My Love for My Leafs
There's an old hockey joke my friend told me years ago and it goes something like this:
Hello, my name is Kitty and I am a Toronto Maple Leafs fan.
For many years, that label was a stigma. The Leafs, until very recently, well...sucked to put it bluntly. Despite that fact, I have been a Leafs fan since 1993, through thick and thin. Hey, I am a Boston Red Sox fan so I know patience.
However, I did not become a fan of the sport until I was an adult. Growing up, my father passed his love for football and baseball to me while hockey was something that was just mentioned in passing. I remember asking him one time if we could go to a game—the Islanders were in their heyday back then—but my father could not understand why I would want to see "such a violent sport." So, I put it out of my mind and focused on my NY Giants and New England Patriots. Yes, you can root for both. They are in different conferences.
It was not until I was in grad school (the first time) that my relationship with hockey started. Little did I know at the time how much this sport would take over my life for so many years!
Ironically, the first game I went to was for me to meet people, not watch the game. You see, I was in a new city where I did not know a soul. It was our department secretary who suggested it. She was a huge hockey fan and would arranged trips each semester to see the local minor league team—a farm team for one of the big NHL teams—play. I figured this would be a good way to meet people and I might even enjoy the game. The problem was that I knew absolutely nothing about hockey and the people I were with were not the friendliest. The night was a bomb and I could not see myself going to the games on a regular basis. My first experience was not the best and I was a poor grad student. Tickets were not inexpensive, but I only worked part-time and was financially struggling so games were not a luxury I could afford.
Who could have predicted what would happen next!
Fast forward to the next season. I was with a co-worker one day who suggested we go to the game. I was hesitant and told him what happened the last time. He told me not to worry as he would explain everything for me. Whoa! What a difference having someone who was willing to explain all of the intricacies of the game could make! Despite the fact I was still very confused—it took me a while to figure out the difference between offsides and icing—I was hooked. As I had a full-time job at this point to help pay the bills while I went to school, I had extra money and nothing to really spend it on. So, I started going to the games, even going by myself if I could not drag a friend along. The more I went, the more I learned as the fans sitting around me were kind enough to explain things for me. What made it even better? The team made it to the playoffs that year so I bought a single seat for the entire run as I had fallen head over heels in love with the game.
Unfortunately, my team got knocked out early in the playoffs. I felt so lost at that point. It was bad enough I was heartbroken, but I felt like an addict who needed her fix. I was desperate to find some hockey. I first started listening to some other games from that league on the radio, but then I discovered the NHL playoffs were being televised. YES!
To be honest, I did not know who to root for. I knew nothing about the teams. At first, I was rooting for American teams to show my patriotism, but that only lasted until I watched the Toronto Maple Leafs play the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference finals. I was awed by Gretzky's puck handling and the goonish plays by Marty McSorley, but there was one player who really stood out to me: Doug Gilmour of the Leafs.
I don't know what it was about Gilmour that caught my attention. I mean, he was pretty scary looking during those playoffs. He had become gaunt and skeletal looking due to serious weight loss. That, combined with this look in his eyes kind of disturbed me. I guess that's the reason why he was affectionately known as "Killer."
He was also a tough little guy despite the his size. He was officially listed at 5'10". Ha! Maybe with skates on! When I met him years later, I discovered that he was shorter than me (I'm 5'6"). He was also listed at 175 pounds. Really? Did they have 25lb weights in those skates?
His diminutive size clearly did not impact his play. He went into the corners with the bigger players and endured some wicked hits. One was from McSorley, which looked quite nasty to me. Mind you, he had is head down while crossing the blue line, which is something even I know not to do. Wendell Clark, in his role of protecting Gilmour, started some fisticuffs with McSorley, which turned into one of the best fights of that round. Still, Gilmour wanted his own revenge. He skated up to the Kings' bench and looked like he was ready to start his own fight with the entire bench!
The mood of the series took a nasty turn in game six when Gretzky high-sticked Gilmour and drew blood. Even though he should have gotten a 5-minute major penalty for the hit—or at least a double minor—referee Kerry Fraser for some reason did not call it. Don Cherry was furious about this on Hockey Night in Canada and Leafs fans still wonder to this day if there was some kind of a conspiracy there to make sure Gretzky got into the finals. That shifted the series to the Kings' favor as Gretzky scored the winning goal in overtime in that game, and the Kings went on to win the series.
It was not until 2016 that Fraser admitted his mistake: "If I had one opportunity to turn back the hands of time for a “do over” it would be to catch that high-stick. I’m sure I’m not alone in that department." Bah.
Still, despite that horrible call, that series had a serious impact on me. It turned me into a die-hard Leafs fan from that point on.
One of my good friends teased me since I rooted for the wrong team that year as the Canadians won the Cup. Also, the Leafs went into a steady decline after that season and ended up at the bottom of the conference and league for many years. Still, I stuck with them, rooting for my boys in blue while hoping that they would eventually work their way back up. I did mention patience, right?
Over the past few years, some positive changes occurred with the team. In 2014, there a serious turnover began with the hiring of Brendan Shanahan President of the team This was followed with Mike Babcock being brought in as coach and Lou Lamoriello as GM. I was happy about most of the changes—Lamoriello dug the Devils into a major hole before he left there—and had some hope. In 2016, they won the number one draft pick and picked up Auston Matthews, a phenom in the USHL. It looked like my team may have some potential. However, I still was not getting my hopes up too much. I still remember the 1986 World Series.
To be honest, I did not expect much from the Leafs this past season. The team was clearly rebuilding, which is tough in and of itself. With all the young kids in the roster, I knew it would take a while for them to mature into good players. I was was pleasantly surprised as they put in a good push at the end of the season to secure a playoff spot. Unfortunately, a bad loss in the last game gave them the last wild card spot. This meant they would face the number one team in the league: the Washington Capitals.
Again, I did not have high hopes. The Caps are a force to be reckoned with as they won the President's Trophy with the most points in the entire league. However, my boys in blue surprised me yet again. In the six game series, five of them went into overtime. The Leafs matched the pace and scoring of the Caps for those five games. Yes, it is true they did not win the series, but they definitely showed the world that this is going to be a team that will win in the future.
Maybe we may just see Hell freeze over.
A guy from Toronto dies and wakes up in hell.
The next day the Devil stops in to check on him. The guy is dressed in a parka with mittens and a toque, sitting by a fire warming himself.
The Devil asks: "What are you doing? Isn't it hot enough for you?"
The guy replies: "Well, you know, I'm from Canada, the land of snow, ice, and cold. I'm just happy for a chance to warm up a little bit, eh."
The Devil is surprised. He decides this guy is clearly not miserable enough, so he decides to turn up the heat.
The next morning he stops in to see the Canadian again. Again, he is in a parka with his mittens and toque. The Devil says, "It's awfully hot down here. Can't you feel it?"
Again the guy replies: "Well, like I told ya yesterday, I'm from Canada, the land of snow, ice, and cold. I'm just happy for a chance to warm up a little bit, eh."
The Devil is seriously frustrated at this point. He decides to turn up the heat as high as it will go. Everyone in Hell is screaming and wailing as the heat is unbearable. However, when the Devils goes to see this one guy, he's in a light jacket, grilling sausage, and drinking a Labatt's.
The Devil can't believe what he is seeing. "Everyone down here is in abject misery, and you appear to be enjoying yourself."
The guy replies: "Well, ya know, we don't get too much warm weather up there in Toronto. I figured I would enjoy it and have a cookout as the weather is never THIS nice."
The Devil is absolutely furious at this point. But then it dawns on him: this guy loves the heat because he lived in the cold all of his life. The Devil figures that if he turns off the heat in Hell, the guy will finally suffer.
The next morning, the temperature in Hell is below zero, with snow and icicles hanging everywhere. It is so cold that the people in Hell cannot do anything but wail, moan, and shiver uncontrollably.
The Devil smiles and heads for the room with the guy from Toronto.
However, when he sees the Canadian, he is back in his parka, mittens, and toque. The only difference is that he is now jumping up and down, cheering, yelling and screaming!
The Devil is dumbfounded. "I don't understand. When I turn up the heat you're happy. Now it's freezing cold and you're even happier. What the hell is wrong with you?"
The guy looks at the Devil in surprise. "Well, don't you know? If Hell freezes over, it must mean the Leafs finally won the Stanley Cup!"
For many years, that label was a stigma. The Leafs, until very recently, well...sucked to put it bluntly. Despite that fact, I have been a Leafs fan since 1993, through thick and thin. Hey, I am a Boston Red Sox fan so I know patience.
However, I did not become a fan of the sport until I was an adult. Growing up, my father passed his love for football and baseball to me while hockey was something that was just mentioned in passing. I remember asking him one time if we could go to a game—the Islanders were in their heyday back then—but my father could not understand why I would want to see "such a violent sport." So, I put it out of my mind and focused on my NY Giants and New England Patriots. Yes, you can root for both. They are in different conferences.
It was not until I was in grad school (the first time) that my relationship with hockey started. Little did I know at the time how much this sport would take over my life for so many years!
Ironically, the first game I went to was for me to meet people, not watch the game. You see, I was in a new city where I did not know a soul. It was our department secretary who suggested it. She was a huge hockey fan and would arranged trips each semester to see the local minor league team—a farm team for one of the big NHL teams—play. I figured this would be a good way to meet people and I might even enjoy the game. The problem was that I knew absolutely nothing about hockey and the people I were with were not the friendliest. The night was a bomb and I could not see myself going to the games on a regular basis. My first experience was not the best and I was a poor grad student. Tickets were not inexpensive, but I only worked part-time and was financially struggling so games were not a luxury I could afford.
Who could have predicted what would happen next!
Fast forward to the next season. I was with a co-worker one day who suggested we go to the game. I was hesitant and told him what happened the last time. He told me not to worry as he would explain everything for me. Whoa! What a difference having someone who was willing to explain all of the intricacies of the game could make! Despite the fact I was still very confused—it took me a while to figure out the difference between offsides and icing—I was hooked. As I had a full-time job at this point to help pay the bills while I went to school, I had extra money and nothing to really spend it on. So, I started going to the games, even going by myself if I could not drag a friend along. The more I went, the more I learned as the fans sitting around me were kind enough to explain things for me. What made it even better? The team made it to the playoffs that year so I bought a single seat for the entire run as I had fallen head over heels in love with the game.
Unfortunately, my team got knocked out early in the playoffs. I felt so lost at that point. It was bad enough I was heartbroken, but I felt like an addict who needed her fix. I was desperate to find some hockey. I first started listening to some other games from that league on the radio, but then I discovered the NHL playoffs were being televised. YES!
To be honest, I did not know who to root for. I knew nothing about the teams. At first, I was rooting for American teams to show my patriotism, but that only lasted until I watched the Toronto Maple Leafs play the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference finals. I was awed by Gretzky's puck handling and the goonish plays by Marty McSorley, but there was one player who really stood out to me: Doug Gilmour of the Leafs.
 |
| Gilmour is the one on the left |
He was also a tough little guy despite the his size. He was officially listed at 5'10". Ha! Maybe with skates on! When I met him years later, I discovered that he was shorter than me (I'm 5'6"). He was also listed at 175 pounds. Really? Did they have 25lb weights in those skates?
His diminutive size clearly did not impact his play. He went into the corners with the bigger players and endured some wicked hits. One was from McSorley, which looked quite nasty to me. Mind you, he had is head down while crossing the blue line, which is something even I know not to do. Wendell Clark, in his role of protecting Gilmour, started some fisticuffs with McSorley, which turned into one of the best fights of that round. Still, Gilmour wanted his own revenge. He skated up to the Kings' bench and looked like he was ready to start his own fight with the entire bench!
The mood of the series took a nasty turn in game six when Gretzky high-sticked Gilmour and drew blood. Even though he should have gotten a 5-minute major penalty for the hit—or at least a double minor—referee Kerry Fraser for some reason did not call it. Don Cherry was furious about this on Hockey Night in Canada and Leafs fans still wonder to this day if there was some kind of a conspiracy there to make sure Gretzky got into the finals. That shifted the series to the Kings' favor as Gretzky scored the winning goal in overtime in that game, and the Kings went on to win the series.
It was not until 2016 that Fraser admitted his mistake: "If I had one opportunity to turn back the hands of time for a “do over” it would be to catch that high-stick. I’m sure I’m not alone in that department." Bah.
Still, despite that horrible call, that series had a serious impact on me. It turned me into a die-hard Leafs fan from that point on.
One of my good friends teased me since I rooted for the wrong team that year as the Canadians won the Cup. Also, the Leafs went into a steady decline after that season and ended up at the bottom of the conference and league for many years. Still, I stuck with them, rooting for my boys in blue while hoping that they would eventually work their way back up. I did mention patience, right?
Over the past few years, some positive changes occurred with the team. In 2014, there a serious turnover began with the hiring of Brendan Shanahan President of the team This was followed with Mike Babcock being brought in as coach and Lou Lamoriello as GM. I was happy about most of the changes—Lamoriello dug the Devils into a major hole before he left there—and had some hope. In 2016, they won the number one draft pick and picked up Auston Matthews, a phenom in the USHL. It looked like my team may have some potential. However, I still was not getting my hopes up too much. I still remember the 1986 World Series.
To be honest, I did not expect much from the Leafs this past season. The team was clearly rebuilding, which is tough in and of itself. With all the young kids in the roster, I knew it would take a while for them to mature into good players. I was was pleasantly surprised as they put in a good push at the end of the season to secure a playoff spot. Unfortunately, a bad loss in the last game gave them the last wild card spot. This meant they would face the number one team in the league: the Washington Capitals.
Again, I did not have high hopes. The Caps are a force to be reckoned with as they won the President's Trophy with the most points in the entire league. However, my boys in blue surprised me yet again. In the six game series, five of them went into overtime. The Leafs matched the pace and scoring of the Caps for those five games. Yes, it is true they did not win the series, but they definitely showed the world that this is going to be a team that will win in the future.
Maybe we may just see Hell freeze over.
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