoni </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Tom Venesky</p><p>tvenesky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Tom Venesky at 570-991-6395 or on Twitter @TLTomVenesky</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins my hometown: Hockey rules Matia Marcantuoni’s childhood in Toronto suburb