You Can Call It A Rose...
The Maple Leafs Past Should Guide Them, Instead Of Blinding Them From The Truth.
In Montreal the legends of Les Canadiens past Stanley Cup triumphs are generally expected to keep their opinions about the current Habs roster to themselves. In much the same way that a former Prime Minister or President might withdraw from public life and take on the role of ‘Statesmen’, a la Jean Béliveau. Béliveau famously declined the job as Governor General of Canada, offered to him by his friend and then Prime Minister Jean Chrétien.
Gentlemen Jean remained in his ceremonial role as Statesmen of Les Canadiens. Shawinigan Jean understood, and hung around for a few more fist fights as PM. Élise Béliveau still sits next to her husbands empty seat behind the bench at Canadiens games. Élise Béliveau, the Monarch of Les Glorieux, visits with dignitaries from her throne before the game and between periods. Adored.
Such sports traditions are rare. To be revered requires a damn good reason. No one hands you that kind of respect. It comes from accomplishment and accountability. It requires grace and reverence. Jean Béliveau won 10 Stanley Cups with the Canadiens as a player. His first in 1956 with Maurice ‘The Rocket’ Richard and his last in 1971 with rookie goalie Ken Dryden.
The Toronto Maples don’t retire numbers. A tradition of their own.
Bill Barilko disappeared on fishing trip. The last goal he ever scored won the Leafs the Cup. Maybe the Leafs should start. Daryl Sittler deserves it for being an other worldly hockey talent and suffering through the Steinbrenner-esque indignities of Leafs owner Harold Ballard. The Leafs last Stanley Cup was in 1967, which seems an awful long time ago, yet in the lore of the Montreal Canadiens it’s as if long ago was just yesterday.
From failing hands we pass the torch.
Reverence and accountability that spring eternal from the accomplishments of those who came before. For the Toronto Maple Leafs maybe it only seems so long ago because they don’t know how to remember. Perhaps a winning tradition requires the art of ceremony. The responsibility of representing the franchise comes with expectations. Who is it that sits gracefully, rink side in Toronto to remind the players of what once was, and can be again, if only they would try to remember, try to honour and stand accountable?
Who are these fans that throw Leaf jerseys on the ice? What do they honour in that? Certainly not Johnny Bower.
What former Leafs player might finally speak up and say what we all see? Scoring titles are won against bad teams. Stanley Cups are won against the best teams.
In 2014, in a rare moment of candour the Canadiens legend Guy Lafleur spoke truth to failure.
“It’s not enough to be happy with a good season. You don’t play hockey to have a good season. You play to win the Stanley Cup. Let’s be objective,” Lafleur told La Presse in French. “Guys like Vanek and Pacioretty, you don’t keep these guys on your team. They should stay home if they’re not ready to pay the price. Your team will never win with players like this who fade when confronted by adversity.”
Let us all pray to god and his disciples, high above in the cathedrals of Bay Street, that the Leafs find it in themselves to honour the past and wear their Fifty Mission Caps.
If it is not in the present, in the media scrum and amongst the jersey tossers, then let it be in the words of Wendel or Mats or Dougie. Do better, try harder and find it in your heart to be a leader and win.
 | A guest post by
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