NHL Season Thread 2008

[dspring]

Yeah boy... Wendel was fun to watch... still see him around every so often... Gilmour is Don Cherry's favourite and kind of a Toronto son around here... didn't mind him, but not ga ga over him or anything... rumour around here is that when they still played at Maple Leaf Gardens, Gilmour used to go to Church St. (boys town, right next to the Gardens) and get tranny hookers to "loosen up" before games... Probert was just a coked up goon...

[motownjc]

Originally Posted by dspring

Yeah boy... Wendel was fun to watch... still see him around every so often... Gilmour is Don Cherry's favourite and kind of a Toronto son around here... didn't mind him, but not ga ga over him or anything... rumour around here is that when they still played at Maple Leaf Gardens, Gilmour used to go to Church St. (boys town, right next to the Gardens) and get tranny hookers to "loosen up" before games... Probert was just a coked up goon...

ya know, i do miss those days, just not the losing part. i mean we were still in the norris division, campbell conference. it was a big deal to me to beat the leafs. for my whole life i have hated them. same goes with for blackhawks. i started watching this game in the 60s. the wings would play the leafs all of the time. i hate that this whole realignment thing put the leafs in another conference and left the wings in the west.

i hated gilmour as much as anyone. that MF used to just find a way to beat us. it used to kill me.

i never hated the canadians. i don't know why. they kicked our asses just as often.

probert was still fun to watch. he became a pretty decent player after awhile.

[MaximumFluoride]

Probert was not ever a decent player. He had a job. He did it well. His job didn't have a lot to do with being a hockey player.

[dspring]

Proberts was good at cleaning mirrors with his nose...

I agree... Detroit belongs in the East with the traditional rivalries and the original teams...

It's weird that so many people hate the Leafs, I guess it's like Man. U in soccer... it's kinda the fallback team for people who don't know hockey "Name a hockey team... the Maple Leafs" ... I could see if we were winning or something... but we haven't won since 67'... the only thing I can see is that we get alot of coverage... especially across Canada... plus people across Canada seem to have a hate-on for Toronto in general... the only teams that are of any use that I dislike are the Avs and the Stars... I can't stand Colorado teams in general (that all stems from being a Browns fan and the Broncos history with the Browns) and aside from Dino Cicirelli... I never like the North Stars or the Stars...

[motownjc]

Originally Posted by MaximumFluoride

Probert was not ever a decent player. He had a job. He did it well. His job didn't have a lot to do with being a hockey player.

that's true, but i did see him improve as a hockey player as his career went on. i guess i overstated it.

would he have been in the NHL if he didn't kick ass? i dunno. probably not.

[motownjc]

Originally Posted by dspring

Proberts was good at cleaning mirrors with his nose...

I agree... Detroit belongs in the East with the traditional rivalries and the original teams...

It's weird that so many people hate the Leafs, I guess it's like Man. U in soccer... it's kinda the fallback team for people who don't know hockey "Name a hockey team... the Maple Leafs" ... I could see if we were winning or something... but we haven't won since 67'... the only thing I can see is that we get alot of coverage... especially across Canada... plus people across Canada seem to have a hate-on for Toronto in general... the only teams that are of any use that I dislike are the Avs and the Stars... I can't stand Colorado teams in general (that all stems from being a Browns fan and the Broncos history with the Browns) and aside from Dino Cicirelli... I never like the North Stars or the Stars...

i loved dino. when he played for the wings he and yzerman were the only players who didn't take nights off during the season. those guys always left it all on the ice every night.

[MaximumFluoride]

I was in the North Stars system so I have a soft spot for them.

I have always loved the Leafs. Especially poor little Alan Bester. He had to tend goal during the worst of the worst Leafs teams. Poor little fella. One thing about the Leafs though... they always have decent goalies. At least comparably speaking. I mean shit, they had fucking Johnny Bower for Christ's sake! And mike Palmateer. And Felix. etc.. etc...

Detroit might be the worst goalie picking team of all time. They are a team that wins IN SPITE of thier goalies. Jim Rutherford excluded of course.

Edit: Can't forget Sawchuck. My bad.

[dspring]

Originally Posted by MaximumFluoride

I have always loved the Leafs. Especially poor little Alan Bester. He had to tend goal during the worst of the worst Leafs teams. Poor little fella. One thing about the Leafs though... they always have decent goalies. At least comparably speaking. I mean shit, they had fucking Johnny Bower for Christ's sake! And mike Palmateer. And Felix. etc.. etc...

Don't forget Bunny!

[Andymac]

Dan, I'll try to explain why most Canadians hate the Leafs. I can't speak for my American brothers, but this is my take on it. I was raised a Leaf fan by my dad, who hated the Montreal Canadians more than anything. After '67 I still rooted for TO, while living in Ontario, but watched them sink their ship every year. Still I was a believer. Practice for being a Canucks fan? I think so.

A curious thing happened when I moved west. I shifted alliance to the Oilers, while I lived there. They were winners, unlike the Toronto teams of the 70's, and besides, I could afford to go to games. Even saw them compete live for the coveted Avco cup and got to see Gordie Howe play against a very young Gretsky. Even after I moved back to Vancouver, I still couldn't stand Vancouver, so it was easy to cheer for the greasers, but I also started to see why I should hate Toronto.

When our guys were playing in the west, who do we get to see on TV? Toronto vs. somebody.
When you read the papers or magazines, who do you read about? Toronto, Tucker and Tie Domi. Still.
When you keep asking yourself why TSN is always TOTOTOTO, disecting their self destruction and management woes over and over in between Blue Jays and Raptors chatter, you finally get it - Toronto Sports Network. Really, who gives a shit about John Ferguson Jr?

Even CBC, supposedly neutral, still can't get over the Toronto/Montreal axis, 40years after any type of real rivalry died with expansion.

You of all people should hate these pricks for their stranglehold on fans wallets, and back room strongarming of any chance of bringing in another Canadian team into SW Ontario.

So it comes easy for most hockey fans to hate Toronto. Hating Toronto is almost up there with Bettman, who has done more to fuck over hockey than anyone. Besides, he's an asshole, so according to your signature, he's fair game. and Toronto...the Beautiful? we can't hate it for that, so....

Ah Doug Gilmour.....I remember back when he got chased out of St Louis cause he got caught boning the babysitter, so they shipped him to Calgary. Nice. Whatcha got to say about that, Don Cherry?

[dspring]

Andy...

that's what I figured and what I have heard... Leafs take priority coverage... and are on all the time across Canada... I understand that and totally agree with that...

the ticket prices are a rape in the ass too... but that is a Toronto problem for folks who live here and yes I think it is bullshit and makes me a little torn about liking the Buds.

What I don't understand is people in the U.S. hating the Leafs... they can't complain about the ticket price, they can't complain about the coverage...

The biggest pisser is that with their jacked up prices, their impossible to get tickets and having the largest income of any team in hockey... they still can't field a decent team. Plus the largest percentage owner of the Leafs is the Ontario Teachers Union... WTF? A teachers union? They care about generating income... bottom line.

Yes... I have plenty to bitch about, but it is because I have to live with it here... but I still do like em', hometown loyalty and all that jazz... Hell... I love the Cleveland Browns for the same reason

Bring back Winnipeg!!! or the Nords...