Lament for a (Hockey) Nation

First of all, apologies for taking so long to post since my last one.  Many of the current and former principals I know have forewarned me how busy May can be … but sometimes you need to live it to believe it.

My friends and family, as well as most Appleby students, know that I am a proud but long-suffering Leafs fan. I have been an avid follower since as far back as I can remember. Leafs like Darryl Sittler, Bobby Baun, Mike Palmateer, Lanny McDonald, and especially Borje Salming and Davey Keon were my heroes, and I often pretended to be them playing road hockey games or the street version of “Showdown in the NHL.” I went to my first game in Maple Leaf Gardens with my elderly grandmother to see the Leafs defeat the Vancouver Canucks (with the old green and blue framed hockey stick jerseys) in 1973. She was a rabid fan and had seasons tickets for decades (dating all the way back to the old Mutual Street Arena,) which allowed her and my grandfather to see numerous Stanley Cup victories.

I’ve had the good fortune to be at many memorable games, including the night Salming had his face skated on, as well as many playoff matches, including game 7 of the LA/Toronto series (the Gretzky non-call.)

There have been lots of journeys close to the summit (I think especially of the semi-final runs in ’93, ‘94, ‘99 and 2002.) But of course there have also been too many “down-to-the- depths” times – especially during the Ballard years. I was at a memorial service recently and the clergyman quipped that the deceased (a friend of mine) should have been a Leafs fan, because when he faced the final tally with St. Peter at the gates of Heaven, admission would be guaranteed due to the facty that Leafs fans have already suffered more than enough down on Earth.   

Perhaps there has been no Leafs series in the last few decades that captured the epic feel of a Shakespearean tragedy more than the one that ended in collapse last night. Like 40% of the population of Canada (a new record,) we were transfixed by the early deficit, charging back to a three goal, seemingly insurmountable lead, before losing the lead in just over 10 minutes, and eventually succumbing to the Bruins in overtime. All this in a forum of bloodied warriors playing with reckless intensity.

My eldest son, Jack, is the most cerebral member of our family and least interested in sports. His passions run to History and Geography more than body checks and slap shots. It makes little sense to him why people get so worked up while watching sports. I am guilty as charged, but Jack does raise an interesting sociological question about where we choose to make our emotional investments. There is something very primal about rallying around a team and feeling that strong bond with other fans than transcends almost everything else. It is fascinating to see people who have absolutely nothing in common with each other and, who would otherwise not even give each other the time of day, embrace each other in celebration, or console each other in loss, living vicariously through their common team.

The lesson for schools is the great potential of sports to be hugely important not only in the development of the individuals who participate, but also in the school community as a whole. Sports can have the rare ability to draw a community together and to forge a common focus and strength. Appleby has a very strong sports heritage. As we look forward, we have an interesting opportunity to define the right blend of sports at each age level – questions like competiveness versus participation, and breadth of offering versus depth. As well, we have to define the best way to leverage our sports program to build community and connection.

And on the matter of grieving for the Leafs … (unlike George P. Grant, the author of Lament for a Nation,) I am the eternal optimist and have moved beyond disbelief, anger, sadness, etc. to hope and commitment to move forward. Here’s how I see it:

·         Yes,  it certainly was a terrible collapse … but:

·         Who would have thought at the start of the season that the Leafs would have so convincingly made the playoffs?

·         The Leafs have slayed the demon of the Bruins. While we lost the series, the Bruins no longer have the hex over Toronto

·         The Leafs were on the edge of one of the greatest comebacks of all time – coming back from the 3-1 game deficit. People wrote them off after game 1, then again after game 4, but they kept bouncing back. They were a superb example of resiliency in the face of adversity.

·         Some of the very best teams of the last few decades had great playoff runs preceded by a disappointing performance the previous year

·         The Leafs are the second youngest team in the NHL, they have a great goaltender and a savvy coach. The future is very bright in Leafs-land, and I am very proud of what they managed to achieve this year

GO LEAFS GO! … next year