All World Hockey by T. Michael Travers

Canada's prairie province of Saskatchewan  joined the Confederation in 1905.  They created a football team to compete  in the  Canadian Football League five years later. From day one  the team was community-owned,  like today’s Green Bay Packers.   Long story short, they named their football franchise the Rough Riders and chose green as the team's colour. Season tickets are left to heirs in wills. Every citizen of Saskatchewan is a Green Rider fan. The team played at Taylor Field with a capacity of 32,848 in the province's capital city, Regina . However, 35,000 fans showed up for every game. Saskatchewan fans really, really love their team and many drive 200 miles each way just to be a part of game day. After kick-off, nobody sits down. Everybody wears green -- jerseys, hats, coats and lots of face paint -- all green. Even the team's fight song is  "Green is the Colour". They also like ... "Paint the Whole World G...

Following The Golden Jet, and before The Great One, the most exciting, most colourful player  in the NHL was the  perfect 10 ,  Guy Lafleur. I've met lots of NHL players and Hall of  Fame honoured members but 10  was special. A very unique personality,  not  full of himself.  Like the 1970s Montreal Alouette, Johnny Rogers, Lafleur was an " average superstar".  Guy became the darling of Quebec. He owned Montreal. They would have made him mayor.  Fans called him "Le Demon Blond".  He had been a remarkable junior player  and fans expected him to be a remarkable pro. He didn't disappoint. The speed. The creative play-making. The goals. And, most importantly, the Stanley Cups,  5 of them for  "Flower".  He spent his off-season celebrating his Cup wins on the beach on the French Riviera at St. Tropez. He looked like a movie star and acted like a rock star.   However, be...

The "original" Stanley Cup The first Stanley Cup was awarded to Montreal in 1893. (it was originally called the DOMINION HOCKEY CHALLENGE CUP ) Is there a better-looking championship trophy in any sport? Everybody who wins gets their name on the Cup. But, the trophy is a series of individual sterling silver rings  - with the original 7.5" deep cup (bowl) on top.   The rings featuring the names of the Toronto Maple Leafs' 1950's  winners were removed three years ago and put on display  in a special room at the Hockey Hall of Fame  -- along with the other rings/names from years before them.  The captain of that team was "Teeder" Kennedy.  A bronze statue of him was recently unveiled outside the ACC. He was the first player in the NHL to earn 5 Stanley Cups.  After the 2015 season, his name no longer appears on the Cup.    I was with Ted at one of the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies in the '90s.  Prior to the ...