Leafs Lost
HodgePodge by Charlie Hodge
I’m numb!
I had the perfect tongue in cheek column written for today – if the Leafs had won Friday night in Florida.
If.
If!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But they didn’t – and now I am numb.
The perfect column went like this.
“Dear God: For a variety of reasons (58) please don’t make me hate Conner McDavid, Leon Draisaitl (or even the Edmonton Oilers for that matter) for the rest of my life!
Time is running thin on my Maple Leafs – don’t make me have to choose between two Canadian teams to battle for the Stanley Cup.
I spent my entire childhood and early teenage years cheering heart strong for Davey Keon, Frank Mahovlich, George Armstrong, Eddy Shack, Tim Horton, Johnny Bower…and others to win the Cup – but no! You had to create the Montreal Canadiens.
I then passionately dedicated my very early adult fan years to suffering when horrible owners Harold Ballard, Conn Smythe and Ballard Smyth decimated the blue and white with terrible trades and horrible treatment of club members. Under coach Punch Imlach players became slaves, so badly they quit the club.
When Shack was traded to Boston, I caught the Bobby Orr fan train and tossed in my Leaf sweater for a Bruins. Orr led me astray to the Bruins for a couple of wonderful years. But my heart still bled blue.
Finally, Toronto team ownership changed yet again and returned some decency and pride to the club, beginning with new management under Brendon Shanahan and other quality characters. The Maple Leafs began to be respectable again. I began to cautiously ‘be-leaf’ again.
Slowly, piece by piece I have filled my little ‘hockey room’ with Maple Leaf paraphernalia – believing the time was near.
Over the past few years an impressive roster has been formed by Leaf management and I actually believed that this was the year my boys in blue could actually turn the trick.
It’s hard to believe it’s been 58 years since the Maple Leafs held the Stanley Cup in 1967.
I still remember that glorious May 2, 1967 game, though not quite age 12. George Armstrong proudly touted the Cup around Maple Leaf Gardens much to the chagrin of Montreal Canadiens captain Jean Beliveau. It was game six and the Leafs won 4-2. My hero Davey Keon won the MVP.
But that was when the laughter died in sorrow.
The Leafs went quiet.
Very quiet.
They have not won the cup since.
That was supposed to happen this year.
It’s been horrible since then. I’ve suffered through years of Edmonton glory, and Montreal glory, and … but no Leafs. I’ve been constantly reminded with so many years of Gretzky, Kurri…
Nine years ago, though, helped started to arrive. Auston Mathews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander…filled the void. The hope began again.
And it grew, and it grew, and it grew.
And I ‘be-leafed’.
Meanwhile on the other side of the world Edmonton got a couple of new guys as well in McDavid and Leon.
Come this year’s playoffs it seemed we had the best of two worlds happening. While the western division of the NHL could send Edmonton to the finals, the eastern division could send Toronto.
Well, the Oilers are at the big party – but my Leafs are not.
Edmonton thumped their opponent and Florida thumped Toronto.
So, now I no longer need to worry about having to not cheer for McDavid and Draisaitl.
That just seems wrong.
All wrong.
I’m numb!
