Brianland

This happens in the last second of the season, when it’s all over.

This is the alternate captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs intentionally spearing a first-game rookie in the nuts at the last second of the season.  You can see the spear at the 4, 13, very clearly at 22, a second one at 26, and again at 43.

It reminds me of a certain Domi elbow to an Islander’s head at the end of another season not long ago.

It’s not just that they’ve sucked for 40 years (Chicago hasn’t won it either), but it’s incidents like these that are then defended by their fans that makes this team and its devotees so disliked.  You think of what so many fans in this town said about their best all-time player a month ago when he wouldn’t agree to be shoved off the ship.  And how it’s so painfully similar to what they did to Frank Mahovlich many years ago.  And what the team did to Darryl Sittler.  And Lanny McDonald before that.  It’s just a legacy of bad sportsmanship from ownership to the players to the fans, that seems to be reinforced by its own culture, and repeats itself over and over and over again.

But what a lovely final and fitting image for all hockey fans and players to take with them into the playoffs and post-season:  The alternate captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs spearing a 1st game rookie in the nuts after both the game and season are decided.

For more on the state of the Toronto Maple Leafs — go here.

For more on the upcoming playoffs — go here.

And for more hockey stories . . . check out the time I snuck onto the Penguins team bus during the playoffs.

Or the description of Blue Heaven at Madison Square Garden.

Or this amazing primer of Everything You Need to Know about hockey at the Olympics.

Or the complete printable Olympic team rosters with positions, stats, jersey numbers and everything for all the main teams.

Or there’s this nice printable one-sheet of the Penguins playoff roster.

Or a similar printable one-sheet for the Red Wings playoff roster.

Or a riff on how Canada’s flagship broadcast Hockey Night In Canada has suddenly become good again.

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by Brian Hassett           karmacoupon@gmail.com              BrianHassett.com