The Stanley Cup playoffs.

We had come from Port Arthur (now Thunder Bay), in late May of 1967 to show off our new born daughter to Grandparents Ted and Annie. It was a late spring that year. The ice was still on the Lake and this made for even a colder temperature. This worked in the local farmers' favour, as they could still deliver cord wood by horse and sleigh. As it happened, it worked in our favour as well, since a farmer's team had deposited some droppings on the road. These “road apples” were the consistency of hard rubber and were perfect pucks for road hockey. In no time we had a neighbourhood shinny game going - our hero, Gordie Howie would have been proud.

We then went and visited with Ted and Annie and rested in anticipation of the NHL playoff game that night. My parents had just bought a new Majestic black and white television. In hockey mad Canada, nothing beats the Stanley Cup playoffs. I am not sure if Lord Stanley knew what Genie he had unleashed when he donated the now famous mug back in 1892. The game did not disappoint. It was a great game between traditional rivals: The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens. The series would go back and forth but finally the Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup. It was to be their last - as of this writing, 48 years have passed without the Leafs repeating their accomplishment. That's a lot of road apples.

Toronto has recently hired another new Coach. As one reporter put it maybe this will give some the long-suffering fans “RE-LEAF”.

Beats the old saying which has endured for the past 48 years...

“IT MUST BE SPRING...THE LEAFS ARE OUT”

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May 2015