All World Hockey by T. Michael Travers

  Every Canadian Father Wants the Same Thing    to see their son playing in the NHL, and it doesn't matter which team. Prologue: The statement above is accurate for many Canadian fathers. "If only my son would be good enough to play in the NHL." In the 1960s, the Toronto Maple Leafs beat writer for Canada's National Newspaper, The Globe and Mail, was Hockey Hall of Fame writer Scott Young. Young was the premier hockey writer of the day and covered the Leafs as they earned four Stanley Cups in the decade, and produced several novels related to the game. He once wrote a column in the newspaper about how he wished his son would one day become a Leaf. His write-up discussed his disappointment when the lad never became a player. However, the end of the article uncovers the real story about his son, as Scott said, "I walked down Church Street to enter the main doors of Maple Leaf Gardens to see my son perform ... The Gardens marquee announced  TONIGHT 8 PM NEIL YOUNG!...

The Leafs just played their final season game and won in overtime over the Wings. I like 3 on 3, especially when the Leafs win. But the game meant nothing   The real war/playoffs for the Leafs start on Sunday. Las Vegas casinos have previously declared the Leafs as  12 - 1  odds for winning this year's Stanley Cup. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, with my prediction for this year, VEGAS NEVER LOSSES. One thought. Why would the Leafs' tall foreheads play the TOP 5 Marner/Matthews/Tavares/Knives/Willie in a nothing game? Why take the chance that one or more of them who earn more than 50% of the team's goals would play a game that meant nothing and get injured? Actually, as of the end of overtime of tonight's game, we don't know if any of the Top 5 are injured. Does the brass just want to entertain the ticket-buying Leaf Nation fans?  This may be another good reason to get rid of Shanahan. I am a Leaf.  Cut me open, I'm Blue and White. But I watch Ottawa, and how...