All World Hockey by T. Michael Travers

  Canadian, Sandy Hawley was one of the best-thoroughbred jockeys in the world. He won the Queens's Plate four times. He finished first in 6,450 races and second in 4,858 races. As a 59-year-old, Sandy had his final win for horse breeder/musician, Herb Alpert, at Hollywood Park in LA  aboard "Tribal Chief". The "Sandman" Sandy Hawley "He put other riders to sleep as he passed them" Several tests have proven that jockeys are the best, pound-for-pound, athletes in the world -- Sandy was clearly superstar status. He was also a very good hockey player. I know because he invited me to play weekly shinny games along with him and his fellow jockeys on their racing day off. Jockeys have endless energy and these guys, Sandy included, were superb skaters.  Ground Zero for horse racing in Canada is Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto. However, racing ceases for the winter and jockeys have to find another track (in a warmer climate). He chose Hollywood Park in Los Ange...

A hockey buddy in Florida sent me an email asking how many games of old-timer hockey I play in a year. It got me thinking ... I've played with The Flying Fathers in the 1970s, the boys from Kirkland Lake in the 1980s and most recently with the fabulous Halos organization of Georgetown. Since I retired 19 years ago, I have managed about 220 games a year split between Ontario and Florida -- playing every weekday -- I take the weekends off. My calculator worked overtime searching for an accurate accounting while I thought about some of the characters I'd skated with. I'm sending this note to you because you're a player and likely have some very interesting characters from your own old-timer history -- I wonder how they would match up to these ... Before retirement, I played in numerous tournaments and leagues and did one very special thing that most hockey hosers only dream of ... I was on the ice once a week for 4 years with the NHL OldStars. They needed a weekly tune-up ...

  Did you watch the first round of this year's NHL playoffs? I was amazed at the foot speed of the  Jets  and  Avalanche  and the skill of the  Florida Panthers  and their cast of goal scoring characters and the  Edmonton's Oilers  who seem to have another gear that they haven't had to call on yet.  And, if you stayed up late to watch the western conference, you have to be impressed with  Dallas  and  Vegas  for the same reasons mentioned above. Incidentally, in January, I selected Dallas as my "sleeper" to win the Stanley Cup. Tonight, in game 7 vs Vegas they won to move on in the tournament. If they'd beaten Boston in game seven I don't know that my Leafs would have been able to play against any one of the next playoff opponents -- even the losing teams. My Leafs are a very, very good  American Hockey League  team. It's the only honest way I can describe them following the 2023/24 season.  On-ice play...

Do you know what "woke" means? I've tried. I hear it used every day. I've taken the stated definition and attempted to apply it to everyday issues. The meaning is elusive. Today, people struggle with their identity.  Their confusion is tragic. As best I can, I sympathize with people not feeling comfortable in their own skin. Sometimes nature misses a step and makes a boy feel more like a girl and a girl more like a boy. I feel very sorry that a person has to endure the pain of aligning with the sex that their system tells them they should. It must weigh very heavily on them ... we don't have to look far to see evidence of the pressures they deal with. But, I don't think it falls on me to change the English grammar that I've used during my life to address them.  Actually, I refuse to do that.  In national and collegiate sports competitions in the past 2-3 years it appears that men wishing to be or transitioning to be women has become a red-hot controversial...

  Now that the All Star break is out of the way, all NHL teams change gears and race to the finish and hopefully secure a spot in the war that's called the Stanley Cup Playoffs. A Florida hockey buddy who's a Leaf fan asked ...  "what do you think of the chances for this year's Leaf team?" Don't go any further with this essay if you aren't a Leaf.  You won't understand. We don't want to admit to or share our angst with you. My buddy, had  "the look"   when he asked the question.  It's a  "Leaf Look"  that's hard to describe ... his face was scrunched. His look was hopeful but far-away, confident but confused. He needed, he desperately needed to have someone, anyone, confirm for him that this year's team is capable of going all the way. Y'know to win the Stanley Cup. I wish I could help. 1966-67 Stanley Cup Winning Toronto Maple Leafs My connection to the iconic Gardens and the four 1960s Leaf Cup wins and the 196...

  40+ years ago, I started a personal collection of sports memorabilia. My focus was collecting one-of-a-kind, unique and interesting-to-look-at stuff. Due to my interest in the sports collecting business, I was asked if I could source or create some sports-related items that could be used for sale at auction events to help finance the sports activities of the 29,000 athletes who make up Special Olympics Canada. Note : At one such Special Olympic auction, I created collectible items that were only for sale at the event. They were one-of-a-kind, uber-unique, and for that reason commanded top dollar with the bidders.  In the year before he was drafted by the New York Islanders, OHA teenage superstar John Tavares attended our black-tie dinner auction as one of our celebrity hosts, and his mother was his "date". John had his eyes on a very unusual Gretzky museum-framed presentation. He asked me what I thought the final price might be because he was interested in bidding. When...