The Canadiens branding probably appeals to suburbanites thinking about moving downtown, the way suburbanites move to areas like Southcore and CityPlace around the ACC and Rogers Centre.
When these renderings first came out last week, we briefly imagined a world in which Maple Leaf Square had giant Leafs branding on the top. It's a weird world, but your theory makes sense.
Sales are at about 91% right now. Construction start is scheduled for Spring 2016. There is a good chance the height for this project is raised to 47 storeys/170 metres.