George Armstrong (Captain)
Bobby Baun
Johnny Bower (goal)
Wayne Carleton
Brian Conacher
Kent Douglas
Ron Ellis
Larry Hillman
Tim Horton
Leonard (Red) Kelly
Dave Keon
Frank Mahovlich
Jim McKenny
Jim Pappin
Marcel Pronovost
Bob Pulford
Duane Rupp
Terry Sawchuk (goal)
Brit Selby
Eddie Shack
Allan Stanley
Peter Stemkowski
Mike Walton
Punch Imlach (coach)
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You know, tomorrow night we're not just celebrating the '67 Stanley Cup winning squad, and the individuals on it, although that's going to be a huge part of it. We're also acknowledging the end of a wonderful time in sports affectionately labeled "The Original Six", a storied era famous for the three geographical rivalries: Chicago-Detroit, Boston-New York, and of course, Montreal-Toronto. There is no Nashville here. There's not even a Buffalo or a Philadelphia. Over time, all 6 teams all became sworn enemies of each other through the many bloody playoff wars. Think of it - just 6 teams... 6 casts of characters and heroes.... 6 histories passed on from fathers to sons... 6 religions to worship and defend... Reflective of a much, much simpler time of life. Money was not ruining this league... No talk of salary caps or unbalanced schedules... Only a single Zamboni cleaned the ice... One dressed up in a shirt and tie to attend a game - no baseball caps or jeans... No Rap music during intermissions... The uniforms were made up of the primary colours... Every fan knew all the players - every single one of them, and the potential fights that could break out that night. There were no helmets, no goalie masks, and only one single referee... Every fan's loyalty entrusted to one and only one team... And in Canada - it was very basic and political - English Canada vs. French Canada - You either wore a Jean Beliveau / Rocket Richard sweater or a Dave Keon / Syl Apps jersey - never both. The lines of battle were clearly marked on your grainy black n white TV. Everyone fit in so damn nicely.
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For fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs, 1967 is remembered as the last time the buds won the cup, but it also represented an end of a glorious and legendary time. The Conn Smythe era lasted for decades, starting with the building of Maple Leaf Gardens, and through the 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s, laid the groundwork for the religion and mystique today known as the Toronto Maple Leafs.... 1967 brought down the curtain to all that, and ushered in the pathetic Harold Ballard era.
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Saturday night, in those precious few minutes prior to the game, will represent all this... including of course, the return of the lost son - Dave Keon.
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It's gonna be a helluva night...
1 comment:
Sounds a bit like my reminisence of Formula 1 in the late 80s and early 90s.
F1, then, was a fast, dangerous uncompromising sport that wasn't for the faint of heart. The drivers of that era are still legendary .. Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, Nelson Piquet, Emerson Fittipaldi all were brave, and a little crazy.
The cars, too were horrendously fast .. the 1988 Mclaren/Honda was estimated to produce around 1000hp, and won 15 of 16 races that season.
Much like most other sports, now, F1 has become much more of a marketing tool than a sporting event. Like the NHL, Formula 1 is big money, and the races tend to go where the dollars are, abandoning the venues which were historically home to the series.
Have fun this weekend ... (like you need any encouragement .. :) take lots of pictures.
-- Chris
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