It seems easy enough: I live in Toronto, I am a Leaf fan. But my relationship with the good old hockey game is much more complicated than that.
I grew up playing hockey from about 5 years old until 13 (Brighton, Ontario House League Rules!). I was a big D man, pretty average at best (7 Esso Medals of Achievement though, 1 most improved, 6 most sportsmanlike). I supported the Leafs from as early as I can remember, my Grade 1 class photo is a Leaf shirt can prove that, but I was never a die-hard young fan or anything like that. I had much more of an attachment to the local OHL team, the Belleville Bulls, than any NHL Team. I can theorize that it is because I lived in small town Eastern Ontario, and we did not think too highly of Hogtown (or at least held a great deal of suspicion about it), or maybe because my folks were not diehards themselves (Saturday Night CBC aside), or maybe because I had close relatives in Edmonton who would ship us signed memorabilia of those Dynasty teams. I dunno, I’ve never really thought about it until now. But the point is I was a Leaf fan by default and that, I’m not afraid to admit, changed when I became a little older and started developing my obsessive side.
When I started figuring out what a Defenseman was, I looked to emulate and follow along with real life superstars in that position. And for a big guy (at the time, everyone has since grown up much bigger than me) like me, during that period, the best there was was Larry Robinson. That’s right, a Hab!!!! Since judged one of the Montreal Canadians two best D Men of all time, “Big Bird” seemed solid, calm, quiet and a leader, all things I wanted to be, or saw in myself. I followed his career, even out to LA and his coaching days, and, yep, I’ll admit it, became a bit of a Hab fan. Again, not enough to buy a sweater or anything, but the History of the Franchise, the winning mentality (”The Most Successful Pro Sports Franchise” books would proclaim) fascinated me. So there ya go, this Bud was a Hab for a bit in my confused adolescence.
A funny thing happened as I got older and went off to University. I stopped caring about hockey. I still followed it throughout High School, although videogames, school work and later girlfriends started to attract my obsessive tendencies by that point (probably in that order) , but once I hit University, I just did not care. I followed the school’s teams, but the sheer workload and the sheer force of that crazy, crazy new exciting scary awesome time in my life left little other time for anything at all. It was around that time that the league expanded way too quickly, with more and more U.S. based teams coming in and more and more Canadian ones dropping out. I honestly went through 3 or 4 years where I could not even name the previous year’s Cup Champ. I just did not care. Sure, I still kept up on the game, but it was clear Hockey and I had fallen out. The low point coming when I almost, I repeat almost, started supporting the Sens.
Ok, take a deep breathe, here goes: I got Ottawa newstations growing up, not Toronto, so I always had followed along the expansion dream for that city through the late Sportscaster at CJOH, Brian Smith, and those that followed him. Plus, my girlfriend (now wife) went to Carleton, so there were plenty of VIA visits to the Capital. But when I finished University in ’98, and before I could actually start supporting a team (I was a free agent), I went off to England, and that killed any blossoming relationship I might have with the Sens. When I got back in ’99, I moved to T.O and within months a new passion was born and I hated the Sens (cultivated by many road trips to Ottawa since where Sens fans treated me like shit b/c I was a Leaf fan – and fair play to them, that’s what a rivalry is all about, but I’ve had much different experiences in Buffalo where there seems to be a little respect, that’s all – I guess other Canadian cities always have a thing in for T.O.).
So here I am now back in love with the sport that seems to define us as a country. Living abroad gave me a new appreciation for what it means to live in Canada and be a Canadian, and getting back into Hockey was certainly a side effect of that. Even the Lockout and Gary Bettman and a horribly managed Leaf Team have not been able to stop that. To me there is nothing better than getting together on a Saturday night with good friends (not just guys, but the spouses too – my wife and friends at the very least seem to tolerate the sport, and some even enjoy it!) and watching the game while catching up, shootin’ the shit, and maybe playing some poker if the Leafs start to get trounced.
This seems like a good place to end a lengthy post. I’ll finish with a couple of thoughts that will turn into future posts. 1) The Leafs need to be blown up, not unlike what they’re trying to do in Philly and maybe St. Louis right now. It is so frustrating living in a city that not only tolerates mediocrity (at best right now) but encourages it. 2) The grind of a 82 game schedule is starting to wear me down. Not to mention the format of the League. Listen, I’ve had my eyes opened living in the UK and now following Celtic (and Spurs to a lesser extend – we lived near White Hart Lane for a while). Here’s a sport that plays 40-55 games a year with passionate fans that put NHL, Nascar, and NFL fans combined to shame in leagues that are 100 years old where the League title itself is the most important prize. Sure there are Cup competitions which are very prestigious, but the league itself, the thing you spend 8 months trying to win, is the ultimate prize and that makes a lot of sense to me. Not to devalue the Cup, but to play 82 games only for playoff positioning in what has become the NHL’s Hottest Goalie 1 month competition seems to be very silly to me. More on this hot topic another time. 3) If you ever find yourself losing interest in Hockey, join a pool. A well run, full season long, proper pool. Man, is it ever fun. By good buddy Rich has been running one for 10 years now and I credit it immensely with getting me back into hockey. I suck at it, always have, but now that we have switched over to a keeper format, where I can blow up my team and build with young prospects (Leafs take note), I think I can finally win. Starting next season I’ll run weekly blog updates on my pool progress.
Oh, this is probably the best reason I’m currently so into hockey and the Leafs: my view from my condo:
I can hear the goal horn when the Leafs score. With all the windows shut. I love it.
Thanks for reading! Share your own Hockey thoughts and stories if you have got them.
That's a good lad.
