hockey blog nov08

Nov 30, 2008

The usual Sunday update from the usual perch in Joshua Creek Arena.

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Chris and his Gator teammates skated to a 3-3 draw with the Wranglers on Saturday in house league peewee action. The division clearly has a balance of "anyone can win on any date" and there was lots of entertaining games Saturday.

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Big brother Pad and the minor midget Ranger AA squad dropped a listless 3-1 decision to Stoney Creek on Friday. The Rangers continue to be short staffed and their reinforcements on the single-A squad are in Ottawa for the weekend. The team had two lines and three defencemen on Friday night.

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I got home from Chris's game early Saturday afternoon and decided it had to be done. With ominous weather forecasts packed with portends of piles of puffy snow (or at least slush) I sucked it up and put up the Christmas lights. I'm normally a bit of a Grinch on such things -- Christmas lights before Dec 1??!! -- but I'm more of a Grinch about climbing on the roof when it's covered in snow. So, that's done. Fa la la la etc etc.

Last year I didn't get the deed done until Dec 16, so this may represent a personal best. We were not even close to being first in the neighbourhood.

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"We require, as a team, proper levels of pugnacity, testosterone, truculence and belligerence. That's how our teams play."

Brian Burke, Toronto Maple Leaf president and general manager.

The Brian Burke Era began in Toronto last night and I can report this: the Leafs have never lost a game while Mr. Burke has been president and general manager. The troops put up a 4-2 win over the Flyers while the Senators were losing to the Islanders (again) so in the Battle of ~~Lame-Ass Ontario NHL Teams~~ Ontario, the blue and white regain the lead for the time being.

You can read more about the game here if you want.

Much more interesting, though, is to read some of Burke's commentary in his first day on the job.

Among the highlights:

-- Mats Sundin? Good luck in your new home, wherever it is going to be. But it won't be Toronto.

-- The team? You'd better be a top-six, offence-contributing forward; or you'd better be (in Burke's words) a hard-hat guy -- grinder, role player, fighter, etc.

I think it would be fair to say that no general manager in NHL history has assumed a job with so many expectations upon him. Laura and I watched Ron McLean's very good interview with the new Leaf boss last night and I was impressed by the guy. He is decisive. He has a vision. He does not fit into a box of being pro-North American or anti-European. He is smart, articulate and very clearly, he is in charge.

You can read more here about Burke's vision for the Leafs.

He won't be pressed into predicting a date for parade. Read more here.

And if he does pull off a miracle and bring a cup to Toronto, he'll be the first general manager in league history to build championship teams in two different cities. Read more here.

Me? I'm just impressed the Leafs didn't screw this up so far. At least they landed him.

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The best games this weekend are being played in Ottawa -- hardball politics the likes of which this country has never witnessed.

I'm going to walk a neutral line here but the gist of the story is this: the Liberals and NDP, with tacit support from the Bloc Quebecois, have a deal to form a coalition government if they can bring down the Tory minority government of Stephen Harper on a non-confidence vote.

Harper enraged the opposition by announcing an end to public funds for political parties, based on electoral performance. It was a move that would financially cripple the political opposition in Canada. Not everyone thinks it's a bad idea -- read more here. But it may go down in Canadian political history as the biggest miscalculation since Joe Clark's infamous 1979 budget defeat.

More significantly, say opposition leaders, the Tories did nothing -- zip -- in last week's much-anticipated Economic Statement to address the economic problems washing across Canada as the fiscal tsunami of global financial woe hits our shores. So out of touch, they say, are the Tories that they have lost the confidence of Parliament, only six weeks after the last election.

So the end game here for the Libs and NDP is -- defeat the government, ask the Governor General to allow them a chance to install a coalition government, and . . . . see how it works out.

For the Tories, expect to hear them lash out at what they will position as anti-democrat political opportunism from people who couldn't win power via the front door.

As you can imagine, the Tories and Mr. Harper are apoplectic about this. One commentator here (and I really recommend you read this, because it's as entertaining as hell) says basically Harper created this crisis by playing politics and taking his eye off the bigger issue (it's the economy, stupid.)

Are we headed for a crisis? Read more on that prospect here.

What is certain is this -- Prime Minister Harper has power and money. Expect to hear a lot in the next seven days about the undemocratic ways of the opposition trying to seize power. (Although, it's worth remembering in all this that 62 per cent of Canadians voted for someone other than Conservatives in the last election. It's also worth noting that no one voted for a Liberal-NDP coalition.)

What is also certain is that Harper does not want to move out of 24 Sussex Drive (especially two weeks before Christmas!)

And it also seems certain that the opposition leaders think (think being an important word here) that they have the Tories on the run and on the ropes.

The Tories have, after all, now abandoned the plan to gut the opposition's taxpayer-funded political entitlements.

And it is now expected that a federal budget will be delivered in late January, sooner than some had expected. And with the sort of economic stimulus the opposition is so riled up about.

But will it be enough for the opposition to back away from their threat to, in essence, fire Harper as prime minister?

I have no clue.

If you have kids of junior high or high school age, you might want to explain all this to them.

That it is happening at all is extraordinary.

That it is happening as the country faces the biggest economic crisis since the Depression simply beggars description.

It's historic, is what it is.

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Many of us, as coaches, trainers, parents, or some combination of those, have had to deal with kids with concussions sustained in action. It's a scary thing and it's not just happening in hockey. All contact sports have to confront this issue.

Hockey Canada's second annual seminar on the issue was held in Toronto yesterday.

This is recommended reading for parents and minor hockey bench staff.

Read about the impact of concussions on an athlete here.

Read about what they're trying to do about it here.

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The AA minor midget Rangers are back on the ice tonight at 8p at Joshua Creek, playing Brampton. Let's hope the snow holds off.

Nov 28, 2008

Yes, there was no update here for you today. Sorry.

Really. From the bottom of my cold, Ottawa Senator-hating heart.

Sorry.

Possessed with political developments in our capital and generally snowed under at work on a near around-the-clock basis, I ran out of steam.

I could say the dog ate my blog.

Or I made a paper airplane out of it, and the plane was hijacked.

Or I locked it in my gym locker, and forgot the combination.

Or I stuffed the blog in my shirt pocket, and Laura washed the shirt.

I'm sorry. really. As usual, thanks for all the emails. Sheesh.

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I told you the Leafs would lose last night. The game was closer than I thought it would be, but there was no denying the miserable result. If you lose to a team as bad and dysfunctional as the Senators, then you are worse.

These are your Leafs.

Read about the loss here.

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Brian Burke will -- finally -- be named the new Leaf boss tomorrow. Good gig -- six-year contract, $18 million.

Anyone think there's a Stanley Cup coming our way? Anything less will be a failure. (Not to put any pressure on the guy.)

After you read this, if you are a Leaf fan you will be thoroughly depressed about how fast change can happen.

Because if you want to make trades, you have to have things people want.

The Leafs don't.

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Want me to tell you about what a big Bobby Orr fan I was as a kid?

Want me to tell you about me always fighting to make sure I got to be number 4?

Want me to tell you about the hard-cover glossy book, Orr on Ice, that I got for Christmas in 1970 and I still have, in near mint condition?

Want me to tell you about me having my first (of many) knee surgeries at 15?

In truth, beyond scarred knees, the numbers on our backs and the fact that we're both carbon-based life forms, me and Bobby had little in common.

He is a hero for a country, for several generations, for a game. He was a transformational player. He was hockey.

Handsome and humble, always with the aw-shucks look. And today, at 60 -- 30 years retired from the game he changed -- they finally (finally!!) got around to retiring his number 2 last night, that he wore for the Oshawa Generals.

It wasn't the team's fault it took so long. Orr just didn't want the attention.

Read here about the ceremony Thursday night in Oshawa, and Oakville's John Tavares presenting Orr with a Tiffany watch.

If, like me, you missed it, below is a video of some of the highlights of the night.

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Enjoy your weekend. Enjoy this special late-Friday post.

I will be at the minor midget Rangers tonight, the peewee white Gators tomorrow and a bunch of other rinks too.

Hug your kids. Buy a shovel. Storm coming Sunday!

Nov 27, 2008

It's Thursday. It's not just Thursday, it's video Thursday. The cards and letters and ominous phone calls suggest you all like the videos. So we'll have some of that. In a minute.

But first -- the Battle of Ontario.

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The Leafs are in Ottawa tonight and while the stakes are not as high as they were several years ago, they are still high.

Or, more precisely, low.

The Leafs' much-anticipated tailspin is here and they are now a single point away from last place in the entire league. The only good news is that Ottawa already shares a piece of that action, with Atlanta, Florida and Dallas.

For those of you who like bold predictions, I will boldly predict that if Ottawa loses tonight, someone's head will roll, and soon. Maybe not Friday, but perhaps before Saturday night.

If the Leafs lose, I will boldly predict that Brian Burke will be the next Leaf GM.

OK -- that wasn't all that bold but there's no one left to fire in Toronto, so that won't happen.

My guess is that the Senators will play with fire and intensity. The Leafs have shown little of either recently. The Leafs have as much momentum as a car gliding with an empty tank. They are progressing the way the hair on a dead person continues to grow.

I expect an easy win for Ottawa. I hope I'm wrong.

Read the pre-game set up here.

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If you haven't noticed the time flying, the NHL season is now a quarter over. And you can read a summary of how things are going on a team-by-team basis right here. For free.

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One day, Paul Strople was happily coaching bantam AAA hockey in Nova Scotia. And then he got an offer.

An offer to coach the Chinese women's national hockey team with a mandate to lead them to Olympic glory.

You want an adventure? This is an adventure.

Read his story here.

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More hockey:

Ryan O'Byrne is the young Montreal Canadiens defenceman who scored on his own net this week. Ryan, buddy, you're in good company. A player our Chris's team did the same thing last year while trying to clear a scramble and he felt terrible. We all did. But it's a strange game and mistakes happen.

What made O'Byrne's error memorable was that he did it while there was a delayed penalty call against the other team. His goalie was on the bench. And he . . . shot the puck in his own net.

D'oh!

Normally, I'd be sympathetic. But it was Montreal. So in that case, Hal -- roll the film. It's video Thursday!

And like I said, he's in good company. Here's a nice review of some memorable hockey "own-goals."

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I've been a coach and I've been (and in fact, I am) a trainer on hockey and lacrosse teams at different levels. Trainers work way harder. At house league, you are basically a coach with added duties. At rep, you're bench staff with no say in anything other than protecting the kids (which is plenty.)

But the gear. Man.

The trainer always seems to be left lugging water bottles. First aid kits. Sticks. Pucks. Pylons. Coffees for the coaches. ~~A case of Corona.~~ More water bottles. You name it.

The following video is actual footage of a MOHA-sanctioned course for hockey trainers. This portion of the clinic was instruction on how to get all the stuff in and out of the rink. True story. I never lie.

Hal, roll the tape. It's video Thursday!

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Nov 26, 2008

Wow. The Leafs are really, really bad.

I think our house league peewee team might have chased Toronto off the ice last night if given the chance as the blue and white finally played down to expectations and showed what they really look like if everyone on the ice isn't giving 110 per cent.

A 6-3 loss to Atlanta. ATLANTA for Pete's sake. Maybe the team decided it would be best to all suck at the same time so Brian Burke will have an easy time benchmarking performances.

It was a depressing, disspiriting display that showed only how far the Leafs have to come to be competitive.

A long, long way.

Read more here.

Nov 25, 2008

Incredibly, a month from today is Christmas. Govern yourselves accordingly.

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The Leafs move two former first-round draft picks to St Louis. Alex Steen and Carlo Colaiacovo -- one of a high NHL pedigree and the other oft-injured but with much promise -- never achieved what was expected of them in Toronto. Maybe a change of scenery will help them -- they're both really still kids.

In return, the Leafs get Lee Stempniak, 25, touted as a top-six forward who is averaging almost a point a game thus far in 2008.

There can be no doubt that Ron Wilson's fingerprints are all over this move, even if it was Cliff Fletcher who pulled the trigger. Read more here.

And here for the Wilson angle.

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Meanwhile in Ancaster, the saga of the short bench continued. The AA minor midget Rangers -- with injuries and suspensions keeping eight players out of action, the team entered the game with three defencemen, a single goalie and five forwards.

They lost 3-1, with an empty net goal.

This is officially annoying.

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Speaking of suspensions, Patrick Roy's other son -- who by strange coincidence, also made the same hockey team as his goaltender brother (and that would be the team that dad owns) -- has been suspended by the QMJHL for crosschecking an opponent across the face. After the play was over.

Lovely.

Yeah, Patrick Roy may be the greatest goalie in history. His kids? National treasures, for sure.

Last year, Freddy's brother Jonathan was suspended for skating the length of the ice to attack the other team's goalie.

Fun times!

Read the story here. And yes. You can click below to see the video.

Charming child.

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The Globe and Mail unleashes a large story today on everything that is wrong with the Ottawa Senators. It posits that the Senators' woes are the result of a 100 self-inflicted paper cuts -- none alone was crippling but the cumulative effect has ruined the team.

Further, it says the window of opportunity for the current team to challenge for a championship is closed. Ferme. Shut tight.

If you're a Senators fan, it's not a pretty sight to behold. It does raise an interesting idea -- Steve Yzerman returning to his home town as general manager.

Read more here.

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Further to tough times in the automotive industry, GM and Tiger Woods have gone their separate ways. GM terminated the deal and denies it was a money-saving move. But really. Do we look stupid? (By "we" I mean you. I know I'm stupid.)

Tiger was said to be earning about $7 million a year on the deal, but with a second child on the way he's growing a bit weary of the rigours of servicing corporate America and is glad to say adieu to GM.

Plus, I hear he doesn't need the money.

Anyway, you can bet that it won't be long before Tiger is enticed to lend his name to a product hipper and more upscale than Buick, probably not aimed at an audience that wears their pants hiked up under their armpits..

And you can bet they will pay a lot of dough.

And GM will wish they still had him.

Read more here.

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And from my "I Was Right All Along" file: in Malaysia, the country's top Muslim council has put a ban on yoga.

Here, here! Can we get one in Canada too?

The fatwa, or religious edict, is not legally binding but it still carries a lot of weight.

The Islamic council said yoga encourages a union with God that is blasphemous.

Hmmm.

On the other hand, I bet in Malaysia they don't sell those Lululemon stretchy-tight yoga pants that all the women here wear.

If they did, well, there might be more fatwas.

Read more here.

Nov 24, 2008

These are -- no exaggeration -- scary and troubling times. The economy is in full-on free fall, and very few people are immune to the possibility of economic calamity enveloping our lives or the lives of people we care about.

One particular group getting a lot of headlines these days is the automotive sector. If you live in southern Ontario, you know how important it is. If you live in Oakville, like we do, you see it every day. The big Ford plant isn't as busy as it used to be.

Ford workers live on my street. I've coached their kids. They are friends and you feel for them in tough times.

And last week I found myself wishing they had better leadership to guide them through this mess.

Leaders of the Big Three North American auto companies went to Washington last week to ask for government help -- taxpayer dollars -- to see them through this crisis.

There's a compelling economic argument to be made in support of their position. Not being an economist, I'll let smarter people figure it out. But I want my friends to have decent jobs and a good quality of life, and I want them to continue to do all the things they do that make our communities more interesting.

But why did the bosses have to fly to Washington on private jets to ask for taxpayers' money?

The symbolism is just overwhelming, and it's not good symbolism. At $20,000 per CEO for that trip, times three jets, you think some bright spark at corporate HQ might have suggested since the millionaire CEOs were asking for taxpayer money, they might want to dress down a bit to reflect the times. Fly commercial. Take a train. Share one jet?

The CEOs seem tone deaf to the issue.

Personally, I don't give a rat's behind if private companies want to have private jets. Good for them. And I'm sure there's a cost-benefit analysis somewhere that shows in certain circumstances, it's smart business management. It's not particularly green, but it's their money. Have at 'er, boys!

But when it's taxpayer money? That's different. A LOT different. (Government cabinet-level officials have access to private jets too in some situations, just FYI.)

Anyway, read more on the auto guys here.

In the fallout of the criticism, General Motors announced this week they are getting rid of two of their corporate jets. It will keep the other three. Read more here.

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Speaking of the automotive industry and bad ideas . . . . the new season of 24 kicked off last night. I thought the two-hour kickoff was underwhelming. Too soon to say for sure, but the franchise may be losing its steam.

Keifer Sutherland is the star of 24 and he has deep connections to Canada (he was actually born in England, his dad is Donald Sutherland, his grampy was Tommy Douglas. That's fairly Canadian.)

Keifer is a pitchman for Ford. He does the voiceovers on some of their commercials.

Keifer is also a convicted drunk driver. He's spent time in jail for it.

And he's still the pitchman for Ford.

So, when you're watching TV with your kids and Keifer comes on cooing about some nifty new Ford product, are you thinking, "Gee, here's a role model I want my kids to respond to as consumers!"

Or, do you think here's a guy with enough money to travel from party to party by helicopter or nuclear submarine or at the very least a car driven by someone sober? But he still gets nailed for impairment. Twice!

Maybe ol' Keif could buy one of GM's jets? That could be win-win here.

Anyway, here's an old story from last December that lays out why Mothers Against Drunk Driving get irritated every time Keifer calls Chloe and tells her to drive a Ford.

Me? I just think it's another example of bone-headed thinking in the Ivory Tower. They just don't get it.

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I like Diet Pepsi. Anyone who knows me even a little bit knows that. Corporate jokes and wedding monologues have been written about it.

But last night, during the CFL Grey Cup Halftime Show BROUGHT TO YOU BY DIET PEPSI -- GET IT!!?? WE'RE SPONSORING THE HALFTIME SHOW. US. DIET PEPSI. PEPSI COLA AND THE WHOLE FAMILY OF PEPSICO PRODUCTS it went too far.

During the show -- which we watched with the volume down as Theory of a Deadman and some others performed, brilliantly I'm sure -- there were huge Pepsi signs everywhere, most prominently on the front of the stage. And I'm cool with that . The CFL is not the NFL. They don't have bags of spare cash. And it was the CFL Grey Cup Halftime Show BROUGHT TO YOU BY DIET PEPSI -- GET IT!!?? WE'RE SPONSORING THE HALFTIME SHOW. US. DIET PEPSI. PEPSI COLA AND THE WHOLE FAMILY OF PEPSICO PRODUCTS.

But.

At the end of the big dance number as the show -- the CFL Grey Cup Halftime Show BROUGHT TO YOU BY DIET PEPSI -- GET IT!!?? WE'RE SPONSORING THE HALFTIME SHOW. US. DIET PEPSI. PEPSI COLA AND THE WHOLE FAMILY OF PEPSICO PRODUCTS -- wrapped up the dancers morphed into a giant Pepsi logo in the middle of the field.

I thought it was just crass. Even for the CFL.

I wasn't the only one who noticed. Read more here.

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Oh. Calgary won the game, which wasn't terribly entertaining. My dad called it. Read more here.

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The injury and suspension-depleted ranks of the AA minor midget Rangers will really be put to the test tonight in Ancaster. There won't be many of them and the single-A team is also playing, meaning there are few if any reinforcements.

I expect I'm not going to be able to make it. Good luck, guys.

Nov 23, 2008

The very shorthanded minor midget AA Rangers played a pair of weekend games, tying Georgetown 3-3 on Friday night and losing 2-0 yesterday in Brampton. Given the numbers and the math it was actually pretty good. The APs called up from the single A Rangers played very well, and Nick Raycroft was as good as I've ever seen him.

But the reality was there were more Rangers suspended or injured than there were suited up for battle and that's not going to get you very far in AA hockey at any age.

If you're the coach and this is your bench (less the five skaters on the ice, see photo below) well, you're in for a tough afternoon. Three extra forwards. One extra defender. But on the positive side, there was one coach for every kid on the bench.

Meanwhile in the stands, there were more Rangers watching than playing . . .

We'll all be glad to have them back as the heal and/or pay their debt(s) to society.

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The hybrid A/AA minor midget Rangers actually should have won the Georgetown game and threw a pretty good scare at Brampton. In the third period they seemed to find another gear and took the play to the home team. At one point we thought they got on the board but this play turned out to have been off the crossbar -- the photo evidence, however, remains inconclusive. CSI: Peel Region is investigating . . .

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I was exhausted by the time I hit the rack last night. I spent seven full hours in rinks on Saturday, which is a lot even by our family's standards. Chris and the Gators won 4-1 in their 10a game. I raced home from that, picked up Laura and Pad and whipped over to Brampton for the Ranger game (and went to Timmy's to get lunch for Laura after dropping her and Pad at the rink.)

The game was 30 minutes late starting so we got to watch house league midget action.

Then I had to leave before the final whistle to race back to Oakville to deliver Chris to Glen Abbey for three hours of timekeeping duties. Tyke hockey rocks.

We had a dinner party we had to get to for 6p, but I knew I wasn't going to be close to making it on time. Laura headed over before me, then I raced back from Glen Abbey, ~~changed, pretended I was hurrying and then spent 10 minutes watching the Leafs honour Wendel Clark~~ and took time to make sure my clothes were neatly pressed and my hair looked nice and then walked down the street to the party, where everyone else had already eaten and the cocktail/birthday party portion of the evening was in full swing.

We were up again this morning for Chris and the Gators playing with first place on the line -- a scoreless tie, so first place remains a deadlock -- and then off to Tim's for hot chocolate and hockey talk.

Then up Ford Drive to Joshua's Creek Arena, where Chris is again timekeeping and I'm telling you all about it!

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Below is a picture of the Gators in action Saturday. That's Chris in the middle wheeling in to attack with his linemates Sam and Alex. Set aside for a moment that the guy in the middle (Chris) is the left winger, and the guy in the foreground (Sam) is the centre, and the guy on the left (Alex) is the right winger.

But please take note of their laces. The entire Gator team sports the fashionable pink laces, bought in support of breast cancer research.

Right now at Joshua's Creek, the novice blue Eagles are all wearing pink laces. Way to go guys!

The minor midget Ranger AAs all wear pink laces.

At Chris's ice2ice session on Tuesday night, one third of the kids were wearing pink laces.

Kyle Kokotailo deserves a lot of credit not for just taking this on, but also getting people to support him. The pink laces are everywhere, and so is the message.

It's very cool.

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The party we were at last night didn't have the hockey game on and I was late because ~~I watched the Leafs honour Wendel Clark~~ took time to make sure my clothes were neatly pressed and my hair looked nice.

If, like me, you were busy making sure your clothes were neatly pressed and your hair looked nice before spending a night out with your wife and friends, then you also missed the Leafs honouring Wendel Clark.

Well, it's Teamoakville to the rescue.

Click on the link below to watch the 10-minute ceremony, which includes some crackerjack footage over the years of Clark wailing away on a collection of poor sods.

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Naturally, the Leafs lost. I think I could have predicted that. I would not have predicted that they would have actually held a lead in the third period before giving the game away and losing in overtime. Sorry Wendel. Read more here.

And the Senators finally won a game. Nothing good lasts forever I guess. Read more here.

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Are you a Monty Python fan? Clap your coconut shells together and recite the dead parrot sketch if you are.

The surviving members of the legendary comedy troupe now have their own official YouTube channel, which they have launched with a video explaining why.

And if you really are a fan of Monty Python, you'll want to watch it. It's pretty funny.

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To conclude the Sunday blogging (and you have to admit, for a Sunday you're getting good value today) some politics. This piece caught my eye in the Wall Street Journal this week. Karl Rove -- ~~the sorcerer's apprentice~~ ~~evil genius~~ architect of George W. Bush's two presidential victories talks about what Barack Obama must do as he shifts from campaigning to governing.

If you like politics, it's a good read written by someone who knows how Washington works. And you can find it here.

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Grey Cup game tonight. Don't forget to tune in -- it's not on CBC, it's on TSN.

Nov 21, 2008

Not much for you all today. The usual weekend fare on tap in our house.

Pad and the very, very shorthanded AA minor midgets host Georgetown tonight, and Chris has a game both tomorrow and Sunday mornings, as well as his Sunday timekeeping gig.

Other than pointing the car and driving I expect to have a thoroughly uneventful weekend.

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On Saturday night, there will be lots of honouring going on.

The Montreal Canadiens will make peace with Patrick Roy and raise his jersey to the rafters. A strong argument can be put forward that Roy is the greatest goaltender in the history of the game.

Further west on the highway, the Leafs will raise a banner of Wendel Clark, honouring a man who personified everything Leafs fans so desperately wanted their team to be. The team's shortcomings were never for lack of effort from Clark.

It is an interesting juxtaposition that these two heroes of the game should be honoured on the same night.

Roy is a legend for any era. A hall of famer. A four-time Stanley Cup champion.

There will be no hall of fame for Clark. No Stanley Cup ring. But he competed as a thoroughbred and pound for pound may have been the toughest player of his era.

Roy and Clark came within a whisker of colliding in what would have been, without question, the biggest hockey event in Canada since the 1972 Canada -Soviet series. It may have been bigger, had it come to pass. It also may represent the last chance there ever will be for a Toronto-Montreal final.

Roy led Montreal on an improbable run to the Stanley Cup finals in the spring of 1993, standing on his head and almost literally carrying the Habs to the championship round.

In the western conference final that year, the Leafs (led by Clark and Doug Gilmour) and the Kings (led by Wayne Gretzky) played a classic series that Leaf fans will moan and whine about forever. The Kings prevailed in seven games, winning the last game 5-4 with Gretzky scoring three times in a game he would later reflect upon as the greatest of his magnificent career.

The Kings deprived Canada of a Toronto-Montreal final -- the mind reels at what that match would have unleashed across the country in terms of hockey, politics, culture and drama.

The Montreal-LA final was anticlimactic and Roy once again led his team to victory, Gretzky's magic not enough. The Habs won in five games, taking four in a row after losing the opener. Three of those wins came in overtime. The exception was the last game -- the last final played at the old Montreal Forum.

My memories of that spring remain vivid. I was painting the nursery of our home in Edmonton (we had only been there a month, the hulking defenceman would arrive in our lives in about three months) and I had a small TV set up to watch/listen to the final while I worked. Laura was working evenings at the Edmonton Journal, so I had the house (and the paint and TV) to myself.

It was a great spring time for hockey that year.

You can read a nice recap of Patrick Roy's tempestuous career here.

You can read a terrific piece on Wendel Clark here.

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An irony in all of this is that while Montreal rolls out the red carpet for Roy, the CFL will be hosting the Grey Cup game, also in Montreal. It's unfortunate timing.

I'm not a big CFL fan, but the Grey Cup game is a national institution that really shouldn't share the spotlight.

In Montreal this weekend, the locals will be focused on their crackerjack hockey team and honouring St. Patrick. The Habs say the date for honouring Roy was picked long ago and refused to move it. I get that. Montreal is and always will be a hockey town.

The Als and Stamps? An afterthought by comparison for the host city, I'm afraid.

Read more here.

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Enjoy the weekend. Enjoy the games, whatever they are and wherever you travel. Drive carefully.

And hug your kids.

Nov 20, 2008

In spite of the little bit of snow last night that hurled Toronto and Pearson International Airport into a low-level chaos, I got home.

My colleague and I arrived at the Ottawa airport at 6:40p, and we were told it was too late to catch the 7p and we'd have to stay with the 8p we originally booked. Once we cleared security, we went to the gate for the 7p flight and were promptly (well, what passes for prompt with Air Canada) handed boarding passes for the 7p flight.

After takeoff (which was about 30 minutes late) we reaching cruising altitude and then the pilot came on to say that because of the weather we were in a holding pattern as the gnomes at Pearson ran around clearing runways.

I was stuck in a middle seat (the price of changing flights at the gate is usually a middle seat) between a guy with John Candy's physique and the disposition and appearance of Newman from Seinfeld on one side, and a quiet "heavy sigher" on the other. Whenever the pilot would make an announcement, he would <heavy sigh.>

Like the pilot was personally responsible for the weather.

Once we landed my colleague had to deal with his own adventure and retrieve some hockey players from Westwood Arena, which wasn't bad except they were supposed to be in Vaughan. That's another story.

I stood in line with 4,638 people for a taxi. There were only three taxis. It took awhile.

When I finally got home after 10p, I was greeted at the door by my smiling bride, cartoon birds circling her and singing as she welcomed me home and took my coat.

Actually, Chris (who should have been in bed) came to the door and welcomed me. Pad was at a practice at Glen Abbey. Laura was downstairs working. I hung up my own coat.

But it was good to be home!

- - -

Ottawa was actually warmer and less snowy than Toronto, which isn't common. And yesterday was Throne Speech day, which means Parliament Hill was done up for the pomp and circumstance of the arrival of the governor general. It's been 10 years since we lived in Ottawa and while I get back there regularly, I am still struck by how much things have stayed the same and how much they have changed.

What hasn't changed is the beauty of the city, which is a great place to live. The Ottawa and Rideau rivers. The canal. The neo-gothic architecture of the Parliament Buildings. The less frenetic pace of the streets. The hopeless hockey team.

What has changed is the security, which makes sense.

When I arrived in Ottawa the first time, in 1990, as a reporter, Laura would regularly drive right up onto the Hill, and park under the Peace Tower and wait to pick me up. No security check point. Just a smiley blonde in a little car.

I had a media pass for the buildings and with it I had free access to much of the buildings and corridors, with some limited exceptions. If friends or relatives visited, I could bring them all into the Centre Block after hours and show them around. If seems weird now to even think how lax security was.

It doesn't work that way now. And good thing.

But the Government of Canada could do a lot worse than having Laura park under the Peace Tower. She looked pretty good there!

- - -

On my way home last night, I learned something new. It's likely old news to most of you but I'd never heard the story before.

I suggested the taxi drive jump off the 403 at Dundas, because the QEW from the Ford plant to Dorval is bad on a good day, and since it was snowing, this wasn't a good day. I said just take Dundas to Neyagawa to Upper Middle.

He asked me if I knew what Neyagawa meant. I said I had no clue (I say that a lot, actually) but I assumed it was an Indian word for "large mortgage by the creek."

Good guess, but wrong.

Neyagawa is actually a city in Japan that is Oakville's municipal "twin."

Like Ed McMahon to Johnny Carson, I said: "I did not know that!"

Well, it's true.

Neyagawa is in the Osaka prefecture in Japan (I've been to Osaka. Big place. Fast trains. Lots of Japanese people.) It has about 250,000 people and struggles with the intrusion of urban development on its former agricultural base. Sound familiar?

Anyway, turns out that Oakville also has another twin -- Dorval, Quebec. (Guess which Oakville street is named after that town and win a pass to a MOHA board meeting. Second prize is a pass to three MOHA board meetings!)

So, I'm not very good at math, but I'm thinking that makes Oakville, Neyagawa and Dorval triplets, not twins.

But then it turns out that Neyagawa is also twinned with Newport News, Va.

OK. Enough with the municipal ancestral charts.

I haven't checked to see who or what that lovely American city is twinned with, because, um, I don't care.

In the meantime, bet your kids a year's worth of snow shoveling on whether they know what Neyagawa is or means. Make sure your back is in good shape first.

You can read more about Oakville's relationship with Neyagawa here.

You can read more about the city of Neyagawa here.

- - -

This piece says the Ottawa Senators are refusing to panic in the face of adversity -- which now includes a five-game losing streak, Mike Fisher and Chris Neil going out with injuries and <drum roll> finding themselves in dead-last place in the Eastern Conference. They are one point up on St. Louis for last overall (and the Sens have played two more games.)

I'm thinking that now may actually be the perfect time to panic. Let's see Spezza and Heatley run through the corridors screaming. That would be more entertaining that the hockey they are playing.

Nov 19, 2008

I consume a lot of information. News, blogs, data, reports, and more. Every now and then, something stops me dead in my tracks.

I never played pro sports. I never lifted the Stanley Cup at centre ice with blood on my jersey. I never stood at Centre Court on a humid September night in New York when the clock pushed hard against midnight. I never looked across at the guys finishing a whisker behind me in the 100-metre men's final. I never took a snap in a snowstorm with a playoff game on the line and the clock running. I never stared into the October night sky from the on-deck circle at Fenway, watching the flags blow in the autumn wind. I never bumped anyone into the wall at Daytona. I never felt the burn of the bell lap on the Olympic speedskating oval. I never felt the pure power of an unleashed thoroughbred running away from the pack at Churchill Downs. I never hit one stiff on the third playoff hole at St. Andrew's.

I never did any of those things, I never will and I'm quite OK with it.

That doesn't mean I never took part in a game that mattered. That really, really mattered. That mattered to me and my teammates. That mattered to the 16 kids around the perimeter of a room, looking for a signal from me and the other dads that we know they could do it.

A game that mattered.

And when I read a quote like this next one, from a guy who knows what a career-defining, big-league moment feels like -- who knows exactly what that moment feels like -- I think. I think maybe me and you and him are not really all that different.

I think that if he finds the thrill in the kids' moments, then he's a lot closer to our experience between the lines and behind the bench than I ever could have dared imagine.

And maybe he "gets" why it is that men and women like you do all those things you do. Why you stagger out of bed at 5a for a practice on the first day you might have to sleep past 7a in more than three weeks. Why you make those laminated roster cards so the parents can find each other at tournaments. Why you lug the pucks and pylons and juice boxes. Why you fret over equal playing time. Why you spend two hours searching and searching for a tournament that is a good fit for your blue-level house league team. Why you rake the infield after the rain, before anyone else is at the park. Why you smile when the kids succeed, sometimes because of you, sometimes in spite of you. Why you keep every one of those home-made thank you cards from the kids safely on your fridge -- weeks, months, even years after the final whistle.

Success and greatness are relative.

If you need a reminder, it's all around you. It's right here:

I thought I had seen it all. I thought I had felt it all. Sports at its best. Grand Slam finals, the Olympics. Even as a fan, watching a buzzer beater or a kick-off return. But I’ve just discovered a more exhilarating beautiful side of sports. Coaching third base for Little League baseball. The talent on the field is, well, spotty. It’s true the base runner will sometimes run from third base to second. Sure an outfielder may forget there’s a game on and begin picking flowers. But I watch a child as he begins to think as a teammate for the first time in his life. I see him problem solve and choose to better himself. And when he crosses the plate for the game-winning run, I watch from the coaching box as a mob of seven year olds laugh, cry, and jump into a delirious mound of bodies. It’s better than a Slam.

-- Andre Agassi, eight-time men's singles Grand Slam champion

- - -

The Ottawa Senators hold another meeting. The fourth team meeting in five days. Maybe if the crew of the Titanic held a few more meetings, thing would have been different there.

Good luck guys. I'll book a conference room for you.

More here.

- - -

I'm putting my good humour in the hands of Air Canada today. Back late tonight, just in time to go to a Ranger practice.

Nov 18, 2008

It would be nice if the Leafs would actually do two things.

First, not give up two or three goals in the first period of every game to fall behind; and second, actually win a game or two.

Being from the camp that realizes that as hard as they may work and as entertaining as they are to watch, they're not very good. Points squandered in October and November count as much as points squandered in March. And last night against Boston was but the latest example.

Losing 3-2 at home to the Bruins, who, BTW, are looking like a very good team. Read more here. Assuming Brian Burke gets the job, he might want to start looking for a goalie.

- - -

The flip side is, Ottawa lost again. Really, I'm torn here.

The existing mojo seems to be that the Leafs are going to suck, but they're making lemonade out of lemons and are at least working hard and generally entertaining.

The other side of the the mojo is that the talented Senators suck like a Shop Vac. Alfredsson. Heatley. Spezza. Phillips. On and on. Talent galore. And they have the third worst record in hockey -- worse than the Leafs. Five straight losses.

It's like the jelly of the month club. It's a gift that just keeps giving.

I'm not so naive to think the Sens can stay this hopeless because even a broken clock is right twice a day. But the trend is that it's more than a blip. Since their 15-2 start last season, they are about 10 games under .500 (which is worse than the Leafs and a lot of other teams.)

And I'd like to say I feel bad for them. But I don't.

Read about Ottawa's latest loss here.

- - -

Monday morning when I got up there was a dusting of snow on the ground and the cars and trains from points north of the city had a lot of snow on them. This morning, it was -5 as I dragged the recyclables out to curb for a grateful nation.

Which is to say, we now stand on the cusp of winter.

I was going to say it seems like only a few days ago that the temperatures were in the teens and we were outside in shirtsleeves.

Then I realized it was only days ago -- Friday in fact. And Saturday too.

Weird weather but I expect this is it now, with the exception of an odd mild day here or there.

Christmas is like 36 shopping days away which sound like a lot. It's not.

- - -

It is a lot if you're a guy and you shop at the last minute. Mac's Milk and Seven-11 have some interesting cured-meat products that will light up any woman's holidays, and then of course there's lotto tickets. What young child doesn't like to gamble?

But if you have most of your family living a time zone away from you in three different Maritime locales, then what that means is you really have about 10 shopping days left. Laura has a self-imposed Dec 1 deadline to get everything for her family and mine bought, wrapped, packed and shipped by the start of next month.

And to her I say, God speed.

Because if such a task were left to me, well Virginia, there would be no commercially-sanctioned, GDP-raising Christmas rush.

Laura's need to get this stuff done stems from two things, I think. First is her maniacal need for order and organization.

And second is the memory of The Year Gerry Almost Ruined Christmas.

It was 1994. We were living in Edmonton, getting ready to move in the spring to Ottawa. We spent two years in Edmonton and spent both Christmases in Nova Scotia, largely because Pad was an infant and various relatives would have disowned us if we stayed out west, and because Laura refused to celebrate Christmas in any provinces that didn't have her grandmother's recipe for pork pies (which, BTW, are neither pork nor pie, but are a date-stuffed, icing covered pastry that I'm told goes best with hot tea, a fresh newspaper and a sleeping husband.)

Anyway.

So, in December of 1994, the routine for Christmas was this: shop not just for out of towners, but us too. Wrap it. Ship everything -- EVERYTHING -- to Sydney, NS. Fly to Sydney. Cross you fingers and hope it all arrives. (Small note: all the stuff for Pad and us then had to be shipped back to Edmonton. If you're thinking "this is absurd," you win first prize.)

What could go wrong?

So, in December of 1994, I missed the shipping deadline by a day.

You know that look Marge Simpson gives Homer when he drinks all the maple syrup out of the bottle? When he spends the grocery money at the dog track? When he melts the Christmas tree?

That was the look I got for missing the shipping deadline.

My defence was: Don't worry. Be happy. If the presents for the adults show up late, then, um, they get a BONUS Christmas! And your niece and Paddy are too young to care or notice what's missing.

Boom! High five? Not quite.

As the days ticked down to hours before Dec 25, there was growing tension between me and my bride.

Christmas Eve was a Saturday in 1994. And mid day the guy finally showed up at the door with boxes and boxes and ~~Gerry~~ Christmas was saved . People slowly started talking to me again, and within six or eight weeks it all blew over.

Most importantly I learned a valuable lesson about shopping and shipping deadlines that year. And the lesson is this.

Let Laura do it.

I admit it's not quite The Gift of the Magi, but it's magical to me.

Nov 17, 2008

Ever have one of those weekends? Where you work a lot and fit the fun stuff around it? That was my weekend. I still was at Joshua Creek on Sunday for two novice games. And I saw two minor midget games. And two peewee exhibition games. And two peewee league games. But all of the time in between was devoted to working, not blogging.

Sorry. Let's catch up . . .

- - -

First, let me say we all know hockey is a rugged sport. That includes minor hockey.

Things happen. As the kids get older, they, um, react to things that happen, sometimes more viscerally than younger players, or, maybe, older players who have seen things come and go.

But things happen. Kids get excited. Refs get excited. Parents get excited.

It's exciting!

The minor midget AA Rangers lost three in a row at the Mississauga North Stars tournament on the weekend, but two of those were pretty good games. The middle game was a gong show.

When the dust had settled, there were few Rangers left to tell the story. One had already been suspended after Friday night's game. Six more were tossed during the Saturday afternoon game. Two others went down with fairly serious injuries that will require weeks to mend. Pad and Alex got to enjoy a lot of ice on defence, including a shift of more than eight minutes. That's what happens when you only have six skaters left.

And they're our kids, so we love them. Boys will be boys. They left the ice without comment or theatrics (unlike the five or six from the other team, who were good enough to salute we parents with their middle fingers and colourful adjectives. Charming, really.)

All of which means that because of other league suspensions that weren't in effect for the tournament, the team will have four rostered skaters and two goalies for Friday's game with Georgetown.

If you would like to play for the minor midget AA Rangers, contact me!! The faint of heart need not apply! (It doesn't actually work this way, but it's Monday and I'm struggling to be funny.)

Quite a weekend, really. We've built a spreadsheet for the manager to track all of the suspensions.

Mike and Brian, we're all hoping for speedy recoveries for both of you. Get well. You're needed!

- - -

In the simpler, more injury adverse, less testosterone-addled world of peewee house league, the Sunopta Gators tied Burlington 3-3 on Friday night in a crackerjack of a game. And then we had the ice mopped with our jerseys on Saturday in another exhibition game against the division rival Vikings (with a couple of talented Hound Dog recruits joining the fun.)

The two teams meet again Saturday in a regular league matchup.

- - -

The team we were scheduled to play on Saturday was off at a tournament having fun. And, it turns out, having a lot of fun.

So much fun, in fact, that coach Doug Sutton's Lumberjacks won the Nottawasaga Resort Tournament in Alliston. And the final felt like Saturday morning Oakville hockey, as they beat division rivals, the Wranglers, 3-1 in the final.

Congrats to both teams on a great weekend. Very cool.

- - -

A venti hot chocolate from Starbucks contains 45,000 calories. Just so you know. And Chris really likes them. And given that Chris has like 0.02 per cent body fat, he can have as many as he can afford.

- - -

The Leafs apparently played a stinker Saturday night in Vancouver, unable to beat Roberto Luongo when they needed too and unable to get decent goaltending from Toskala at the other end of the rink. So, they end their tour of western Canada as road kill. Read more here.

But more happily, the Senators lost again. To the formerly worst team in hockey. Again. Or maybe the worst team in hockey lost to the second worst team in hockey. (Technically, the Sens are now the third worst team in the NHL. )

Pull the plug!! No, wait. Don't! I'm enjoying this too much!!

Read more here.

Leafs are hosting the Bruins tonight.

The Sens are in New York tonight, inching closer to the basement. Go Rangers!

- - -

Why am I not surprised that Barry Melrose is blaming everyone from the players to the popcorn venders for the end of his 16-game tenure as head coach in Tampa? He hadn't coached in the NHL since Pad was an infant. And lots of things have changed. There were a lot of people surprised that Melrose, who found work as an analyst with ESPN, was back in the NHL as a coach. Well, he's available for TV again and it is all the players' fault. Read more here.

- - -

The Star's hockey columnist says the Leafs will be in for a major carpet bombing when Brian Burke shows up as general manager. Take a glimpse into the the Burke-quake here. The Globe reports negotiations will start soon.

- - -

I love my Blackberry. Seriously.

I don't just like it, or enjoy it. I love it. It allows me virtually instant contact with Laura. I can text Pad. People can reach me at all hours. (I generally enjoy that.) I can reach out to friends and associates for opinions and feedback.

I love it.

And so does Barack Obama. The trouble is, they're taking his away.

The president of the United States can't just email people willy nilly. Every word he types is part of the official record -- eventually to be made public.

His world is different.

Read more here about why I get to keep my BB, and the president-elect is going to lose his.

Poor guy. The horror. The horror.

- - -

Speaking of horror -- Laker Light (you know, a buck a beer?) is no longer a buck a beer. It used to be a flat $24, or $26.40 for 24, including deposit. It's now $28. I wept.

OK, I didn't actually weep. But I did go to the web site, www.abuckabeer.ca and look for a news release on this. The site is closed for maintenance. Maybe it will reappear as alittlemorethanabuckabeer, Or something.

- - -

I got in the mail on Friday one of those pre-Christmas invitations -- to a shopping night for men at a jewelry store. It offers 10 per cent off purchases! Zowee! Jewelry shopping! With men!! With a discount!! Where do I sign up?

In really small print at the bottom, it says the discount doesn't apply to Cartier jewelry.

Well then. Fine. It would be an affront to Laura to not consider Cartier gifts. She wouldn't want it any other way.

If I can't have a discount on the $169,000 diamond-encrusted white-gold watch with built-in GPS and a moon-rock face, then I'm not going.

I'll be at Wal-Mart, thanks very much!

Nov 14, 2008

The Leafs go into Pad's birthplace, Edmonton, and stomp the Oilers 5-2. Sweet.

The worst team in the NHL, the Islanders, go into Chris's birthplace, Ottawa, and stomp the Sens, 3-1. Sweeter!

Man, I love this game.

Fold the Senators!. Move the team to Fergus! Keep firing coaches and GMs! Call Obama! Alert the troops!

Read about the Leafs' win here.

Gleefully absorb the Sens' latest loss here. Even better, the fans booed the team off the ice! Beaver Tails for everyone!! Meet me by the canal at the Bronson Street bridge.

I keep telling myself the Sens can't stay this bad forever. But, it will soon be a year that they've been this bad. And I'll tell you now -- Ottawa will not support a losing hockey team. They're smarter than Toronto fans.

Anyway, things are not in a happy place in Ottawa. More here.

- - -

In less happy news, the minor midget AA Rangers got pasted 7-2 in Burlington last night. Fortunately, I missed this one.

The boys are in the Mississauga North Stars tournament starting tonight -- I think they play Richmond Hill, the Toronto Eastenders and Ajax.

They will have to right the ship without me tonight.

Me and Chris will be at Glen Abbey as the Sunopta Gators clash with a Burlington peewee house league team under the Friday night Lights.

Go Gators!

- - -

As noted above, Patrick was born in Edmonton (on a sunny, mild September day in 1993 after after torturing his mother all night long, after she and I stayed up late to watch a young Conan O'Brien debut on NBC.)

Anyway.

Edmonton is a sports crazy town. Oilers. Eskimos. Every house has it's own original championship banner of some kind. (I got to witness the most bizarre Grey Cup parade in history when a young Gizmo Williams carried the trophy through the maze of indoor pedways and malls that crisscross downtown Edmonton. Weird.) I digress.

But, if you told me then that in 2008, the Eskimos would be playing in the CFL Eastern Conference final, well, I'd have probably looked at you blankly and asked if I'd also still be living in Edmonton by then.

That's exactly what's happening tomorrow in Montreal though.

But it gets weirder. Calgary is hosting BC in the "west" final.

And then next week, Montreal is playing host to the Grey Cup -- and it's entirely possible that the eastern champs could be Edmonton, and the western champs could be Calgary, which would mean that the eastern representatives would be from a city further west (and north) than the western representatives.

Confused?

Have a beer.

And read more here.

- - -

The new president isn't allowed to have his hair cut at the same place he's beein going to for the last 14 year, because the barber has a big plate glass window that allows people to -- gasp! -- see inside.

As this story explains, nothing will ever be the same for the Obama clan now.

Oh -- and here's a little more info on the Secret Service nicknames I mentioned earlier in the week. It's a much fuller story that explains why the names have to be just two syllables, why they have to start with the same letter, and how Al Gore's daughter grew to hate the Secret Service calling her Smurfette.

- - -

They said goodbye to Brandon Crisp today. Such a sad sorry. It breaks one's heart.

It's the weekend. Hug your kids. Lots.

Nov 13, 2008

So Leaf Nation is all a-twitter this morning. Brian Burke is out in Anaheim and the self-important assumption here in the shadow of the Gardner Expressway is that he will come to Toronto, sprinkle magic dust and a cranky personality and deliver a Stanley Cup in short order.

Nice theory.

First, one must suspend the reality of the Leaf track record in virtually everything they do. Which is, there's a really good chance they will screw it up.

Second, other teams -- like Boston and Chicago, to name two -- may also be interested in Burke.

Third, there's even chatter that Jim Balsillie might sign Mr. Personality to be his representative with the league as he tries to secure an NHL franchise for Fergus.

So, this isn't in the bag. Far from it.

But -- imagine how much fun it would be with Ron Wilson as coach and Brian Burke as GM. The two combined are known to have smiled only three times in the last 20 years.

Read more on whether the Leafs will land the man they want here.

Read about how they could lose their man here.

Read about how Burke holds all the cards, here.

- - -

The minor midget AA Rangers are in Burlington tonight for their first game in a week. The Rangers won the first meeting of the season between these two teams.

- - -

What is being regarded as perhaps the largest home break-and-enter in Canadian history occured this week in Toronto, netting the thieves some very high-end jewelry including two Stanley Cup rings. The victims are members of the Bronfman clan -- the family who owned the Montreal Canadiens in the 1970s.

Toronto Maple Leaf championship rings are much harder to find.

Read more here.

- - -

Everyone, it seems, has an iPod. Or two. Or an iPhone. Or both. So here's a sobering message from Toronto Police:

Keep it to yourself.

The iconic music players and phones are a major target for thugs and petty thieves and bullies. If your kids have an iPod -- and odds are, they do -- sit down and have a conversation with them about not putting themselves at risking for a mugging.

It's a sad world. Honestly.

Read more here.

- - -

I generally don't like to alienate the rich and famous, but I'm willing to make an exception today for Madonna.

Total and utter freakshow.

Madonna is not a hockey player although I have no doubt she's a~~n accomplished stickhandle~~r. <Enough!!>

OK. So what put her on my radar was word that as part of her divorce from British film maker Guy Ritchie, she has a list of rules he must obey when he has custody of their children.

I point it out only because of the sheer entertainment value.

What are the rules?

OK -- no TV or DVDs. Um, ok . . . we can let that slide.

The boys can only wear clothes sent with them by mom. If they need to buy clothes, they must contain no man-made fibres.

No spiritually unsound toys. (There goes Gears of War on Playstation!!)

No photos of the kids with Guy's friends -- especially his women friends.

At bedtime, the only acceptable reading material are books written by Madonna.

Here are my two favs.

Any water they drink has to be blessed Kabbalah water.

And all meals have to be macrobiotic, vegetarian meals with no processed or refined foods.

PUT YOUR HANDS UP AND STEP AWAY FROM THE TIMBIT!!

It must be really interesting to live life in such a bubble that you become completely overwhelmed by your sense of . . . sense of I don't know what.

Just for the record, when Laura goes out or is away, I have strict rule about what I can feed the boys too.

It goes like this: Whatever you cook, try not to poison the children.

It's good basic advice and I hardly ever screw it up.

Read more here.

- - -

Closer to this corner of the Solar System, the Leafs lost in Calgary last night. I didn't watch much of it. Sorry. Too old, too tired. But I did manage to catch some of the Montreal-Ottawa game and the Habs, God love 'em, thrashed the Sens 4-0.

I don't care for Ottawa's hockey team. Not sure if I've ever mentioned it before.

You can gleefully read about the Sens losing (again) here.

Or you can read about the Leafs losing here.

Pittsburgh kicked a field goal in overtime to beat the Red Wings last night 7-6. Or something like that. Talk about a shootout. Jordan Staal scored three times in the third period for the Pens. More here.

It's a potpourri of losers!

- - -

Back to US politics for a minute. Want to load the family in the woody wagon and head to Washington for the Obama inauguration on Jan 20? Bring your wallet.

Tickets are supposed to be distributed free via Congressional office holders. But they are apparently showing up for sale online for as much as $40,000.

Now as much as I enjoy a good speech and a slice of ~~pizza~~ history, it seems a bit silly to take the kids' college fund and but one ticket to a parade on a cold day.

But if you want to, well, be my guest. But I have a better deal. For half that amount -- $20,000 -- you can come to my house and watch it on HDTV. I'll provide the beer and a steak and non-stop political analysis, including a recitation, word for word, of John F. Kennedy's inaugural address.

Offer limited to first five people with $20,000.

Read more on the inauguration ticket scalpers here.

- - -

Do you have a code name? Laura has all kinds of special names for me, but because a lot of minor hockey players drop by here sometimes, I can't post them.

But one of the perks of becoming president is that you get a cool code name from the Secret Service -- the guys in dark suits and Ray Bans who talk into tiny microphones in their sleeves.

The new president will be known as Renegade. His lovely bride is Renaissance. The daughters are Radiance and Rosebud.

I dunno.

I think if I was the new president, I'd ask for a more kick-ass handle. Like, Bonecrusher. Or Rambo. Or maybe Sittler.

On the other hand, what's up with the Secret Service telling people the code names? Does that make any sense? If I send a dozen pizzas to the White House for Renegade, isn't the Secret Service going to look stupid?

Read more here.

- - -

If you grew up where I did and you liked to read, my dad always had a never-ending supply of sports books, especially baseball. I think one of the reasons there's so much great writing about baseball is that it takes eight hours to play a game and sportswriters pass the time by writing books.

Anyway. Somewhere along the way I read a lot about Herb Score, who was, to use the cliché, a fireballing lefthander for the Cleveland Indians back in the 1950s. His career was cut short when he was 23 after he took a line drive to the face that really caused a lot of damage. He eventually moved to the broadcast booth where he was the radio voice of the Indians for more than three decades.

Herb Score died yesterday. He was 75. I never read a single word about the guy that said he was anything but destined for greatness. Ted Williams said he had the greatest fastball he ever saw from a lefthander. Teddy Ballgame would know.

Read more about Herb Score's life here, in his home town newspaper.

Nov 11, 2008

Better writers than me will expend a lot of energy today to remind you to honour the sacrifices, past and present, of brave men and women at home and abroad, protecting the freedoms we routinely take for granted.

Remember.

- - -

Last night was the annual Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which means it was very difficult for ordinary folk to get from one part of downtown Toronto to Union Station, especially if like me you shortcut through Brookfield Place, the former BCE Place.

Satellite trucks and assorted guests, media and hangers on cram into the Great Hall and talk hockey, and last night they honoured Igor Larionov, Glen Anderson, Ray Scapinello, and Ed Chynoweth.

The induction ceremony is always a big night on the hockey calendar and coming as it does around Remembrance Day, I think it makes people reflect more deeply on being Canadian, including our national heritage that is hockey. At least, I do.

To this point, look no further than Saturday night's pre-game ceremony at the ACC, prior to the Leaf-Habs game.

If only -- if only -- the Leafs could build hockey teams the way they build pre-game ceremonies, the rafters of the ACC would groan from the stress of so many championship banners.

As numerous hall of famers and some honoured veterans watched, former Leaf and one-time rookie of the year (he beat a Quebecer named Maurice Richard to win the Calder Trophy in 1942-43) Gaye Stewart -- a veteran of the Second World War -- gave as fine a reading of In Flanders Fields as I think I have ever heard.

All four of us -- a rare hole in the Saturday night schedule permitting us to all be under one roof for a few hours -- watched and listened transfixed by the emotion and power of those moments. The enormity of the sacrifices made so selflessly by so many are truly humbling.

And that's probably a good place to leave it today. The Leafs are in Calgary tonight for a late start.

In the meantime, wear your poppy and remember.

If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

— Lt.-Col. John McCrae

Nov 10, 2008

The MOHA peewee red Wings played in a one-day tournament in Shelburne on the weekend, coming home with bad bowling scores and a hockey championship.

I'm told Brendan Dickie, Carter Sanders & Michael Fallon led the way with nine-points in three wins over a pair of Shelburne teams and another from Woolwich.

The coach reports that he is glad the team plays hockey and is not involved in competitive bowling. A spokesman at the Kingpin Bowl in Orangeville could not be reached for comment.

Congratulations, guys.

- - -

Meanwhile a pair of Oakville Ranger teams struck gold at Can-Am tournaments in Lake Placid. Read about the Peewee AA and the minor bantam A Rangers by clicking the links. Congratulations to both teams.

- - -

Quiet start to the week in the house on the hockey front. I'll enjoy it while it lasts. Sorry for the short blog today. Crowded train and nothing interesting happened to me yesterday after two hours of watching novice hockey yesterday following by an hour of peewee white practice followed by an hour and 40 minutes of Rangers practice.

I went for a walk in between and a six-K jaunt turned into a nearly 10 K trek. But I slept really well last night and I eventually found my way home.

I don't think anyone noticed I was gone, so I'm not sure what to make of that.

Remembrance Day is tomorrow. For Pete's sake, buy a poppy. Or two. Or three.

Nov 9, 2008

Good morning from Joshua's Creek Arenas. A short update.

Chris has a noon practice today so we traded his 11:30a timekeeping for a 9:30a shift and then we'll sprint from here to Ice2Ice. I recommend you stay clear of the roads from about 11:30a till 11:50a.

Chris and the Sunopta Gators rode Cam Cook's strong goaltending to a 2-0 win over the first-place Hound Dogs on Saturday, creating a log jam near the top of MOHA's peewee white standings. Two teams at 5-1-0, another at 4-1-1, another at 3-2-1, and another at 3-3-0. It's shaping up as one of those seasons where any team can win on any given day.

The Gators will be back on the ice under the Friday night lights against a Burlington squad in a friendly exhibition game.

- - -

The Leafs handed the Habs their first road loss of the season last night in what wasn't a technically executed piece of hockey perfection but was, none the less, a very entertaining game.

Game over story here.

Mike Van Ryn took a particularly nasty hit from behind into the boards, suffering a concession, broken nose and broken finger at the hands of Tom Kostopoulos. The funny thing is, you could tell from Kostopoulus's reaction that he didn't mean for it to play out that way. At least that was my read, and I'm a Leaf fan.

Having said that, players are responsible for what they do on the ice. I'm guessing there will be discipline.

Read more here.

- - -

The guy coaching Chris's team this year goes way above and beyond the call of duty in creating a fun, learning atmosphere for the boys. And yesterday he showed up with team-embroidered hoodies and toques.

Chris was sitting on the sofa last night watching the hockey game wearing both, and he's wearing them again now in the timekeepers' box at JC.

So cool. Thanks Coach Brian!

Go Gators!

Nov 7, 2008. Take Two.

Work never did ease up, but at least I got to burn off a day of accumulated vacation. Seems like a good deal for someone, but maybe not me. But I did get out on the ice for two hours with a couple peewee white teams and two IP-age little brothers, who naturally stole the show.

The big kids were incredible with the small guys -- one of whom was immediately dubed "Little Dude" by the peewees and the name stuck. And when he scored on a penalty shot in the scrimmage, the boys on both sides almost brought the house down.

Cool moment. Little Dude and his buddy are going to be a key components of some lucky Ranger coach's success in the not too distant future. No doubt about it.

And if you ask the boys what the best part of the two hours was, well, that would be the shootout at the end.

Everyone loves a shootout.

Gotta go. Ranger practice then home to start my day off.

Nov 7, 2008

I took today off because it's a PD day for the boys. Normally, that means I get to relax in the family room in the morning while everyone sleeps, and I can peck away here and present worthless scribble for you to read.

I've been on the phone with work for most of the last two hours. I will try to scribble later.

But withhold the emails asking where I am!

Nov 6, 2008

It was a hectic evening. I didn't get home until well after 7p, at which point I had about 15 minutes to change, enjoy dinner with Laura and then head back out the door with Chris for his team's MOHA gym session. The boys love this stuff and everyone had fun.

From there it was back home just after 9p. Chris hopped out of the car, Pad hopped in and off we went to Maplegrove for the coveted 60-minute 9:50p Rangers practice.

I was already dressed in warm-up pants and a sweat shirt so when we got to Maplegrove I told Pad I was going for a long walk but I would be back before he got off the ice.

I told him I "am going to get buff. The babes are going to look right past you and check me out!"

He looked at me for a moment. And then he laughed. Out loud. In my face.

Kids.

Anyway, I walked almost seven kilometres and slept really well. No signs of buff, though.

- - -

Earlier this week, on the last night of the American election campaign, Barack Obama went on MTV. After two years of being grilled on every imaginable ballot-box issue, he was asked for opinions on a bunch of things. And one of the things he was asked about was sagging pants. You know the ones I mean -- the style of young men in some quarters to wear their jeans slung very low so that the top eight to ten inches of their ass and underwear are on full display.

In some American municipalities, there's talk of a new decency bylaw to compel young men to, um, pull up their drawers.

The soon-to-be president was asked his view.

He said he feels passing a law on pants, when there are so many more substantial issues facing the country, is a waste of time and not a priority.

But he didn't stop there. I quote:

"Having said that, brothers should pull up their pants. You're walking by your mother, your grandmother and your underwear's showing, what's going on with that? Walking down the street showing your underwear. You don't have to pass a law, it doesn't mean people shouldn't have some sense and some respect for other people. A lot of people may not want to see your underwear. I'm one of them."

Is it too late to try to vote for this guy?

- - -

A last election question: why is it Canada can hold an election, vote on paper, and have every ballot hand-counted and a winner declared in every riding by midnight, and Americans, using high-tech funky touch screens still haven't declared a winner of the presidential electoral college votes in Missouri or North Carolina, with 100 per cent of the polls reporting, 36 hours after the polls closed?

The question is somewhat rhetorical. I know some of the reasons. But, come on people. Really.

- - -

Having the 4th Line bridge over the QEW back in service is a great time saver for those of us up in the gnarly 'hood in Glen Abbey. So, for that, we're grateful. But if you've had opportunity to actually use the new bridge, you may be left wondering, like me, if the ramp up to the bridge on the north side was built by Evel Knievel Contractors Inc.

On the north side of QEW, at the bottom of 4th line just past the former intersection of 4th Line and North Service, the road dips down and then immediately up severely, a challenging grade in the road that produces the same sensation in the pit of your stomach as the one you used to get as a kid from sitting at the back of a school bus that had hit a big pothole. Hit at the right speed, I think you could achieve status of stuntman on Dukes of Hazzard.

Maybe there's an engineer out there who knows about these things, or maybe the town used the building code for Nepal on this project.

It seems very weird.

- - -

Leafs are in Boston tonight. Probability of overtime remains high, as does the probability of a loss in a shootout or OT.

Kids have a PD Day tomorrow. Lots of house league coaches with extra ice for their teams and friends all over town.

Nov 5, 2008

And the men who hold high places
Must be the ones who start
To mold a new reality
Closer to the heart

Closer To the Heart, by Neil Peart/Peter Talbot, 1977

Change has come to America.

Senator Barack Obama, president-elect of the United States of America, 2008

We stayed up. We stayed up until the polls closed on the West Coast and California, Oregon and Washington put the skinny black guy from Illinois (or Hawaii) over the top and made history -- not just for his party or country, but for everyone.

Chris was in bed before Obama finally spoke but Pad stayed up for it.

The speech was forceful but understated. It carried a dignity that is usually absent in the raw jubilation that often erupts after such victories, hard earned and well fought. After the speech, there was no pounding pop song or fireworks or balloons. There was no excess. In this day and age, that's different.

No one should be under any illusion that Obama will change things overnight. But with this mandate and control of both houses of Congress, there's no excuse for not making things happen fast.

My kids come from a part of a generation who think absolutely nothing of a the colour of a person's skin, or how or if they worship, or any of the defining baggage of bigotry. Having just finished reading To Kill a Mockingbird, Pad is not blind to history, or naive about human nature, but he's hopeful and curious about the future.

Obama didn't run as a black candidate. He ran as a candidate who happened to be black and Americans didn't care about his colour. There's a message in there.

We all are hopeful about the future. For two years we've heard about change. We're ready for change.

Read more about America's historic night here.

And the president elect will find, as he surely knows, that the easy part is behind him, if you can imagine that. The troubles awaiting him are massive. Read about that here.

In one lifetime, albeit preceded by centuries of oppression, America has gone from segregated schools and lynching's and dogs attacking children in the streets, to electing a black president. Read more on that journey here.

John McCain -- a patriot on a level that few of us can ever imagine -- was incredibly generous and gracious in defeat. A man once marginalized by his own party, McCain's grit and tenacity and energy were impressive, all the more so for a man of 72. He started from a deep hole, running as he was against not just the most charismatic agent of change in American politics since Clinton/Gore in 1992, but also against the record of George W. Bush, and his own bad judgment in selecting an untested novice as his running mate. But his concession speech was one for the ages. Read more here.

- - -

After we got home from Dick Decloe, and after he had his shower, and after I cleaned up a bunch of work email, Chris settled in front of the TV to watch the Leaf game and I turned on the TV in the kitchen and my laptop. Emails flew between me and work colleagues as we watched the evening unfold.

Chris was keenly interested and popped in every 10 minutes or so to ask if Obama had won yet.

At one point I had a big interactive electoral map on my screen and Chris walked in.

"Do you see the chef, dad?"

Huh?

"The chef. In the map -- do you see him."

No, I don't.

He then pointed out something that I've missed in a life spend analyzing ballot box politics.

The Chef States, outlined below. North to south -- Minnesota is the hat. Iowa is the face and nose. Missouri in the belly. Arkansas the legs and Louisiana is the boots. Once you see it, you'll never look at a map of the USA the same way.

Very cool to learn something new from your 12 year old political analyst.

- - -

Speaking of big wins, the minor midget AA Rangers beat Caledon 7-2 last night at home. I wasn't able to be there, but the Rangers built a 4-0 lead and then brought the win home, putting them at 9-2-1 in league play, a single point out of first.

- - -

And the Leafs . . . well, they lost in OT. Again. And I have to confess, I didn't see much of it as I followed the election on the tube. But to give credit where it's due, they turned around a 4-1 deficit and had a chance to win.

To damn with faint praise . . . um,. they lost.

Even worse, Ottawa won!

Read about the Leaf game here.

Nov 4, 2008

Are you on Facebook? If yes, are you sick of it yet?

Our older kid signed on to the social networking juggernaut a couple of years ago. I opened an account of my own, just to understand what it is, what kids do there, etc.

I can dutifully report back that "social networking" means "online way to waste time."

There's a Facebook group for every cause or need, from Save The Whales to Fans of Springsteen to Family Tree to Save Endangered Swedish Lingerie Models.

People, it seems, will just give, and give, and give.

What got me thinking about this was last night I was doing some work on my laptop and Chris started to chat with me online, via Facebook. Never mind that we were in the same house. He used the technology because it was there, and he could.

I thought to myself, "Hmm. That's just lazy."

Later that night a show came on that we were watching (the SNL election special) and Laura said Pad might be interested it too. I was, at that moment, sunk deeply into the sofa in the family room, not terribly interested in getting up and either searching the house for Pad, or yelling to find him.

So, I grabbed my Blackberry and texted him. He responded immediately.

And again I thought to myself, this time of my own behaviour, "Hmm. That's just lazy."

Yep. But it worked.

- - -

We are regular viewers of Weeds, which like so many HBO and Showtime productions is edgy, funny and totally not suitable for family viewing. Last night, I heard Kevin Nealon utter the funniest line I've heard on a TV show since Mary Tyler Moore cracked up at Chuckles the Clown's funeral. I laughed for 10 minutes. I'm laughing again now. I'd reproduce it here, except it doesn't meet with the <generally> G-rated themes of Teamoakville.

But if you like edgy TV and haven't watched Weeds, go to a store and rent season one, and start from the beginning.

- - -

We're finding it harder and harder, in spite of the PVR technology that allows nearly idiot-proof recording of shows, to stay current with the shows we want to watch.

On cable, it's Weeds, Dexter, Entourage, and Californication.

On network TV, it's Boston Legal, CSI: Miami (only so I can make fun of Horatio), House (anyone notice how EVER SINGLE EPISODE is exactly the same?), and Grey's Anatomy. Laura likes Brothers and Sisters. And we recently abandoned Desperate Housewives, which no longer makes the cut.

We refuse to watch any TV show in real time, because we can't stand the advertising. I understand that his a bad thing for the producers of these shows and the networks, but that's a fact.

If you're thinking we watch a lot of TV, well you'd be wrong. Just because we record it, doesn't mean we ever get to watch it. If the main characters in a TV broadcast are wearing skates, they stand a better chance.

Plus, Chris often has the PVR set up to record HIS shows -- like Canada's Worst Driver, Mythbusters and the ubiquitous Corner Gas, which is now on TV somewhere on some channel in Canada ever hour of the day.

- - -

Americans will elect a new president today after the longest, most expensive election process in the history of the world.

It would seem ridiculous at this point to think Obama will not win, but after the events of the 2000 Florida recount, no one should assume anything in the great democracy to our south.

But if I can dispense with the cynicism for a moment, this election is different.

Americans are poised to put a spike through the politics of race and elect a person of colour not because he is black, but because they judge him the better candidate.

Obama's speech tonight in Chicago, to a lakefront crowd anticipated to be in excess of one million people, will be a watershed moment in American and world history.

If you can, I'd encourage you to let your kids watch it with you.

John McCain will be the last person from the pre-boomer generation who will contest the presidency. I'm betting that door will close tonight and leadership from newer generations will forever take the stage.

America is an easy country for outsiders to hate, but make no mistake it is a great nation. The challenges facing the winner tonight are so complex, so fraught, so expensive, and of such a global imperative it's hard to imagine why any person would want the job.

But, that's politics.

Expect to hear a lot tonight and the days ahead about "the first 100 days." Americans -- and American media -- have a preoccupation with measuring action in arbitrary terms. Obama will not be able to get out from under that expectation. The war. The economy. Unemployment. Health care. Global Warming. Poverty. I could go on and on.

Regardless of what happens, it will be quite a night. The United States will either have its first black president (assuming you don't count Morgan Freeman in Deep Impact, or Dennis Haysbert on 24) or its first woman vice president.

- - -

It will be a busy night for some of us trying to squeeze in the election.

Chris has Dick Decloe this evening and his brother has a game at 8:30p at Joshua Creek, against Caledon. Both minor midget AA teams have only two losses on the season so it should be a good one.

And then, the Leafs are hosting Carolina tonight. So, I expect a lot of us will be playing catch-as-catch-can with election coverage.

Nov 3, 2008

Oh -- I forgot. This one is for the family back in NS/NB. Chris, as The Joker:

Nov 3, 2008

Way, way back I have the vaguest recollection of sitting in our living room with my dad watching the then-newly minted Montreal Expos on TV. This was by no means a ritual -- my dad was a Yankees fan patiently waiting for Toronto to get a team to cheer for, and I was too young to sit still for more than an inning. But we had company that night and we were sitting in the living watching the Expos and my dad said something I always remembered.

"They're not very good but they're entertaining to watch."

And on that note, we return again to a discussion of our local heroes, who went to Carolina on Sunday, built a 3-1 third period lead and then put on display their considerable shortcomings, lest anyone in Leaf Nation delude themselves into thinking that this is anything approaching a top-tier NHL team.

But -- they are entertaining to watch.

Five straight goals for on Saturday night against the Rangers to win.

Four straight goals against on Sunday to lose against the 'Canes.

It's going to be a long season, but I think it will be worth watching.