TORONTO (May 29) — Isn’t it a nice off season? We have the committed, determined captain, evidently during a Reagan–Gorbachev–type summit (only via Zoom), vowing that he wants to “win” here in Toronto. After a decade of proving otherwise. There’s Willie Styles posting a video in which he “pledges allegiance” to the club and the fans to whom he flipped the bird on national TV. Images will soon surface of Anthony Stolarz swinging between trees in the amazon rainforest. Just to prove his durability. Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment might even consider Calamari for standing–room patrons at Scotiabank Arena. What a love–fest for a team that crapped its way to 28th place in the National Hockey League standings, dooming yet another general manager and coach.

Yes, Mitch Marner will play for the Stanley Cup this spring. Unlike Brendan Shanahan; Kyle Dubas (until the end), Auston Matthews and William Nylander, the Toronto–born kid knew when it was time to escape. Marner understood there was no chance of the godforsaken Core–4 prevailing as a group. Not in Toronto or anywhere else. It required nearly a decade — and an expiring contract — but Mitch had the gonads and the foresight to leave town. Look where he is now. Why, then, do so many beg for Matthews and Nylander to stay? There are perfectly normal and (allegedly) intelligent people in media that cannot let go of the illusion that captain Matthews will don his Superman cape and transform, magically, into a Stanley Cup force. Even if you and I have a better chance of paddle–boating through the Strait of Hormuz. When observing Marner’s circumstance, it’s fair to wonder why Auston and Willie appear so determined to hang around. Have they somehow grown invulnerable to the hysteria that follows the Maple Leafs; perhaps developed the comfort of “Muskoka–5” syndrome (thanks, again, Damien Cox)?

Close your eyes and envision Doug Gilmour and Brad Marchand poring every ounce of energy into playoff toil. Pushing back against bigger and heavier opponents, Then, visualize Matthews and Nylander. If a glaring contrast doesn’t immediately jump to mind, you need help. Auston and Willie keep insisting there is no other hockey locale, except Toronto, on the planet. Their lone desire in life is to help the Leafs end their nearly six–decades–long absence from the Stanley Cup final. In must–win playoff situations, however, an all–points bulletin would fail to locate either man. Maybe they’d emerge from the shadows individually, on separate teams. As ‘mates here in Toronto, there is no chance. Never has been. Never will be. The skepticism from this corner is that new general manager John Chayka has been ordered (by Ed the Conqueror) to erase any notion of swapping Matthews for a component (or three) that might actually prove beneficial after mid–April. If true, what you saw from the Leafs this past season will become common. There’s no chance the club can prevail with its spring ballerinas “leading” the way.

At the moment, however, it appears the prime objective for MLSE is to not break Auston and Willie’s soft, little hearts. Both players are burning to prove that their now–iconic vanishing acts, just more than 12 months ago, in Games 5 and 7 at home to Florida were merely a fluke. They want a fair and honest chance to show that a decade of indisputable evidence has no merit. This is almost–surely the lone hockey market willing to extend such a ridiculous courtesy. But, there’s very little push–back from media and fans…  and however the Leafs ultimately fail is forgotten within five or six days of elimination. Then, it’s on to the next season… and even more fantasy.

I can hear the cries emanating from my computer screen. “But, Howard, the Leafs won the draft lottery and will select first. Gavin McKenna is on the way. Why wouldn’t our team bounce back and contend for a championship next spring?” Might this qualify as an answer? Considered across the board as the three best young players in the NHL are Macklin Celebrini (San Jose), Matthew Schaefer (New York Islanders) and Connor Bedard (Chicago). Did any of their teams make the playoffs this spring? And, the aforementioned weren’t being compromised by a dour individual, absurdly wearing the ‘C’, who cannot elevate performance once temperatures begin to warm. Does that mean Auston would be a season–long washout in California or Florida? Not necessarily. Nor in Edmonton or Winnipeg, where you can freeze to death in mid–January. He just needs to go someplace else. Any place but Toronto, where his playoff bed has twelve layers of linen. Perhaps the drive and desire that Matthews has never shown as a Leaf might evolve in another town. Why wouldn’t the player and his current team beg to find out?

People can express love from afar. Can’t they?

THE 1967–68 EXPORT MLG CALENDAR — CLOSE–UP

It was the year of the Great Expansion in the NHL, as the league doubled from six to 12 teams, adding the California Seals, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota North Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues. This Gardens calendar therefore ranks among my favorites. Enjoy a close–up look at an item that decorated barber shops across the city during the tail end of Canada’s Centennial year:

EACH PAGE OF THE CALENDAR LISTED LEAFS GAMES IN THE 1967–68 SEASON (RED AT HOME; BLUE AWAY). THE FULL NHL SCHEDULE FLANKED THE INDIVIDUAL MONTHS. LEAFS OPENED THE SEASON OCT. 14 AT HOME TO THE CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS, THEN PLAYED AT CHICAGO THE NEXT NIGHT.

THE FIRST INTERLOCKING GAME BETWEEN OLD AND NEW NHL TEAMS OCCURRED ON OPENING NIGHT, OCT. 11, 1967, AT THE PITTSBURGH CIVIC ARENA. MONTREAL DEFEATED THE PENGUINS, 2–1.

THE FIRST TWO GAMES FOR THE MAPLE LEAFS AGAINST EXPANSION TEAMS TOOK PLACE TOWARD THE END OF OCTOBER, WHEN LOS ANGELES AND CALIFORNIA VISITED THE GARDENS. THE LEAFS EASILY PREVAILED IN BOTH. TERRY SAWCHUK PLAYED IN GOAL FOR THE KINGS WHILE EX–LEAFS BOB BAUN, BILLY HARRIS, GERRY EHMAN AND KENT DOUGLAS SKATED FOR THE SEALS.

THE 1967 STANLEY CUP PHOTO ADORNED THE FRONT OF THE CALENDAR. FIRST ROW, LEFT–TO–RIGHT: PUNCH IMLACH, GEORGE ARMSTRONG, JOHN BASSETT, STAFFORD SMYTHE, HAROLD BALLARD. SECOND ROW: JOHNNY BOWER, DAVE KEON, LARRY HILLMAN, RED KELLY, FRANK MAHOVLICH, TIM HORTON. THIRD ROW: RON ELLIS, MARCEL PRONOVOST, PETER STEMKOWSKI, ALLAN STANLEY, EDDIE SHACK. ALL BUT KEON, MAHOVLICH AND STEMKOWSKI ARE DECEASED. 

HOW INCREDIBLE IT WAS THAT BOBBY ORR, IN HIS ROOKIE SEASON, MADE THE SECOND NHL ALL–STAR TEAM ON DEFENSE, ALONGSIDE 18–YEAR LEAFS’ VETERAN TIM HORTON.

THE FIRST WESTERN SWING FOR THE LEAFS — TO OAKLAND, LOS ANGELES AND MINNESOTA — OCCURRED IN THE SECOND WEEK OF NOVEMBER. TORONTO BEAT THE SEALS, BUT LOST TO THE KINGS AND NORTH STARS, ESTABLISHING A SEASON–LONG PATTERN. LEAFS WERE THE ONLY EXISTING CLUB TO FINISH BELOW .500 AGAINST THE EXPANSION ENTRIES. THE GAME WITH THE KINGS TOOK PLACE AT THE LOS ANGELES SPORTS ARENA, AS THE FORUM HADN’T YET OPENED.

A PHOTO OF THE REGULAR–SEASON CHAMPION FROM 1966–67 — CHICAGO — FEATURED THE PLAYERS THE BLACK HAWKS WOULD TRADE TO BOSTON IN MAY 1967. IN ROW TWO WERE KEN HODGE, PHIL ESPOSITO AND FRED STANFIELD (FAR–RIGHT, BESIDE DENNIS HULL). THE FRONT ROW FEATURED OWNER BILL WIRTZ, CAPTAIN PIERRE PILOTE AND GOALIE DENIS DEJORDY.

THE JUNIOR TORONTO MARLBOROS DEFEATED THE PORT ARTHUR MAARS TO WIN THE 1967 MEMORIAL CUP — GAMES PLAYED AT THE FORT WILLIAM GARDENS IN THUNDER BAY. GENERAL MANAGER JIM GREGORY IS SECOND FROM LEFT IN THE FRONT ROW,  BESIDE ASSISTANT CAPTAIN GERRY MEEHAN AND CAPTAIN BRIAN GLENNIE. HALL–OF–FAME DEFENSEMAN BRAD PARK IS IN THE SECOND ROW, BETWEEN GREGORY AND MEEHAN. GREGORY WOULD BECOME GM OF THE MAPLE LEAFS IN 1969–70; GLENNIE WOULD PLAY MOST OF A DECADE ON THE LEAF BLUE LINE.

ONE SEASON PRIOR TO JOINING THE NHL, PITTSBURGH HAD A CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM IN THE AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE. NHL VETERANS BILLY HARRIS, AB McDONALD, PETER MAHOVLICH AND DOUG HARVEY ALL SKATED FOR THE HORNETS, AN AFFILIATE OF THE LEAFS.

THE FINAL ALL–STAR GAME BETWEEN TOP NHL PLAYERS AND THE DEFENDING STANLEY CUP CHAMPION TOOK PLACE AT THE GARDENS ON JAN. 16, 1968. FOUR DAYS EARLIER, THE LEAFS HAD VISITED THE PENGUINS FOR THE FIRST TIME, LOSING 4–3 AT THE CIVIC ARENA.

THE OKE CITY BLAZERS WON THE CENTRAL HOCKEY LEAGUE TITLE FOR 1966–67, LOADED WITH SUCH FUTURE NHLers AS GERRY CHEEVERS, DOUG FAVELL, DICK CHERRY (DON’S LATE BROTHER), WAYNE CASHMAN, DEREK SANDERSON, JEAN PRONOVOST, DALLAS SMITH AND GLEN SATHER.

LATE ON MAR. 3, 1968 — A SUNDAY NIGHT — THE LEAFS TRADED FRANK MAHOVLICH TO DETROIT IN A MONSTER SWAP. THE NEW TORONTO PLAYERS — NORM ULLMAN, PAUL HENDERSON AND FLOYD SMITH — DEBUTED THREE NIGHTS LATER, AT THE GARDENS, AGAINST PHILADELPHIA. THE MAR. 17 GAME, SCHEDULED FOR PHILADELPHIA, WAS PLAYED AT THE COLISEE IN QUEBEC CITY, WHERE THE FLYERS HOLED UP AFTER HIGH WINDS TORE AWAY PART OF THE SPECTRUM’S ROOF.

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