Video screen bragging rights go to Tod Leiweke in Tampa over brother Tim in Toronto

TORONTO – When it comes to video screens in NHL arenas, bragging rights in the Leiweke family go to Tod over older brother Tim.

The Tampa Bay Times Forum, home to the Tampa Bay Lightning and CEO Tod Leiweke, features a US$5-million high-definition video display system.

The system include four large video displays, with the two largest measuring approximately 8.5 metres high by 15 metres wide. Two other displays at the ends measure some 8.5 metres high by six metres wide.

The old video board measured some five metres high by 8.5 metres wide on all four sides.

Tim Leiweke, the new CEO and president at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, laughed when asked if Leafs and Raptors fans will get a new video board at the Air Canada Centre to rival that of Tampa’s.

“I’ve seen his board. I went down and looked at it. It’s unbelievable. It is phenomenal,” said Tim.

“We put in a board a couple of years ago (in Los Angeles) and spent $16 million. It’s a very different board than say Tampa Bay and what the Lightning just put in. Theirs is that huge mass on each side. Where L.A. looks more like a spaceship and they have a lot more boards and a lot more technology.

“So I’m just learning here (in Toronto). I know we just put some money into the board here and I’ve seen the new board and it’s pretty good. But it’s small in comparison to what Tampa Bay just put in.”

The ACC website says the current Toronto board was originally installed in 2008 — an $8-million, 17-screen high-def package that measures three metres by 5.3 metres wide.

The Leiwekes share a hockey home now with Tampa and Toronto both in the Atlantic Division.