On The Marlies Third Jersey....

A few weeks ago, Marlies captain Ryan Hamilton stepped out onto the ice wearing the new Marlies third jersey. For fans like myself who remember the Marlboros era in Toronto, you couldn’t help but get goosebumps. For years, many of us whom have been telling the team to have a throwback third jersey finally got what we asked for.

Why was it so important? For an organization who is trying to instill in its players a sense of its storied history, the Marlboros crest is critical to their understanding of their role in the hockey traditions of Toronto.

In 1903, the secretary of the newly formed Marlboroughs Athletic Club sent a letter to the Duke of Marlborough (whose family name is the infamous Churchill) asking for permission to use the family name and crest. Permission was granted to the club and that allowed the Marlboroughs Athletic Club (that’s the A.C. story) to create the first incarnation of the crest we see and love today. The original crest debuted first in 1904 on a hockey sweater (without the leaf) for the Marlboros Senior team. In the late 1950s, the logo saw the addition of the maple leaf to reflect its tie to the NHL franchise whose farm system it supported and is the crest design we see today.

In 1927, Conn Smythe purchased the Toronto St. Pats and made the Marlboroughs the newly renamed Toronto Maple Leafs the club’s farm team, with both teams playing out of the Mutual Street Arena until the completion of Maple Leaf Gardens in 1931. The first player to exchange his Marlboros jersey for a Leafs sweater was the legendary Carl Voss (oddly enough not known for his play in the Leafs organization but in his role in professionalizing referees and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a Builder in 1974). Incidentally, Voss is the only player to have worn a St. Pats, Marlboros, and Maple Leaf sweater and was signed by Frank Selke as the first player under contract to the Leafs on the same day Smythe purchased the team.

In 1929, the Marlboro Juniors won their first of 7 Memorial Cups (1929, 1954-55, 1955-56 1963-64, 1966-67, 1972-73, and 1974-75). In 1949-50, the Senior team won the Allan Cup. In total, the Marlboros won 7 Memorial Cups, 1 Allan Cup, 17 Robertson Cups, 5 Hamilton Spectator Trophies, 2 Eastern Canadian Championships, 5 George Richardson Memorial Trophies, and competed once (but lost) for the Lord Stanley Challenge Cup (now the Stanley Cup).

On top of that, the Marlboros have developed 6 Leafs Hockey Hall of Famers (and countless others who went onto careers with other teams), 52 Stanley Cup winners, and a huge number of NHLers that call themselves alumni represented in a Ring of Honour that virtually circles the Ricoh Coliseum today.

In short, the Marlboros are part of the era of winning hockey teams in Toronto and for an organization that it is trying to regain the winning way of the past, the third jersey symbolizes the history that the Marlies share with the Leafs as their farm team.

On Sunday, I proudly wore my 3rd jersey to the Ricoh Coliseum for the first time. Although it was disappointing to see a 4-0 loss, it didn’t take away from the sense of pride I had putting on that jersey.

My family once lived on Marlborough Avenue (which incidentally was home to Marlboros players) and that jersey reminds me of my childhood watching games in the reds at MLG and seeing players like Peter Zezel play before they made in the NHL. Seeing the Marlboros jersey back in use is truly special for me.

As for the name and number that will be crested on it, that’s an easy way. It is going to be George Armstrong. Who else symbolizes the ties between the Marlboros and the Leafs then the Chief?

This Blog is Written in Invisible Ink

In high school, my fellow DDP member Paul needed help one day with his school work so I obliged. He needed help writing a semester’s worth of journals for a Writer’s Craft class just hours before their due date. As a fellow procrastinator (procrastinator’s unite tomorrow!), I obliged.

As the minutes dwindled to the time for him to get them in, I wrote on the top of one page, “This journal is written in invisible ink” and left the rest of the page blank. The teacher loved it and promptly gave it a great mark. However, for Paul and I, it was a journal done out of desperation to hit that magic number of entries and squeeze out an assignment in the minutes before it was due. It was not intended to make some sort of bold statement (which the teacher believed it to be). We had nothing else to write and so we just got creative.

I feel it is important for me to write this blog in invisible ink, but for very different reasons.  Unlike my last “invisible ink” writing it isn’t out of desperation to get an assignment done. There are just too many stories about to unfold that aren’t for me to pen.


Will Dallas Eakins coach the team to a Calder Cup? Will Paul Ranger make his comeback? Who will dazzle the management enough to win a Leafs roster spot? When will the NHL lockout end and what will the impact of the NHL lockout have on the AHL season?

I’m leaving this blog up to the Marlies to write. The truth is, nobody knows how 2012-13 will be played out for the NHL, the AHL, or the Marlies. The 2012-13 season is their story to share with all of us. Nobody knows the ending but the plot is shaping up to be a real doozie.

What we do know is that the players are ready, the fans are more than ready, and all will be revealed in the days and months ahead.

Let’s Go Marlies! Bring the Calder Cup to Toronto!

The 2013-14 TML Training Camp is Now Open

The training camp for the 2013-14 Toronto Maple Leafs hockey club is now open. For those of you who read closely, you read that correctly, the 2013-14 training camp is now open. For those curious as to why I say that, it will be clear as you read on.

When Brian Burke first came to Toronto, he took the reins of an organization that stood little chance of winning a Stanley Cup. As the new GM of the Leafs, he had two things to accomplish. Firstly, he had to piece together a Leafs roster that wasn’t permanent but got him through a few development years while he did the most important part of the plan. He needed to build a farm system.

The truth is that when Burke took over, he had a Marlies organization that was not developing players. Players weren’t making the step up from AHL to NHL play in the way that the Leafs needed and so the real priority of the Burke regime had to be build the farm system capable of feeding NHL calibre players to the Leafs. That is going to come to the forefront in this season of AHL play. How successful has Burke really been at building the farm system? Who will make that step up to move the Leafs forward in their quest back to becoming a winning team again?
The following is a list of players that are coming off contracts at the end of this season:

UFA:
Tim Connolly - $4.75 m
Joffrey Lupul – $4.25 m
Matthew Lombardi - $3.5 m
Clarke MacArthur – $3.25 m
Tyler Bozak - $1.5 m
David Steckel - $1.1 m


RFA:
Nazem Kadri - $1.72 m
Carl Gunnarsson - $1.325 m
Korbian Holzer - $575k

In 2012-13, Burke and his staff should be focused on a few key “assets” that will help move the Leafs forward in 2013-14 as some of the Leafs contracts come to an end.

Let’s start with Marlies Head Coach Dallas Eakins, who will be hard-pressed not to make a move to the NHL if he has another solid year of coaching behind him this year with the Marlies.

Although at first I was not a big fan of Eakins, he has earned my respect and is becoming a critical asset for the organization. A players coach, you either love Eakins or you hate him. Those that love him and follow his advice will be Leafs. Those that don’t will be in the ECHL next season (if not sooner). Plain and simple. 

Now, let’s look at some of the players who will be competing for spots on the Leafs roster.
Between the pipes, competition is going to be stiff for the back-up spot currently open.
Reimer definitely has the spot of starter at the resumption of NHL play. However, biting at his heals are going to be Ben Scrivens, who had the lowest GAA in the AHL last season, and not to far behind are Mark Owuya and Jussi Rynnas. This season, much attention needs to focus on evaluating the performance of Scrivens, Owuya, and Rynnas. For an organization that has struggled so much with goaltending, they built a reserve of goalies that most organizations would be jealous of. Don’t be surprised if Scrivens and Owuya are the ones who benefit most from the year of scrutiny.

On the defensemen side, Korbianian Holzer will be likely making the move to the ACC locker room. Touted as a possible player in a Leafs jersey this year, another year in the AHL for Holzer against stiffer competition from teams like the Amerks and the Barons could help that transition be much smoother and more successful.

Mark Fraser is another one of the players who could make the move. He is gritty, skilled, and if the Fraser/Holzer pairing works well in the AHL season at shutting down the NHL players who have been sent down by other teams, both could be poised to make the short drive to the Air Canada Centre to play for the Leafs.

As for the Forwards, Jerry D’Amigo has to be considered as one of the players that has most impressed and with one more year of AHL play under his belt, could be wearing a Leafs jersey soon. To think, 2 years ago he was sent down to the OHL and now he is a critical piece of the Marlies puzzle with 41 points and a +13 rating last season (not to mention his 13 points in 17 playoff games last year), D’Amigo wants to play in the NHL and this is his chance.

Next is Joe Colborne. After a season where he played injured, this is the season that the organization can accurately assess his play. Colborne needs a solid year with strong points (especially goals) to get the call-up and he realizes that this season is his chance to shine. Last year’s points don’t matter because they know he wasn’t healthy (for those interested, he had 39 points in 65 AHL games and 5 points in 10 Leafs games), but this year, they’ll be more closely examined.

Greg Scott also deserves the careful attention of the Leafs management. With 44 points in 75 games last season and a +11 rating, a good year from Scott will definitely put him on the fast track to getting a spot on the Leafs roster.

Finally, Keith Aucoin bears mentioning. Last year, in 43 games with the Hershey Bears, Aucoin notched 70 points, including 59 assists. As a veteran player in the AHL that has been unable to crack an NHL lineup on a permanent basis, Toronto is a logical place for him to try his luck as the big club retools. For Keith Aucoin, a year under Eakins who will help him with his strength and conditioning, one of his biggest weaknesses (speed) could be improved just enough that he’ll land a spot on the Leafs roster.

Now some (including Don Cherry) may argue that Mike Zigomanis should be on my list of next year’s Leafs. He’s not (and I’ll tell you why). Zigomanis is one of my favourite players and I would love to see him at the ACC but the truth is that he has found his role in the organization. He is a mentor to the young kids going through the organization.

The season starts in just a little over a week. All will then be revealed in front of 7000 fans at the Ricoh.

Let’s Go Marlies!

The Pros and Cons of the 2012-13 AHL “Supercharged” Season

As training camps get underway around the league for the “supercharged AHL season”, I have very mixed feelings about the impact that NHL lockout is having on the American Hockey League.

Part of me is really excited about the prospects of seeing so many of the NHL’s youngest stars donning AHL jerseys because it highlights the fact that in many markets in Canada and the US, the American Hockey League represents an opportunity to see quality pro hockey. The AHL brings some of the NHL’s future stars to town in less hockey-oriented markets like Austin and Oklahoma City (who wouldn’t want to watch Eberle and Nugent-Hopkins play for the Barons?) and is an affordable alternative for fans in prohibitively expensive hockey markets like Toronto and Chicago.

Many say that Toronto is a Leafs town and not a hockey town. I tend to disagree and for the new owners of MLSE, now is a golden opportunity to further develop the Marlies brand around the city and prove that Toronto is a hockey, not just a Leafs town. For an organization consisting of an NBA basketball that was locked out last season, an NHL hockey team locked out this season, and an MLS soccer team dead last in the standings with the one common theme deep in the playoff wilderness, the AHL Marlies have to be a silver lining on a dark cloud for Rogers and Bell.

The Marlies are no longer the best-kept hockey secret in Toronto and as the boys head back to camp, there is an excitement about 2012-13 in the dressing room, among their fans, and in the media about the team’s prospects. If we learned anything from last season, it is much more likely to see a Calder hoisted in the city than a Lord Stanley’s mug in the near future. In short, it is a great time to be a Marlies season seat holder and I’m excited about the prospects of who could be playing in this year’s All-Star Game in Providence.

Then there is the down side of the lockout and all these stars lacing up for the farm teams of their regular club; the regular roster of AHL players are going to be sent down to the ECHL, and then, where do the ECHL players go?

As a feeder league, the American Hockey League cannot fulfill its mandate as a development system during the NHL lockout. If the AHL teams aren’t developing the next generation of hockey talent for their NHL affiliates, we risk the next few years of draft picks not having the impact on their big clubs they could simply because of congestion in the farm system, particularly in places like Toronto that have a plethora of young talent being developed.
As you will notice, I’m being careful not to take a side in the lockout debate (although I have my own very strong opinions on the subject). It is my hope now that both the NHL and NHLPA are finally talking, they remember those who are impacted by their squabbles at the bargaining table.
The first group impacted are the fans. We pay the ticket prices. We buy the merchandise and without us, there are no television revenues or money to pay the expenses for the teams we cheer for in the league we love.
The second group includes all the players in the farm systems of these teams. The longer we have NHLers playing in the feeder leagues, the less development that the future stars of the league receive.
Now is the time to get back to the table, negotiating a deal both sides can live with, and get the new CBA signed, sealed and delivered.

We Stand on Guard for Thee

This week, I'm writing the Dawg Blog from the football centre of the USA.....just outside of Dallas!

For those of you who have never been to Texas, football is a way of life. In the stores.....Cowboys rule.......on the interstate as you head from town to town, the water towers are painted to pay tribute to the local high school team and the championships they've earned. Even in Walmart you can buy the local team merchandise. Perhaps the person who put it best was my driver, Jimmy Stewart (yes, that's his real name!), who said, "when we win on Sunday, people are happy on Mondays and when we lose, tempers flare for the rest of the week". Ennis, Texas, is home to the Lions whose roar stretches throughout the town and whose bite is only parallelled by the pride of the parents and alumni!

There is much that hockey fans in Toronto can learn from Ennis, TX fans. The loyalty for the home team runs deep but the love of the game is paramount. People love football in Texas. In fact, there have been 40 000+ fans at a single high school game!

This week, the Yorktown Terriers, the DDP ball hockey team had its first scrimmage and it was awesome. We played for the love of the game and the score didn't matter. It was, more than anything, a return to our hockey roots with a stick, ball, net, and friends: We've all done it a thousand times before but it never gets old!

As the MLSE organzation prepares to bid for a Winter Classic at BMO Field, and an All-Star Game and NHL Entry Draft at the ACC, it's important that we recognize our roots and our pride, as Canadians, in our game. We are guardians of the sport. We play it on the street, in school yards, in rinks we build ourselves, and the many, many arenas we fill. This is OUR game and we love it. We may not decorate our water towers with the Blue and White, but our basements, bedrooms, closets are loaded to the brim with it. Our memories are filled with ball hockey, MLG, and the teams we played for (in my case the Aeros!).

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention our troops, past and present, who have fought for our freedom in the quiet hope that they never have to travel down the Highway of Heroes as their final act as a Canadian soldier. Thank you.


You can email Chris with comments and questions about the blog, Duke’s Dog Pound Supporters Club, or the Marlies anytime to dukesdogpound@yahoo.ca.

No I in TEAM

On Friday night, I had the chance to spend some time with Marlies player Alex Foster who was sitting out nursing an injury. You could tell that he wanted to be on the ice (and should be soon). What struck me most about the conversation was his commitment to the team.

At a time when the Leafs organization is struggling to put together W's, it is amazing to me that the players are less about themselves and more about their play as a team; players are starting to gel, player transactions between the Marlies and Leafs are becoming seamless, and as OT loss after OT loss piles up at the ACC and we continue to put together wins at the Ricoh, you can tell that the rebuilding is underway and that patience will be key.

There is no I in team and it is up to all of us as fans to remember that. It is certainly easy to criticize (especially when the Leafs' W column is so sparse) but as I heard one fan tell a young boy at the ACC one night, a real fan supports the team even when they lose so that victories are even that much sweeter!

The road to Lord Stanley's Mug is a long one and even though it is a virtual impossibility (even playoffs are distant at this point as October was a month where Leafs really did fall from the tree!), at least the prospect of a Cup in the not-so-distant future is certainly welcome. Although we shouldn't start planning the victory parade now, Burke is starting to do something that hasn't been done in a long time with the Leafs franchise.....he's giving it a direction and that is the first step on the road to success!

GO MARLIES GO!!! GO LEAFS GO!!!

You can email Chris with comments and questions about the blog, Duke’s Dog Pound Supporters Club, or the Marlies anytime to dukesdogpound@yahoo.ca.

The Gardiner Cup

This week, the Marlies pre-season begins. It will be an exciting time for both players and fans as it will be the first time that the boys play across the pond in Edinburgh, Scotland as part of the Gardiner Cup. For those who don’t know, the tournament is being labeled as “Hockey’s Homecoming”, the prize at the end of the trip (other than a trip to one of the most beautiful countries in the world), is the chance to hoist a cup named after HHOFer (the only one from Scotland), Chuck Gardiner.

This tournament is an important one for the Marlies and for the entire Leafs organization, since a win in Edinburgh helps to reinforce what Brian Burke and Ron Wilson are trying to instill in players; a winning attitude. For the Leafs to ever consider winning a Stanley Cup, they need both a passion for the game AND the jersey.

A clear indication of this focus on the team has come with what can only be described as an incredible pre-season of our new and improved Leafs, with some Marlies like Tlusty and Mitchell making a big impact.

Now there may be some that say “Toronto is a Leafs town and NOT a hockey town”, and in the past, that has been the case. The same is not true today. The MLSE organization recognizes that to win means a major cultural change in the organization and it is definitely going to be exciting to watch the Leafs become more like they were when there were 6 teams in the league….with a strong team with a deep farm system that is concentrated on the Marlies as the central development hub.

Hang on tight Marlies fans, this is going to be one fantastic season and if the Leafs pre-season is an indicator of what is to come, it is going to be one heck of a great ride!

AYE MARLIES AYE!!

You can email Chris with comments and questions about the blog, Duke’s Dog Pound Supporters Club, or the Marlies anytime to dukesdogpound@yahoo.ca.

Every Week Needs To Be Like This Week in T Dot

This has been an exciting week in Toronto. On Friday, Air Canada Centre was re-opened after a $45 million reno that saw the creation of a new Atrium, new concessions, tons of televisions, including a gigantic new one on Bremner Boulevard which is the beginning of what will be an awesome new public space where TML fans who can’t get tickets will have a chance to meet and cheer on the Buds. On Sunday, the season seat holders of the Raps, Buds, and Marlies got to get up close and personal with their heroes at the MLSE Block Party at Polson Pier. Of course, Wednesday night was the Coke Zero Fans First game where the true Leafs fan got a chance to sit in seats they normally wouldn’t and cheer on a team that they hardly (if ever) get to see live from the stands; this is the only NHL (pre-season) game in Toronto where the suits in the “plats” are replaced with real fans there to see their team start that unending quest for the elusive Lord Stanley’s Mug.

There are two things that can be taken from this week:

1. Fans love their Toronto teams. Even though they may not have access to seats, they are passionate.
2. Fans crave player interaction and more is definitely better.

This week, I got my season seats and scarves from the ACC for the Toronto Marlies 2009-2010 season and my renewal package for my Toronto FC seats. Picking up the Marlies tix was a real pleasure as I got the chance to meet Rick Vaive, along with current Leafs Bozak, Tlusty, Foster, Finger, VanRyn and Beauchemin. Despite some minor hiccups along the way, MLSE really outdid themselves on this one and a special thanks to the Leafs and Raptors players who couldn’t have been more fan-friendly, posing for thousands of pictures and signing hundreds of autographs. MLSE needs to take the Block Party concept out to the streets….Dundas Square…..Square One….Albert Campbell Square…Mel Lastman Square….everywhere!

For the TFC seats, it was amazing to see how hard it was to access my account manager to pull the invoice, as the 16,000 “SSHs” as we’re called, lined-up to pay for next year’s games, while 14,000 people wait for the chance to do the same.

Fans are passionate. People call Toronto a hockey town (and it is), but it is amazing to see the passion that fans have for the Raps and TFC, and there were many, many Marlies jerseys in the crowd at the MLSE Block Party and even the Fans First Leafs game as well! If we were ever to take control of the tickets out of the hands of the scalpers and corporate suits and into the hands of fans, think of how different the new and improved ACC would really be? EVERY GAME would be a FANS FIRST GAME!

You can email Chris with comments and questions about the blog, Duke’s Dog Pound Supporters Club, or the Marlies anytime to dukesdogpound@yahoo.ca.

Why I Joined DDP

It’s now June 2009 and hockey is but a distant memory. The Penguins won Lord Stanley’s Mug and the Hershey Bears beat the Moose to win the Calder Cup. On a personal note, I’ve exchanged my Marlies blue for TFC red. As the news of signing Ryan and Engel and the pre-season schedule comes out, I can’t help but think of all my fellow DDPers and how much I missing seeing them; this gets to the essential reason why I helped to found DDP with the original crew.

A few weeks ago I was at Walmart in my grey TFC jersey and I saw someone with a red one on. We had never met eachother but there was an instant bond – one pre-determined by our team colours. Everytime someone honks, or drops by my desk to talk about the TFC, we instantly have made (if only for a brief moment in time) a connection tied by our support of the Toronto FC. The “reds” talk about BMO Field as “our house” and their rallying cry is “Toronto till I die”. It is precisely that sort of camaraderie that DDP was created for. DDP is about the Marlies, but is also just as much about friendship. I have made many wonderful friends, got closer to other friends, and have had many, many amazing moments that I will never forget. To all of you who have joined, sit with us, come to our activities, drop by for a chat, I thank you because in the end, that is what DDP is all about.

Although it is the summer, DDP is growing. We are doing more and having more fun (all year round). I encourage all Marlies fans to join in over the summer with our activities and get more involved with one another. That is what makes us united in our cause…..the Calder Cup being hoisted in Toronto by the baby buds. As Toronto FC fans say, loyalty really does run deep, but only if we allow it to.

There are a few more months before the puck drops in Edinburgh, Oshawa, and ultimately Toronto. As the days of the off-season dwindle to a close and the days to the frozen pond for the 5th Marlies season at the Ricoh Coliseum draw nearer, let’s all band together, shoulder-to-shoulder to support the Marlies in their bid to hoist the Calder in June 2010.

GO MARLIES GO!!!

You can email Chris with comments and questions about the blog, Duke’s Dog Pound Supporters Club, or the Marlies anytime to dukesdogpound@yahoo.ca.

The Real Season Has Just Begun…..

Tonight is game 4 of the first round of the playoffs and quite frankly, after 3 pre-season, 80 regular season and 3 playoff games, this is where the real hockey season begins. As it stands, we are 14 games from the Calder Cup and the whole atmosphere around the Ricoh has changed. You can sense the need for a championship banner this year among the players, the fans, and the media. People want the Marlies to win this year! Everyone is pulling out the stops to make that happen.

On Sunday, I had the great privilege of being one of the first people (out of the hundreds of fans who did) to sign the Duke’s Dog Pound playoff banner for the Marlies and the best part of the day was watching the excitement on everyone’s face, particularly as the clock counted down to zero and we were one step closer to a much needed championship for our fair city. It was great to see the fans get into the game and the players to see that the AHL does matter to their fan base. I’ve talked a lot this year about Toronto being a hockey town and not just a Leafs town and you can see that starting to happen. What an end to Burke’s first season it would be if Calder came knocking at his door!

As for the rest of the week, it was pretty good too! On Monday, I had the pleasure of talking about how well the Marlies are doing to family and friends. On Tuesday, the pleasure of the day was welcoming member #116 into Duke’s Dog Pound. It has been a great week for me both personally and as a fan.

As we round out this home stand and we hopefully (fingers crossed) get the remaining two wins we need to progress to the second round, remember that now is the time that the Marlies need butts in seats cheering them on. Just 14 more wins to go and every voice counts!


You can email Chris with comments and questions about the blog, Duke’s Dog Pound Supporters Club, or the Marlies anytime to dukesdogpound@yahoo.ca.

Oh, What a Feeling!!!!

As the 2008-2009 regular season winds down, I wanted to take a chance to look back on the season that was, and next week, look ahead to 2009-2010. This has been a remarkable year for the Marlies and one that will go down in the record books!


All-Star
Defensemen Jaime Sifers played in his first-ever All-Star Game in Worcester in January.


Player Accolades
With a talented roster filled with players who did great things on an off the ice, we won:

AHL Player of the Week – Tim Stapleton (February)
AHL Player of the Month – Jiri Tlusty (February)
Specialty Man of the Year – Darryl Boyce (April)


Team Records
We set some pretty exciting team records this year:

Most Consecutive Home Wins
January 30 – We took our 7th straight home win to set a franchise record.

Most Team Goals in a Single Game
Nobody will ever forget being at the Grand Rapids game on Sunday February 8th when we won 10-5, setting a record for the most goals in a single game. Tim Stapleton got his first hat trick in the AHL, Deveaux got his second, and Tlusty chipped in with 4 assists. This really set-off the magic of February with Stapleton and Tlusty in what has to be one of the most deadly lines in the league. Stapleton set a record of 4 goals in a single game to set a franchise record (now surpassed!)

Most Player Goals in a Game
Jiri Tlusty lit up the goal lights like a pinball machine in what can only be described as February Fever with a 5 goal night against the Providence Bruins on February 18th breaking Stapleton’s 10-day old franchise record and setting an AHL season high.


Player Performances
Although the Marlies have really had an up and down year (and the transactions tend to show just how up and down it was), we’ve had a tonne player transactions between the Marlies and the Leafs this year. Notables were the performances of Tlusty, Stapleton, Oreskovic, Mitchell, Williams, Deveaux, Devereaux, and Ondrus.

This year also marked netminder Justin Pogge’s first regular season NHL games with some big wins and some big losses.


Closing Out the Season
The Marlies need a big 5 games if they want to make the playoffs this year and they need Rochester to really end their abysmal year with a bang at the expense of the Syracuse Crunch. Pick-up your tickets. Attend the games. Get loud and proud. This has been an incredible year. Although they have taken the Pollock award to this year’s North Division champions in Winnipeg and it wasn’t the season we thought it would be, it has been one that I will never forget!

You can email Chris with comments and questions about the blog, Duke’s Dog Pound Supporters Club, or the Marlies anytime to dukesdogpound@yahoo.ca.

Putting "Toronto" Back Into "Toronto Sports Fans"

Last week I opened one of my favourite pieces of mail….my Toronto FC season seat package. It brought back the days when I was a kid going to Dominion on a Saturday morning and buying tickets to the Toronto Blue Jays game that afternoon for 2 bucks to sit in the outfield seats. It was a different sports scene then. The hometown team was who people came to see and they supported them 100% of the way!!!

In today’s sports market in Toronto, there is a whole whack of teams eagerly competing for fans. There are soccer, baseball, hockey, football, lacrosse, and basketball teams at almost every level of competition. And that doesn’t include the one-offs like curling, figure skating, and golf. Ticket prices continue to climb as the cheering is starting to diminish. There needs to be a pretty big change if we ever want to start seeing parades down Yonge Street with championship cups!!!

Here is the problem. Sports ticketing is now a BIG business and in the end, fans are not going to the games and when they are, they are there to cheer on specific players who may or may not play for the home team.

Corporate Toronto purchases tickets, scalpers purchase tickets, and fans either don’t have access to tickets or have to pay well over the face value of the tickets to attend a single game through an auction site or Tickets Now (which contravenes the Ticket Speculation Act and is punishable by a fine of up to $5000 incidentally). I am one of the lucky few who has access to seats; as one of the 16 000 TFC seat holders…..access to discounted tickets through work, or Leafs seat access through my Marlies season tickets. As a result, my extra seats go to friends and family and I don’t try to make money off them.

On the fans side, since people can no longer afford to buy tickets to local teams, they’ve chosen to support others instead. That’s why you see Crosby jerseys, A-Rod, “Bills in Toronto” and any number of others.

There needs to be a change. The Attorney General needs to shut down Tickets Now and the auction sites for people selling seats over and above the face value of the tickets. That is how you stop seat holders from across Canada and the United States who speculate on tickets (never attending the games themselves) to give them up and put them back in the hands they belong…..local fans! That’s when you’ll see the sale of local team jerseys soar. That’s when you’ll start hearing cheers for the hometown players. That’s when the word “Toronto” on the front of your shirt will REALLY matter.

I will wear my FC jersey proudly all summer long when I finally hang up my Marlies one, eagerly awaiting the day when it comes out of my closet once again for another 40 games of hockey.

You can email Chris with comments and questions about the blog, Duke’s Dog Pound Supporters Club, or the Marlies anytime to dukesdogpound@yahoo.ca.

Why “Tank Nation” Tanked

Recently, TML blogger Mike Ulmer wrote a blog about the ongoing debate among Leafs fans about whether to tank in favour of draft picks or to demonstrate “integrity” and have the strongest year possible. In the blog, Ulmer says, “They (Leafs fans) want a better draft choice (forgetting for a second the mathematical nuances of the system) and they have endured a pretty rough season. If any fan base deserves a last-place finish, it’s Leafs Nation.”

As someone who holds a Political Science degree and spent considerable time and effort studying Canadian Consititutionalism, it has been fascinating to watch the debate drag on amongst what Constitutional scholar Peter Russell would call “the chattering classes” (Leafs “academics” vocal on the streets and on the various message boards) but in the end, what all Leafs Nation citizens must eventually come to realize is that under no circumstances can we allow “Tank Nation” to prevail; it is not a matter of integrity either but rather the efforts on behalf of the leaders of “Leafs Nation” to introduce measures which shall serve, as section 91 of our Canadian Constitution calls, “the Peace, Order, and good Government” of our team. A culture of winning is sorely missing and instilling that within the organization is critical to ensuring that we succeed.

For far too long, it has been acceptable for the Leafs to have a losing season with the hope of suddenly turning it around and winning the following one. Ticket prices have been raised without consequence (since the corporations are happy to pay whatever it costs) and performance has deteriorated. The Leafs need to turn the tide. We need a management structure in place where losing is not acceptable and inculcated into the team’s players and culture. Brian Burke and Ron Wilson may not be the solution to all of the Leafs' problems, but they are certainly starting to fix the issues that have plagued the leafs for decades.

This week marked the first 100 days of the Burke regime and in political circles, it would be closely scrutinized with detailed accounting published of his accomplishments. What has the Burke administration done?

December 6th – Appointment of Dave Nonis as SVP of Hockey Operations
December - January – Travelled with players from Leafs and the Marlies.
January-February – Met with fans from the Leafs and the Marlies in candid Q&A sessions.
January 21st – Trade Earl for Hamilton.
February – March – Lost Kronwall and Mark Bell to the waiver wire.
March 4th – Active on trade deadline day.Traded Antropov and Moore for 2 second round picks in 2009, and 1 conditional 2009 pick. Picked up Kolzig, Heward, Rogers, and a 4th round pick in return for Petiot. Claimed Gerber and Reitz of waivers. Signed Jeff Hamilton to contract.
March 11th – Signed Jeff Engel to SPC, acquired Ashton Rome on reassignment, and signed Jeremy Swanson and Andrew Martens to PTOs on AHL Clear Day.

Now that the dust has settled, we’ve called up 7 Marlies to the Leafs, picked up 11 players into the organization, lost 6 players, and captured 3, possibly 4 draft picks. It has been a busy 100 days but we’ve managed to put in place a fix to the goaltending problem, picked up players or picks that will be useful over the next few years, and started on the long road ahead to fix the attitudinal problems.

What comes next? That’s easy. There are five key things that need to be done between now and the start of the next season:

• Finish the season strong. Changes have been made to the composition of the team in the hopes that we are stronger. We need to prove that we are by posting more W’s both at the Marlies and at the Leafs levels of the organization.
• Fight for a playoff berth in the AHL. We need the Marlies to make the playoffs this season to give the organization more playoff experience.
• Gear Up For, and Have a Solid Draft Day. With big changes to the rosters, Burke will need to start putting the pieces of the puzzle together for next season. Answering the question who will stay and who will go will help to drive the decisions on draft day. With a strong scouting organization, the Leafs are in a good position to pick wisely and with tough decisions ahead, we need good choices at the draft.
• Determine what both the Marlies and Leafs should look like next season. Once we know who we have to work with internally, we can go after the UFAs and refine what both rosters will shape up to be. Burke has put in a whack of temporary fixes (particularly on the goaltending front) and making decisions that permanently fix the problems are the next logical step in the rebuilding process.
• Share the vision. Fans need share Burke’s vision for the future. Fans need to move away from “tank nation” stances and start moving towards “if we build it, Lord Stanley’s Mug will come”. Fans need to get involved in the building process because they are needed more than ever before if we are to succeed.

With less than 20 regular season games left for both teams, tanking is NOT an option. Let’s go out there and make each and every one of them count!

Finally, on behalf of all DDP members, I extend my sincerest sympathies to the family members and friends of the following soldiers who gave their lives in Afghanistan over the past week and thank them for their bravery and service to Canada:

Trooper Marc Diab
WO Dennis Raymond Brown
Cpl. Dany Fortin
Cpl. Kenneth O'Quinn

Rest in Peace.

You can email Chris with comments and questions about the blog, Duke’s Dog Pound Supporters Club, or the Marlies anytime to dukesdogpound@yahoo.ca.

After the Deadline

On February 15th, I went to every Leaf fans paradise….CentreSports! I was extremely angry when I left. There, on the wall of jerseys were Crosby, Ovechkin, Sabres, even Sens jerseys! Why would they sell the jerseys of other teams?

On March 3rd, I went back to CentreSports and it was remarkably different. All the other team jerseys were gone. What was funny is that the wall of jerseys had tons of blank jerseys, a handful of Kaberle jerseys, and nearly a full row of #2 Schenn’s. Evidently the merchandising team at the Air Canada Centre got the memo that for trading purposes, it was anybody but Schenn! What was interesting was all of the blank jerseys; a clean slate of jerseys for the future players names and numbers to be crested.

Let’s take a look at the fallout of the trade deadline for the Marlies and the Leafs:


Dominic Moore and Nik Antropov Jerseys Priced to Sell!
Any remaining Dominic Moore and Nik Antropov merchandise will be priced to sell at CentreSports since they’re on their way to Buffalo and New York respectively. This was a good deal for both the teams and the players, but particularly beneficial for the Leafs organization who have 2 second round draft picks and a conditional out of the deal since neither player would have likely been re-signed.

For Marlies fans, it would be nice to see the picks they’ve been traded for play a season or two with us since we’ve missed the pleasure of Luke Schenn and only had limited exposure to Kulemin (thank heavens for the playoffs where we’ll hopefully get to know him WELL).


Stralman and Tlusty Jerseys Remain On Sale at the Regular Price at Blue Line!
It was nice to see that the trade rumours involving Jiri Tlusty and Anton Stralman never materialized and that they’ll be back in the blue and white for the rest of the season! We would have never seen any benefit out of those deals if we traded solid prospects for little in return. Giving up Tlusty and Stralman for picks would be like saying, “let’s not go to Dollarama because they’re cheaper at Everything for a Dollar”. After another exciting night where Tlusty racked up another 6 points against Providence on Wednesday night, it is clear that Burke has made the right decision.


New Name Between the Pipes
I think the bad news has to be on the goaltending front. The loss of Toskala for up to 4 months with his groin/hip injury will prove to be a real challenge for the Leafs. Personally, I am not a big Toskala fan (and would like to see him off the roster) but it has meant that we’ve had to pick up Martin Gerber on the wires.

Why Gerber? Pogge isn’t ready to make the transition. This was supposed to be Pogge’s big year and I think it has been. Pogge has had to face pressures, losses, and the reality of the fans, media, and scouts in Toronto….harsh!

After Sunday’s pull from the net against the Griffins, Pogge was quoted as saying, “It was a bad goal…You shouldn't let a goal in from there. We turned it around after that, but I'm at fault. We lose by one goal and it's pretty much because of that." Marlies Head Coach Greg Gilbert also commented on Pogge, "He's got to continue to work through his weaknesses and get better…We're going to keep supporting him and playing him and working him and making him better." Pogge needs to clear his head and focus on the task at hand…stopping pucks!


We Are Leafs Nation, Not TANK Nation (Don’t Expect Tavares!)
At the end of the trade deadline, hopefully Leafs fans have heard loud and clear what Burke has said from day one…..that he doesn’t like to finish last! The rebuilding has officially begun in earnest and if you think the trade deadline was interesting, just wait until the off-season when the UFA season starts and we make our picks at the draft. By then, those blank jerseys at CentreSports will be flying off the walls to be crested with the names and numbers of new players in the dressing room and some of our favourite Marlies could be leading the pack!


Next Wednesday, March 11th we’ll see who’ll be sent down and who’ll be called up for the Marlies playoff run on Clear Day Roster deadline day. That is when we will really see Burke’s desire to win in Toronto. He told us at the meeting with him for season seat holders that he’s on board with the Marlies and he’d like another Calder Cup (he got one as a player with Springfield in 77-78), so look for a competitive Marlies team to challenge opponent in the playoff run.

Expect great things between now and the fall because we’ve got a lot of hockey left in Toronto! When you only need 16 wins and 12 or less losses, anything is possible.

GO MARLIES GO!!!

You can email Chris with comments and questions about the blog, Duke’s Dog Pound Supporters Club, or the Marlies anytime to dukesdogpound@yahoo.ca.

NHL Trade Deadline Central

The NHL Trade Deadline Central will provide up to date trades throughout the March 4, 2009 deadline. Without further ado, here are the deals making there way in the NHL today.

To Ottawa Senators: Pascal LeClaire + 2nd round pick 2009
To Columbus Blue Jackets: Antoine Vermette

Columbus receives the center they have been coveting for weeks, and Bryan Murray takes the gamble on the often injured goaltender in Pascal LeClaire. This deal can favour Ottawa long term if LeClaire can get past his injuries and provide solid goaltending Ottawa so desperately needs.

To Pittsburgh Penguins: Andy Wozniewski
To St. Louis Blues: Danny Richmond

The Woz gets a shot at playoff glory with the Pittsburgh Penguins or the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins with this deal. If the Woz does get called down to the AHL, look for the members of DDP to have fun chanting against the Woz at an upcoming game.

To Calgary Flames: Jordan Leopold
To Colorado Avalanche: Lawrence Nycholat, Ryan Wilson (from Quad City AHL), 2nd round pick 2009 (from Montreal)

More details to follow on the return for Colorado. Calgary trades for a puck moving defenseman who knows the Flames system, and was on the Stanley Cup finals team previously. Look for Leopold to step right into Mike Keenan’s system and help the flames on the blue line for the playoff push.

Other notes: Bob McKenzie of TSN is confirming that talks are ongoing between the Calgary Flames and Phoenix Coyotes to trade Olli Jokinen to Calgary. Further updates to follow.

Waiver Pick-up: The Leafs claimed goalie Martin Gerber on re-entry waivers from Ottawa and defenceman Erik Reitz from the Rangers.

With the possibility of Vesa Toskala going in for surgery, the Maple Leafs pick up Martin Gerber off the waiver wire for extra help on the big club. Look for the Gerber/Joseph tandem for the remainder of the season, with Justin Pogge getting a couple more call ups for management review.

To Buffalo Sabres: Mikael Tellqvist
To Phoenix Coyotes: 4th round draft pick 2009

Buffalo trades for a solid back-up goaltender for their playoff push. This move provides some added insurance with Ryan Miller getting injured.

To Calgary Flames: Olli Jokinen
To Phoenix Coyotes: Matthew Lombardi, Brandon Prust, 1st round draft pick 2009

You heard this deal on the internet first prior to the trade being made official earlier this morning! As speculated by Bob McKenzie earlier on and posted in this blog, Calgary does pull the trigger for Olli Jokinen!

With Todd Bertuzzi, and Rene Bourque both injured, the Flames were looking to get an impact forward to help on the top lines. The Flames could make another deal to make this one work with Phoenix, as the salary cap hit could be too high for the Flames with Jokinen now on board. Look for another possible trade with Calgary, where it could be a possible player being moved as a salary dump for a draft pick in return to the other team.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have gone on record of their intention to take on expiring contracts for cap room. The Flames could look to Toronto to dump a salary for a draft pick going to the Leafs. More developments to follow.

UPDATE: As reported earlier on the pickup of Martin Gerber, it has been confirmed just now that Vesa Toskala is done for the season and will be having surgery to repair his hip. So far, Duke’s Dog Pound is on fire with these predictions of deals and scenarios! Let’s see if the Flames do trade salary to the Leafs or another team as mentioned earlier.

To Boston Bruins: Steve Montador
To Anaheim Ducks: Petteri Nokelainen

The Bruins obtain a shut down defenseman for their playoff push in Steve Montador. This works perfectly for Boston, as Montador will become an unrestricted free agent next year and the salary hit will not be on the books for the Bruins next year. The Ducks get a 23 year old center in Nokelainen for their re-tooling/rebuild for next season. This is a win-win deal for both teams at their current stage in the season.

To Boston Bruins: Mark Recchi and 2nd round pick (2010)
To Tampa Bay Lightning: Matt Lashoff and Martin Karsums

The Bruins pick up a gritty veteran forward for their playoff run to complement the young guns up front. The Lightning take on the 22 year old defensive prospect in Matt Lashoff and the 23 year old winger from Riga USSR in Martin Karsums for their re-tooling for the future. Tampa Bay gets to relief some salary as expected, and the Bruins get the forward with playoff experience to take them to the next level.

Breaking News: TSN Reports that Peter Forsberg will be announcing his retirement from hockey later on today.

Update: The Denver Post claims that Forsberg could still consider playing next season, and we will have to keep an eye on the developments of this story.

Also, there is a possibility for Gary Roberts to announce retirement if he clears waivers and is not picked up by a team today. The possibility of Roberts playing in the American Hockey League would not bode well for the proud Roberts, and his retirement could be imminent if no other NHL team is willing to pick him up on waivers by the waiver deadline.

To Pittsburgh Penguins: Bill Guerin
To New York Islanders: Conditional draft pick

With the Pittsburgh Penguins putting Miroslav Satan on waivers, it was inevitable for Ray Shero of the Penguins to make a move at the trade deadline for a winger to play alongside Sidney Crosby. With the previous weekend deal falling through with another team for Guerin, the rookie General Manager Garth Snow pulled another deal to send Guerin to the Penguins. The conditional pick could be contingent on how well the Penguins do in the playoffs this year, and we will have to wait to see what the exact conditions will be in the near future.

To Philadelphia Flyers: Daniel Carcillo
To Phoenix Coyotes: Scottie Upshall, 2nd round draft pick

Philadelphia has gained a gritty forward in Daniel Carcillo, while freeing up some salary cap room by sending Scottie Upshall to the Coyotes. Look for this deal to be a preamble to another possible deal with Phoenix, where the Flyers could pick up Derek Morris for their defensive need.

To New York Rangers: Nik Antropov
To Toronto Maple Leafs: 2nd draft round pick and conditional draft pick

Brian Burke finally gets to recoup the second round draft pick that was lost in the Grabovski trade. However, this second round pick will be higher than the Toronto pick, but getting something for the unrestricted free agent in Antropov is better than nothing for the Maple Leafs.

To New York Rangers: Derek Morris
To Phoenix Coyotes: Nigel Dawes, Dmitri Kalinin, and Petr Prucha

New York Rangers upgrade their defense by adding the gritty Derek Morris to their lineup. The Coyotes acquire younger players in Dawes and Prucha who have potential to be more then what they are today. Dmitri Kalinin provides veteran defense with the loss of Morris in their locker room. This is a good deal for both teams based on their current and future needs.

To Buffalo Sabres: Dominic Moore
To Toronto Maple Leafs: 2nd round pick 2009 (from Carolina)

Just like Nik Antropov, the unrestricted free agent Dominic Moore was shipped to regain lost picks from past trades. Both teams get what they are looking for and expect Dominic Moore to play a crucial role in Buffalo's playoff hopes for this year.

To Anaheim Ducks: Erik Christensen
To Atlanta Thrashers: Eric O'Dell

The Anaheim Ducks are the clear winners in this trade. The re-tooling of the team is well on its way to being accomplished, and look for more moves by the Ducks this summer.

The deals keep trickling in.....here they are:

To Columbus Blue Jackets: Kevin Lalande
To Calgary Flames: 4th round draft pick

To Chicago Blackhawks: Samuel Pahlsson
To Anaheim Ducks: James Wisniewski and conditional draft pick

To Florida Panthers: Steve Eminger
To Tampa Bay Lightning: Noah Welch and 3rd round draft pick

To Philadelphia Flyers: Kyle McLaren
To San Jose Sharks: 6th round draft pick

To Carolina Hurricanes: Patrick O'Sullivan
To Los Angeles Kings: Justin Williams

To San Jose Sharks: Travis Moen and Kent Huskins
To Anaheim Ducks: Nick Bonino, Timo Pielmeier, and conditional draft pick

To Carolina Hurricanes: Erik Cole
To Edmonton Oilers: Patrick O'Sullivan

And in a weird twist of fate....Erik Cole back to Carolina for the recently traded Patrick O'Sullivan? Now that is a twist coming out of left field!

To Toronto Maple Leafs: Olaf Kolzig, Jamie Heward, Andy Rogers, and 4th round pick
To Tampa Bay Lightning: Richard Petiot

As eluded to earlier in this central deadline report, salary dump considerations from other teams could be used in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Brian Burke has taken Olaf Kolzig's $2.5 million salary (pro-rated to be less after the trade) and Jamie Heward off the Lightning's hands with the benefit of Andy Rogers and the fourth round draft pick. The only loss to the Maple Leafs is Richard Petiot, while the Leafs add a large former first round selection in Andy Rogers and the fourth round draft pick.

To Edmonton Oilers: Ales Kotalik
To Buffalo Sabres: 2nd round draft pick

NHL Trade Deadline Preview

With the NHL trade deadline a little over 43 hours left as of this writing, there are many rumors circulating around the league and within the media of who could be staying or going from their respective teams. The Toronto Maple Leafs currently hold only five draft picks for the upcoming 2009 NHL entry draft. For a rebuilding team with a low prospect pool, the need to acquire draft picks and prospects will be high on President/General Manager Brian Burke’s to do list.

With this in mind, let’s look at the potential Maple Leafs players that will be packing their luggage on Wednesday.

1) Nik Antropov: With contract negotiations at a stalemate, look for Nik Antropov to be moved out of Toronto. General Managers Scott Howson of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Dale Tallon from the Chicago Blackhawks seem to be interested in the big forward. Brian Burke’s asking price is a first round draft pick.

2) Dominic Moore: After years of futility, Dominic Moore has his break out season at a time when he becomes an unrestricted free agent next year. Moore is looking at top six forward contract extension under $3 million per season. If Dominic Moore does not accept an offer in the $1.5-$1.8 million range, expect Burke to trade Moore by the trade deadline.

The Chicago Blackhawks are once again rumored to be interested in Moore, and the asking price would be a second round draft pick. Other playoff teams could use a third line center that is top 20 in the NHL for face off win percentages. Expect Moore to be a slightly hot commodity for Brian Burke at the trade deadline.

The above players will most likely be moved because of their unrestricted free agent status for next year. There is some interest in Jamal Mayers from playoff teams like Detroit, who would like to add some veteran presence to their line up. Apparently, it is rumored Mayers is not happy in Toronto and would welcome a change of scenery. Matt Stajan is garnering some interest around the league, as his young age and contract is attractive to teams wanting to add a solid third line player to their team.

As for the defenseman, don’t expect Pavel Kubina to be moved at the trade deadline because he has requested not to be traded. Tomas Kaberle will be the best commodity for Brian Burke, but with offers only coming from ten Eastern Conference teams, the offers would have to blow Burke away to pull the trigger for Kaberle. The chances of Kaberle being traded is 50/50 depending on what offers are presented. Look for Eastern Conference playoff teams to put in their best offers for Kaberle depending on what happens with Jay Bouwmeester and Chris Pronger in the next 43 hours.

Every Maple Leafs and Marlies player is available with the exception of Luke Schenn. This will be one of the wildest trade deadlines ever for the Toronto Maple Leafs, as literally the entire roster is for sale with many buyers waiting. Tomorrows game against the New Jersey Devils could be an excellent indicator of who could be moved shortly, as a scenario like Bill Guerin can occur where the Leafs decide to sit out some players in case of injury. However, do not expect any major movement of players and look to see at most anywhere from three to four players to be moved from the Maple Leafs roster from now and till Wednesday.

Change.....

This is a year of change……….

The financial meltdown has meant changes at work and changes to my personal finances. At the rink, with call ups and returns and losses to the waiver wire, you never know who’ll you see at the Ricoh in a Marlies jersey. Changes to the Marlies as part of an “edgy” new look and feel, talk of new jerseys, and with talk of even more changes, the only thing that seems to be staying the same are Marlies ticket prices!

Over the weekend, I went from a real high at the game at Copps (thanks to all who made it out with the DDP crew and I for one will never look at a goalie’s glove the same ever again!) where we won 7-1, to a real low…..a loss to the Griffins and a question lingering over the rink…..will Tlusty and Stralman go, and who will be called up after the ice chips from Wednesday’s trade deadline clears. As I gear up for Tuesday’s Leafs/Devils game (it’s DDP night at the ACC!), it will be even stranger as you know players like Kaberle and Antropov are likely on their way our, and that players like Staal and Tangradi suddenly be Leafs.

If there is one thing for sure, we are in for a very interesting week and the DDP crew will be with you on Wednesday all day as part of our Trade Deadline up-to-the-minute update blog by DDP co-founder Eric Ognjanovic. Don’t get your jerseys crested until Thursday at the earliest!

GO MARLIES GO!!!

You can email Chris with comments and questions about the blog, Duke’s Dog Pound Supporters Club, or the Marlies anytime to dukesdogpound@yahoo.ca.

The Maple Leaf Forever

On February 21st, we’ll see a return of some of our favourite blue and white Leafs players come out of retirement and take to the streets with members of red Maple Leafs of the Canadian Forces who serve us so very well around the world. For me, I’m not going to pick sides when I watch the game. I know that with both teams, that we, as proud Canadians and Torontonians, are winners no matter which team wins!

There has been a lot said about the Canadian Forces over the past few years. Do we continue to fight in Afghanistan? Should we have gone to Iraq? On a personal note, I cross the 401 every day on my way to and home from work and I have seen the flags drapped over the overpass and the convoys of our fallen soldiers return home one last time from their completed mission along the Highway of Heroes. I choose not to get involved in the politics of it all, I just choose to support the Canadians who volunteer to put themselves in harm’s way because they are doing what they think is the right to do. I grieve with their families when they return home along the Highway of Heroes and I rejoice when they return to their families and friends to what could only be described as joyfully open arms awaiting them at the doorstep.

A few short months ago, I got to say “see you later” to a DDP member. It was in a Royal Canadian Legion hall while he was surrounded by family and friends before he reported to the base to await the order to ship out to Afghanistan. What surprised me most about it was that it is a celebration of his life and willingness to serve, not filled with sadness at his departure. He knows no more than I do whether we shall meet once again at a pub, or on my way home at an overpass along the Highway of Heroes. That is why he, along with all those who play in Saturday’s ball hockey game are HEROES.

Canadian Forces Day is not a day for politics. It is a day to remember why we are Canadian. What separates us from all others is that we are prepared to stand between opposing forces in the cause of PEACE and when called upon, like generations of us Canucks before them, our troops prepared to answer the call. That is why you should wear a yellow ribbon today and always. That is why you should add your signature to the hundreds of others that will be added today to DDP’s Support our Troops banner.

The Maple Leaf Forever!
P.S. Get Well Soon River Rats!!!

17 – 13 = 24 x 1

I have always been bad at math. In fact, every math teacher I’ve ever had agreed to give me the sympathy 50% on condition that I promised never to take math again! That’s probably why when I think and talk about hockey, the stats don’t matter……its how I’m left feeling at the end of the game that does.

At the start of the season, I commented that the key to the Marlies playing well this year would be their ability to come together a team. With lots of new faces on the roster and the possibility of big changes that would impact the Marlies over the course of the season, it seemed pretty obvious to me that gelling as a team would be critical to the their success. Wirh a 1-1 record this weekend and another win on Wednesday, we learned something important:

17 Marlies goals
– 13 opponent goals


----------------------------


24 players playing as 1 team

The Marlies are starting to play as a team, act like a team, be a team!. Whether it is playing on the ice after the team practice, the guys hanging out together at the Hockey Hall of Fame during the season seat holders meet and greet, or players like Jiri Tlusty and Jaime Sifers with multiple assists that helped Andre Deveaux and Tim Stapleton get hat tricks during Sunday’s thrashing of the Griffins. Even Alex Foster (who scored 2 goals in the 10-5 win over Grand Rapids), when asked about how it felt to score 2 and not be one of the 3 stars recognized that it doesn’t matter. What matters isn’t your +/- percentage or what others rank your worth as player to be. Accepting the responsibility to come out onto the ice prepared to play as a team is what wins you games and at the end of the day, that’s what is most important. The Marlies players understand this and are living it out each day. You can feel the “team spirit” permeating through the walls, the ice, the bench, and the players themselves!

If there is one thing that you can count on this season, it is that the Marlies are not out of the race for the Calder Cup. As we get closer and closer to the playoffs, the Marlies are going to be a force to be reckoned with! Brian Burke said two weeks ago to the season seat holder base at the Ricoh Coliseum that he believed that winning is a trait that can be learned and it is so very true. There is an underground movement afoot that is being led by the Marlies players who not only want to play, but more importantly they want to win; the players themselves can see the light at the end of the tunnel; that if they play well in the AHL and win Calder Cup titles, sipping champagne from Lord Stanley’s mug (as a Toronto Maple Leaf of course) isn’t that far off in the distance!

Strap on your seatbelts because we’re in for an exciting couple of months, particularly as we head towards the NHL trade deadline. It will certainly be a season to remember!

The Passion That Unites Us All…….

When Conn Smythe made the Marlboros part of the organization as its farm team, the team was quickly becoming a storied franchise and the thought of it ever growing to where it is today would have been unimaginable. For Smythe, he needed a strong farm team for practical reasons…..to serve his Toronto Maple Leafs. Players who played for the “Dukes” had the ultimate goal of playing for Leafs and with such limited space in the 6-team league, they needed to work hard to get there!

This week, I have had the great fortune to meet two players. Their playing careers are literally 50 years apart but the desire to play the game is the common thread and their desire to work hard and make it up to the big team is the passion that unites them!

Frank Allewell played for the Toronto Marlboros between 1944 and 1946. He played during a time in the Marlboros history when the Memorial Cup was a distant memory (they earned it in 1929) and they were a few years away from capturing it once again (they got Memorial Cup #2 in 1950). Allewell confided to me that the players at the time (himself included) didn’t realize what it meant to be playing for the Marlboros…they just played. They went to the game, worked hard, and fought for spots with the big team. Now, when he reflects back on his time with the Marlboros, it is with great delight at having the opportunity to do what so few of us ever get to do…..just get to play!

The other player that I had the great pleasure to sit down with was Jaime Sifers (someone we can now call an All-Star defensemen for the Marlies!). Sifers is in his third full season with the club (he was signed as an UFA in July 2006 after playing 2 games with the club in its inaugural season), and has had two call-ups with the Leafs, playing 14 games so far this season.

This year, the Marlies and the Leafs have played up and down hockey and nobody knows that better than guys like Sifers, whose been called up twice and sent back down. For Jaime Sifers, it has been a dream year, despite the +/- percentage! First NHL call-up….first NHL game….first All-Star appearance….Jaime is becoming a Toronto player and fits in well with the Burke style of Leafs Nation hockey, on and off the ice!

Born in Conneticut and growing up just outside of New York, Sifers confessed that he was a Rangers fan and when he played as a kid and that his dream was to put on the NYR jersey. However, having the chance to come and play for an original six franchise was a no-brainer for Sifers and he is happy to be playing in Toronto – a place he describes as a hockey city that has embraced him.

Sifers has played just over 200 games with the Marlies in his career and he is loved by many fans around the rink for his commitment to the team, his style of play where one is left wondering if he isn’t really the goalie masquerading as a defensemen, and for his down-to-earth nature. Sifers first got the nod to report to the Leafs for a western road trip on November 30th and was added as an extra player for the trip. Returned to Marlies roster December 6th, Jaime never got to step out on the ice for a game, but practiced with the team which he said gave him the opportunity to get to know the players, which came in handy when he was called up again December 7th and got to play his first NHL game on December 8th in the Leafs 4-2 win against the Islanders. One of my favourite comments came from Joe Bowen that night who talked about Sifers and was impressed at how on his previous stint with the club, he was happy just to be at the practices. That’s our Jaime Sifers!

During our conversation, Sifers mentioned that he was more nervous about the pre-game skate in his first NHL game, than he was during the game itself. I’m not surprised. As someone who has always been a Sifers fan, my favourite Sifers memory (other than our chat) was sitting at Veteren’s Memorial Coliseum in Syracuse on November 28th and seeing his keen eye and competitiveness from my seat beside the bench. It didn’t surprise me at all that he got the call a few days later to join the Leafs on their road trip.

I also had to ask “Sifes” about his second opportunity this season…to represent the Marlies at the AHL All-Star game earlier this week in Worcester, MA. Calling the experience “fun”, Sifers enjoyed the opportunity that game presented to get to meet his fellow league players both on and off the ice other than as a competitor. His smile, his love of the game, and everything about Sifers is first class and he was a great ambassador for our team!

Finally, I ended our conversation asking him about what it felt like to walk out of the dressing room, walk into the bowl, look up at the Ring of Honour and know that he is part of a storied NHL and farm team system in Toronto. He told me that he was living the dream.

Sifers and Allewell……50 years apart….still the same passion…..and for those of us who are on the outside watching them “live our dreams”, it's a pleasure to be part of it. Sifers said it best when he told me it was an honour to wear both the Leafs and the Marlies jerseys and it is funny that it has taken a New York Rangers-loving kid to tell us that!


GO MARLIES GO!!!

You can email Chris with comments and questions about the blog, Duke’s Dog Pound Supporters Club, or the Marlies anytime to dukesdogpound@yahoo.ca.