Oct 2, 2009

I am a Leaf fan.

I am a hockey fan and I am a Leaf fan.

That admission in most places these days usually elicits a few jokes and some ribbing. I’m sure all Leaf fans have heard their share of it over the years. You know how they start, your buddy at work says his car was broken into on the weekend … nothing was taken, but they left a pair of Leaf tickets and a couple of Leaf sweaters on the seat. “Ha Ha, good one, you got me” is the usual response to this.

But when should this all stop?

The Detroit Red Wings were, for many years before turning into the juggernaut they are today, called the “Dead Things”. Nowadays, all that history seems forgotten and no one remembers, or cares to hear about the 42 years between Cup victories. For the Detroit Red Wings, its fans and its pundits it’s all about the future.

As a Leaf fan, I look to the future and I see many big changes occurring both in on-ice personnel and off-ice personnel. Brian Burke is doing all the right things to bring respectability back to the Blue and White sweater that was so viciously dismissed in Roch Carrier’s short story, “The Sweater”. A usually depleted scouting staff is being replenished with capable people, draft picks that have been scarce are being recouped with free agent acquisitions of undrafted College prospects and late bloomers. The kind of pick that is reminiscent of the Red Wings has emerged on the Leafs in the form of Viktor Stalberg, but where are the accolades at finding the prospect? Heaps of praise is thrown at the Detroit organization for finding unknown gems in the draft, yet when the Leafs find one it’s what? It’s a fluke?

When should all this stop?

When will this Toronto Maple Leafs organization begin to get its credit back and have people looking forward at the direction the team is heading, instead of backwards at where it has been? Too many hockey fans have gotten so used to quipping “1967” as a derogatory remark that even they can’t see a team that is progressing, or for that matter, other teams that are regressing. The last 42 years has been open season on the Leafs and its fans. For this fan … the crap stops now! If you want to remind me about how long it’s been since the Leafs won the Cup, why don’t you also tell me when the last time your favourite team won the Cup. (and, NO! telling me you're a bandwagon fan who’s team wins every year doesn’t count)

Edmonton Oilers – 20 years

Vancouver Canucks – (Have never won) … 39 years

Calgary Flames – 21 years

Ottawa Senators – have never won since joining the league in 1992 (a little grace here)

Montreal Canadians – 16 years ( I don’t care how many, what have they done lately? Same as the Leafs, zero!)

New York Rangers – 15 years

New York Islanders – 26 years

Chicago Blackhawks – 49 years (Wow, that’s a long time!)

Philadelphia Flyers – 34 years

Boston Bruins – 37 years

A lot of other teams that are not the Toronto Maple Leafs have also failed to win a Stanley Cup over a long duration. So if you want to laugh at me because I’m Leaf fan, don’t stand there smugly grinning at your own joke. This year’s rendition is a team full of Pugnacity, Testosterone, Truculence and Belligerence. You’d better duck and avoid receiving your own version of the hockey grin.

1 comment:

  1. Well thought out article.

    We have to restore pride in saying I'm a Leafs Fan and I think we just might be on the way to doing this with Burkes presence in the organization.

    ReplyDelete

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