Toronto Is A Mess

Before you read any further, keep in mind that I haven't been in downtown Toronto for many years and I fully expected there to be changes. I don't mind change but the inconveniences that go along with those changes can be quite a hurdle for some people.

Yonge-Dundas Square

I actually love Toronto. More so in the summer than the winter but overall I think it's an amazing city full of interesting things to do and a wide variety of people both sane and off the wall.

This past Saturday I had tickets to the Toronto Maple Leafs game. They were playing my favourite team the Montreal Canadiens and I was looking forward to attending the game with my 75 year old father who is a life long Habs fan as well.

We decided that since we hadn't been to Toronto in a bunch of years that we'd go up early, catch the GO Train in Oshawa and take it to Union Station and then go from there.

First off, I have to wonder how many people get to ride the GO Train for free. Me being an honest person, I entered the Oshawa station and forked over the money for my Adult ticket and my fathers Senior ticket which were both Day Passes so we could catch the return train after the game. At no point on either trip did anyone ask to see our tickets. I could have just as easily, and I'm sure many do, walked through the station and just hopped on the train. When the game was over we did the exact same thing walking up to track level and boarding the train for the ride home. I could have saved myself $30.

Dad in the Eaton Centre

That's a minor thing. However, upon arriving at Union Station we were greeted by some bad news. The Subway wasn't working. Judging by the extreme construction going on outside the station on Front Street, I can only assume that was the reason for it. We had planned to jump on the Subway for the short ride up to the Eaton Centre.

It really isn't too far up Yonge Street to Queen Street where you can enter the Eaton Centre from the South entrance. Just a few blocks, but for a 75 year old man who isn't overly active, that's a good hike uphill. We could have jumped on a bus but to be honest, I don't have a bloody clue what bus to take so it seemed a safer bet to just hoof it.

By the time we got there my father was beat. He was shaking from the cold and exhausted from the hike. It took him quite a while to stop shaking but he was days before he had recovered from the walk up and back.

Now after resting and doing a bit more walking at the Eaton Centre we decided the best bet to keep my dad warm was to take the PATH back to Union Station and the Air Canada Centre for the game. I'd never walked the PATH before but it's underground out of the cold and wind so it made sense. It was actually quite a nice walk but all of the restaurants and stores were closed which I thought was odd for a city of this size.

Dad and Me waiting for the game to start at the ACC

My biggest complaint about the PATH was the fact the public washrooms were locked. Every washroom we came across was locked and the further we went the worse we needed one. I finally asked a security guard where I could find an open bathroom. He pointed us south to another closed food court area where we did locate a place to relieve ourselves. I'm sure we couldn't have been the only people cursing the city that day and I know for a fact my father wasn't the only senior citizen down there where bathrooms would be a welcome sight.

Despite the transit mess and washrooms like Fort Knox, we did get back to Union Station. Dad was exhausted and I was tempted to just get back on the train and head home without going to the hockey game but the stubborn old fool wanted to wait to see if he felt better.

Montreal playing Toronto. The Habs won of course!

Well, he eventually did, or at least he said he did and we made it to the game. But not before the poor guy had to walk to the South side of the ACC to Gate 4. I thought I was going to have to get him a wheel chair or carry him after the game to get him home. Once the game ended we made the long walk back to Union Station and on to the GO Train for the ride back to Oshawa. The train was full and after a few stops a seat opened up and dad was able to sit down and rest. I knew he was tired when he handed me the keys to drive his truck home.

I hope to visit Toronto again in the near future to do some shopping but I hope if I do go in the summer, the city is more accessible. I realize that upgrading the cities infrastructure must be done and they try to do it with as little frustration to the public as possible but for some it's just unavoidable. While it isn't an issue for me, there are thousands of other tourists who will rely on the services that weren't available to us on this particular visit.

I Blame The Maple Leafs

It's all finally making sense to me. It has now become crystal clear why in the middle of April and well into Spring, it feels this cold. It's actually -3C at this very moment as I type this. Hell has finally frozen over and all the blame falls squarely on those damn Toronto Maple Leafs.

Last night for the first time in something like 30 years (okay it's more like eight years) the Toronto Maple Leafs officially qualified for the playoffs.

Now I won't make excuses by reminding everyone that this is a shortened season and the Leafs are notorious for collapsing during the second half of a normal season which would usually start around this time. I don't mean April, I mean after this number of games played. So they certainly had that going in their favour.

While I'm not a Toronto fan (that's an understatement, I hate the Leafs) I am happy to see my many friends, who happen to be Leafs fans, thrilled by ending the post-season appearance drought.

But I caution the Blue & White faithful, don't start planning any parades just yet. Getting to the playoffs is one thing but winning the Stanley Cup is another beast all-together. Playoff hockey is entirely different from regular season hockey and only the best of the best or the hottest team peaking at the right time will get to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup when it's all over. Sixteen wins is all it takes but they never come easy.

Of course anything is possible once you make the playoffs. But I'd bet the Stanley Cup drought will continue for Toronto this year. For those keeping track, this would be 46 years since the Leafs last won the Stanley Cup should they fail to do it this year. To put that into perspective, I turn 45 this summer, so I wasn't even alive the last time they won. I have however been alive long enough to see my beloved Montreal Canadiens win the Cup a total of nine times. That doesn't include the cup they won just before I was born. I thought I'd mention that.

Bring on the Playoffs!!

Sorry NHL, All Not Forgotten

This shortened NHL season is quickly coming to an end with about 20 games left at this point. The season was shortened some of you may recall due to the lockout and subsequent butting of rich guy heads. On the one side you had the owners who are mega rich and the other side the players who aren't all equally rich but certainly well paid.

Left out in the cold were the fans. People like you and me who shell out our hard earned cash to attend games and buy merchandise of our favourite teams. My team being the Montreal Canadiens of course.

I won't sit here and pretend I'm still all bitter and refuse to watch the games because that just isn't the case and I'm sure for the majority the anger over the lockout has subsided. Sure I've let go of the resentment I had towards these wealthy individuals who made a mockery of the world greatest game. I'm no longer angry at those people. I'm angry at myself for just accepting it and moving on as if nothing happened.

We were denied one of our winter passions for far too long and in the end we the fans got nothing once the game returned. Oh sure, we got to see our boys back on the ice hitting, fighting and scoring but while the owners and players reaped the rewards of an extended summer break and a new deal, the fans saw nothing significant as a gesture to say sorry.

In all honesty, what could they have done? What grand gesture would have smoothed things over with the NHL fan base and appeased the masses enough to forgive and forget? Probably nothing and the NHL knew that. They also knew the fans would come back. Well, they came back in the arenas where they always show up. The non-hockey market teams continue to see more empty seats than filled.

Carey Price & PK Subban celebrate another win.

This fan is glad the NHL is back but I haven't forgotten their selfishness and disrespect for the people whom without their support, these players and some owners wouldn't have their wealth or comfortable living. I still tune in every game to watch my Habs in action and luckily this season so far Montreal is having a good showing sitting in first place in the East Conference. But one thing I haven't done this season is buy tickets to games, subscribe to the Center Ice package or purchase NHL team merchandise like I have in the past. I refuse to spend any of my small income on anything that will directly fund the owners, players or league.

I realize my one small gesture won't make a difference on the bottom line of these greedy owners but if I just continued on as I have in the past, then I'd just be giving them a free pass as if nothing had ever happened and I couldn't live with that. There has to be consequences with someone wrongs you and no matter how small the gesture, it helps me to justify continuing to enjoy the game I've loved my entire life.

Sorry We Suck

If I were a Toronto Maple Leafs fan I would be embarrassed. Not by the pitiful results the team has posted 8 years in a row (45 years since the last championship), or the way they constantly collapse down the stretch year after year or by their inconsistent goaltending, defense or lack of depth up front, but by the way the Leafs management and ownership thinks an apology makes up for their ineptitude.

It’s baffling to me how a once proud and powerful National Hockey League franchise can fall into such disrepair and disarray. It’s even more perplexing how Larry Tannenbaum and his rich and powerful senior staff can arrive at the idea that an apology in the local media will smooth things over.

Of course, I’m not even remotely a Toronto fan. I’m as far from it as is humanly possible. I’m a die-hard, red, white and blue, poutine eating, “ole ole” and “nah nah hey hey” singing Montreal Canadiens fan. But that doesn’t mean I can’t sympathize with Leafs fans, several of which I consider good friends.

I just sat through one of the worst seasons in Montreal history with management issues, coaching issues, player issues and poor results on the ice. As bad as it was, I’d still take the Habs over the Leafs any day. Montreal is trying to make moves to solve the problems of missing only one year of the playoffs. The GM is gone, the coach was fired mid-season and the interim coach will likely be let go as well. Add to that an assurance from the ownership that they’re committed to restoring the storied franchise to its rightful place among the league’s elite teams and I’m satisfied that they’re making an effort at least. I just hope it leads to results.

But what are they doing in Toronto? Yes they fired the coach and as much as I dislike Ron Wilson, the mess they’re in was hardly his fault. The Leafs this season were great guys but aside from maybe a handful of players, the rest were not skilled enough to succeed on a consistent basis. Sure they had good nights but those games were few and far between.

So who’s to blame? Is it bad scouting and drafting? Is GM Brian Burke, the architect of the team to blame? I don’t claim to be an expert but I think these are the two main issues with the Leafs.

Brian Burke

I am amazed that Brian Burke still has a key to the Air Canada Centre. The ultimate blame has to fall on him. This is his team and while they haven’t drafted well, with the amount of money behind this team, it amazes me that they can’t draw more skilled free agents or make trades to improve their situation. Let’s be honest, the deal for Phil Kessel looked bad when Burke made it and it looks even worse today. The picks they lost in that one deal were huge. I’m not saying Kessel isn’t a skilled player but he’s not worth the price they paid for him. But that’s old news and what’s done is done.

Toronto has to move on and right the ship before their fans finally come to their senses and revolt.  Its one thing to go to the games and “boo” the players but it’s another thing entirely to stop buying tickets, merchandise and lining the pockets of the owners Bell and Rogers who were smart for buying this franchise. They knew that no matter how much they sucked or how little they had to spend on the team, the cash was going to keep flowing in just as much as it would if they had a Stanley Cup contender.

At what point will the fans finally stop saying, “I support my team in good times and bad”? I appreciate the value of loyalty and not wanting to abandon your team but at some point you have to ask yourself, what are they doing to warrant my support and money? The relationship between the fan and the team is “give and take” and with Toronto the fans are giving everything and the Leafs ownership is gladly taking every dollar they can.

Obviously at this point the Leafs faithful are in it for the long haul or they would have done something besides bitch and moan by now. It would seem that they’re quite prepared to continue bending over and taking it from their beloved blue and white- jerseyed heroes. One thing is certain, unlike a lot of other fans in the league, Toronto supporters will be satisfied with one day making the Playoffs; while those other team’s fans expect and demand nothing less than a chance to celebrate with Lord Stanley’s Cup.

1967 Stanley Cup Champions

 

Church Of The Habs

Start Of The Third
Originally uploaded by *Bundy*

Whenever someone asks me what my religion is, I always answer with, "The Montreal Canadiens."

Of course that isn't completely accurate but the most successful NHL team is like a religion to me and the members of my immediate family. In fact, just recently I had a chance to visit my church (the Bell Centre) and take in a three period sermon on the ice.

As a life long Habs fans, my father and I had never seen the Canadiens play in Montreal. We never had a chance to see a game at the old Forum and until this occasion we'd never been to the new home to the winning-est team in NHL history.

We'd seen the Habs play in Toronto at Maple Leaf Gardens and the Air Canada Centre and we've even been to some Montreal games in Tampa Bay, the home of the Lightning.

But this was a special treat to finally watch our beloved Canadiens on home ice. It was a quick trip overall as we spent less than 24-hours in La Belle Province arriving by train. It was very cold as well which made walking around and seeing the city very difficult. I guess we'll have to visit again when the weather is nicer.

This trip however was all about seeing the Habs and the Bell Centre. Our hotel was only a block away so we ventured down early in the afternoon and braved the cold long enough to look at all of the plaques, statues, retired numbers and various other Canadiens items outside.

Later in the evening we returned to enjoy the game which was very entertaining even though Montreal lost to Carolina. Just being in the rink with the stands empty prior to the game was a special moment of quiet reflection. But to experience the atmosphere of a sold out Bell Centre with the NHL's most emotional, knowledgeable and boisterous fans was something to see and hear.

Being able to experience this with my dad was something special and even though the whole trip cost a pretty penny it was well worth it and I'd love to go again in the future. Preferably to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Goodbye Jacques

I can't tell you how thrilled I was to wake up this morning and hear that the Montreal Canadiens had fired coach Jacques Martin. As any life long Habs fan will tell you, when the team is struggling, we all take on the roll of the teams General Manager and try to assess what needs to be done to get the team on track and winning once again. It sucks to see anyone lose their job but this one was a long time coming.

After making it to the Conference Final just two seasons ago, the team saw a first round exit in the playoffs last season and so far they're struggling to stay around the .500 mark this year and time is quickly running out to make up ground and secure another playoff spot.

This isn't the Toronto Maple Leafs I'm talking about where missing the playoffs is not only tolerated but in recent history...expected. In Montreal where hockey is a religion for the fans of Le Canadiens, missing the playoffs is not something that they'll stand for and certainly won't put up with quietly.

So to no surprise over recent weeks the call for a change at the Head Coaching position has been gaining strength. Montreal fans are the most knowledgeable in the NHL and when they see something is wrong, odds are good the owners of the team and GM know it as well.

Now I'm not going to sit here and say that Jacques Martin was the only reason for Montreal's lackluster start to the season. His style of coaching and plan of attack was never well received in Montreal even when the team was doing well. The team has always succeeded when they used their superior speed and skill rather than trying to out muscle their opponents. Under Martin as of late, that game style disappeared. Instead of running and gunning they were sitting back and protecting leads. OK, let me rephrase that. They were trying to protect leads but doing a bloody awful job of it.

As I mentioned, Martin was only part of the problem and as witnessed tonight, the other problems were painfully obvious. Horrible decisions while in possession of the puck have been a trademark of the Habs of late. Giveaways in the defensive zone have become common place and those turnovers have more often than not found their way into the back of the net.

The power-play continues to be abysmal although it's hoped that the addition of Tomas Kaberle will help to turn that around and I think it has had an effect already.

The next big move the team needs to make is to fire the current GM Pierre Gauthier who has done very little to improve a deteriorating situation. I honestly think his days are numbered unless he can swing a deal to improve the teams offensive output and poor showing in the standings.

That brings us to what I think is the biggest elephant in the Montreal dressing room. The goal scorers aren't scoring. Where has Michael Cammalleri's pin point accuracy gone? I'm a big fan of Cammy's but this season he's looking more like Scott Gomez than the pint sized powerhouse we've seen in recent years. I'm sure he'd be the first one to admit that. By the way, how is Gomez even a part of this team still? He should have been gone at the end of last season.

As far as I'm concerned, if I was the GM there's only about 10 players or so on the roster that I'd keep and the rest should be trade bait. We have some good promising young talent but aside from Plekanec, Pacioretty, Cole, Subban, Cammalleri, Desharnais, Moen, Weber, Georges, Gil, Kaberle and Price, any of the rest could be shipped elsewhere to bring in some better talent.

I know I'm dreaming but at this point I have to dream because the reality of the situation is tough for this Habs fan deal with. At this point I'm just about ready to see them start Youppi at left wing.

Pat Burns Passes Away

After a hoax earlier this year and unconfirmed reports of his passing were found to be untrue, we were a bit skeptical when we heard the news tonight about Pat Burns death. Sadly, this time it's true. Coach Burns has passed away at the age of 58 after a long battle with lung cancer.

He is easily my favourite NHL coach of all-time.

Burns' career spanned 14 seasons and 1,019 games, from 1988 to 2004. He won a Stanley Cup with the Devils and earned a record three coach of the year awards (Jack Adams Award) - a record he still holds.

After he retired as a cop in Montreal he eventually made his way to the NHL with stops in Montreal, Toronto, Boston and New Jersey.

What I'll remember most about Burns was his passion and how he never hid his emotions on the bench. He always stood up for his players and his coaching outbursts became legendary.

Soon after, he was diagnosed with colon cancer and in 2005 another new cancer attacked his liver. In 2009, he was again diagnosed with the disease, this time terminal lung cancer.

It was following this third diagnosis he decided to forgo further treatment.

On March 26, 2010, he made his final public appearance, when the Quebec town of Stanstead, near the U.S. border, announced it was building an arena bearing his name.

Not surprisingly the legend was met by a standing ovation and said the honour was one of the highest points of his career.

Burns knew he likely wouldn't be around long enough to see people skate on the ice. "I probably won't see the project to the end," Burns said at the time. "But let's hope I'm looking down on it and see a young Mario Lemieux or Wayne Gretzky."

I hope that every day where you are now Pat is like winning a Stanley Cup.

The one thing I had hoped to see before he passed was his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. There's no doubt he will be in there one day but the powers that be really blew it when they didn't elect him to the Hall this past year.

Here now are a couple of video clips of Pat Burns that I enjoyed and thought you might as well.

WARNING: The first clip contains some foul language.

Pat loses it on the bench


Pat doing a commercial for Bad Boy in Toronto


A slide show tribute with music (The Best)

The Thrill of Victory

I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I knew all along that the Montreal Canadiens would win their first two playoff series this year and advance to the Conference Final.

Sure, like all Habs fans I was hoping and even praying for it but after the way they limped into the post season, I had my doubts that they’d even win a game or two against Washington.

Of course, not only did they win a game or two but they won three straight games to oust this seasons President’s Trophy winners in seven games. The look of disbelief on the faces of Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau and Alexander Ovechkin reminded me of those MasterCard commercials…Priceless.

That isn’t to say I don’t like Boudreau or most of the Capitals and I do think Ovechkin is a very talented and exciting player to watch but I was thrilled to see him shutdown by the Habs and sent packing.

Ovechkin plays like a spoiled kid with little respect for the traditions of the game. His on ice celebrations are a slap in the face to his opponents and totally unnecessary. A fist pump, raising your arms in the air or hugging your teammates after a goal is perfectly fine. But there’s no need to go jumping into the glass or jump on the backs of your teammates unless you score the game winner in overtime of a playoff game. That’s something worth getting excited about. I think Ovie may have celebrated a bit too hard during the regular season because he had nothing left in the tank during the first round.

After whipping the Capitals the road didn’t get much easier for Montreal as they had to face Cindy Crosby (not a spelling mistake) and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Just when I thought Crosby had matured as a player and was starting to respect him more, his constant whining, embellishing and complaining to the officials was beyond annoying. Once again, he’s also a player that can be very fun to watch and I’ll be the first to admit; I wanted to kiss him on the lips after he scored in overtime against the U.S. to win the Gold Medal at the Vancouver Olympics, but the incessant bitching when things didn’t go his way was nauseating to watch.

Now I’m not saying that Montreal is a better team on paper than both the Caps and Pens but the Habs did what they needed to in order to secure victories in both seven game series. The key to any underdog having a fighting chance is goaltending and Montreal has had that in abundance. Jaroslav Halak has clearly been the star of these playoffs so far. Just when you think he can’t make a better save, he comes through one more time.

Aside from the goalie, the Montreal defence has gone through injuries, viruses and resorted to calling up a young player from Hamilton of the AHL in P.K. Subban. He has stepped into the injured Markov’s skates and not missed a beat for such a young and inexperienced player. It’s no wonder the fans at the Bell Centre chant his name when he’s on the ice. Hal Gill was a player I yelled at all season. Of course he never heard me since I was only yelling at the TV but you get my point. Gill seemed to make the biggest gaffs in the regular season at the wrong times but this post season, “No Skill Gill” has quickly turned into a puck blocking machine.

Mike Cammalleri has also picked up his game at the right time and currently leads all goal scorers with 12 in the post season.

The Canadiens haven’t advanced this far in the playoffs since 1993 and we all know what happened that year. Will it happen this time around? Only time will tell. One thing is certain… this is a fun time to be a Habs fan.

May I Have Your Attention Please

We interrupt this blog for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

OK...so my team (Montreal Canadiens) are in tough against the Washington Capitals down 2-1 in the series and will likely not survive the first round.

This does not mean I'll stop watching once they're out and therefore it will be tough for me to update my blog when my butt is firmly planted in my comfy chair.

If I find some time I'll try and get some new stuff up but as any Canadian will tell you...when the Playoffs begin, we can not be reached unless it's an emergency.

Harper's A Habs Fan

As most Canadians know, Prime Minister Stephen Harper is a big time hockey fan.

OK, any Member of Parliament that isn't should be force to resign as it's mandatory to be a fan of our National Sport to hold office.

Any way, a friend of mine snapped this photo outside of the PM's home at 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa last night. It clearly shows Prime Minister Harper and the U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Jacobson bringing in the brewskies from the trunk of the limo. They were getting ready to cheer on the Montreal Canadiens as they looked to clinch a playoff spot (which they did) against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Nothing more Canadian than watching Hockey Night In Canada on a Saturday night with some cold pops and a good neighbour.

Habby 100th Birthday Montreal

I just wanted to take quick moment to wish the Montreal Canadiens a Happy 100th Birthday. Last week the Habs celebrated the only way you’d expect, with a poignant and classy display.

Say what you want about the Canadiens, they are second to none when it comes to pre-game festivities and they pulled out all the stops, and a few old sweaters for this one.

Even though this celebration was special, I still believe when they closed the Forum and had the celebration that night it was their finest moment. Of course it didn’t hurt that Maurice “The Rocket” Richard was still alive and the amazingly long standing ovation he received that night will never be outdone. I never saw Richard play but as a life long Habs supporter, I know the history and know what he meant to the franchise.

I was lucky enough to be in the crowd at Maple Leaf Gardens the final time the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto played in that old hockey shrine. Prior to that game there was another impressive and lengthy standing ovation as The Rocket and Tedder Kennedy were introduced and came out to drop the puck. This was one of the few times when both Habs and Leafs fans stood unified in celebration and I felt privileged to be there. I think Montreal won that night as well.

The Montreal 100th celebration was unique in its own way with about 30 of the club’s greatest names, led by goaltender Patrick Roy, donned their equipment and sweaters (many retired) and took part in a pre-game skate and warm-up. Ken Dryden looked awesome and he even pulled the old mask out of retirement. It was the first time he’d worn goalie equipment since he last played for Montreal in 1979…even if he did have to borrow the pads from Carey Price. Long-time trainer Eddie Palchak was there to dump the pucks on the ice one more time.

Even non-Montreal fans had to feel a bit like kids again watching legends like Guy Lafleur, Larry Robinson, Henri Richard, Guy Carboneau, Mats Naslund, Guy Lapointe, Serge Savard and the Mahovlich brothers being introduced. It was legend after legend with the biggest living legend Jean Beliveau the last to appear.

That alone would have been amazing but it went beyond that with "Mr. Hockey" Gordie Howe carrying out Maurice Richard’s #9 sweater, speaking and introducing Beliveau and a taste of Hollywood with Viggo Mortensen introducing Lafleur.

Then you add two more retired numbers as 91-year-old Elmer Lach’s #16 and Emile (Butch) Bouchard’s #3 were raised to the rafters. To cap it all off there’s nothing like a group photo for a keepsake as the legends were joined by the current Canadiens players.

It’s amazing that Montreal has won 24 Stanley Cups and has 54 members in the Hockey Hall of Fame but it was even better to see these legends on the ice one more time. Could you imagine if they were all in their prime still? What a team that would be. It’s as Larry Robinson said, “When you think of Canada, you think of hockey. And when you think of hockey, you think of the Montreal Canadiens.”

Leafs Win - Fans Off Suicide Watch

Fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs will once again be allowed to use sharp knives and hospitals in Ontario are no longer expecting mass suicide attempts after the Leafs beat the Anaheim (no so mighty) Ducks earlier tonight.

Any hockey fan knows that the Leafs were off to their worst start in franchise history having gone 0-7-1 to start the season. But they've been playing a little better the last couple of games and they finally broke the goose egg before the first month of the season had ended. I think they owe it all to the dodge-ball practice.

As I've documented many times before on here, I am a lifelong, die-hard Montreal Canadiens fan. As such, I am legally required to hate the Maple Leafs. But as a kindhearted individual, it's not in me to beat a team when they're down. OK...that's a lie.

In all honesty, I felt sorry for Leaf fans during this opening stretch despite the negative comments I've still been hearing from them regarding my Habs...who by the way are above .500 and are currently on a four game winning streak.

But even as those Leaf fans felt the need to lash out and deflect their insecurities at the fans of Montreal and Ottawa, I could still sense their despair and see the emotional toll the futile start was inflicting on them. I even took it upon myself to not kick them when they were down. It was just to easy. I was, I guess you could say....the bigger man.

However, I'm sure this first win of the season will only revive the hopes of those in Leaf Nation and they'll be back to their usual friendly but annoying selves before the sun rises tomorrow morning. Lord helps us all.

Sun, Fun, Family and Whales

Will someone please explain to me how it’s possible for time to go by so much faster while you’re on vacation, yet when you’re sitting at work, it seems to take forever for eight hours to tick away?

Oh well, at least I was able to enjoy some time off and help recharge my internal batteries for the last month or so of winter. Not to mention I’d only taken a week’s holidays in the last 12 months so I was feeling quite lethargic to say the least and needed to change things up for a bit.

As it turned out the vacation went very well and I was able to relax. Everyone asks me, “What did you do on vacation” and when I tell them I went to Florida and spent a lot of time doing nothing they can’t figure out why I wasn’t going non-stop all the time.

I was quite content to sit outside in a lawn chair with a magazine, a beverage, my iPod and the warm Florida sunshine shinning down on me. I didn’t need to be on the road every day going all over the State.

That’s not to say I didn’t do a little travelling around or have some fun days away from my lawn chair.

First off I was able to spend some quality time with not only my brother and his wife but I had a chance to see my nephew for the very first time. It’s hard to believe anyone could be cuter than me but this kid might just take away my title.

I hadn’t seen my brother and sister-in-law in over a year and it was nice to spend some time with them. Even at this age I miss not having my brother around sometimes. It would be nice to just call him up and say I’m coming over to have a beer and watch some TV with you but that’s just not possible.

But we did get to spend some time together. We drove up to Tampa one night, ate too much Italian food at Buca di Beppo restaurant. Then it was off to the NHL game at the St. Pete Times Forum with the Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Unfortunately the Habs played horrible and lost but the seats were great and the game was entertaining. I always enjoy going to a hockey game in my shorts.

The one thing I always do when I go to Florida is buy clothing. As a big guy, the selection of clothing around home is less than spectacular and I always make it a point to stop by Casual Male in Sarasota where I can drop $200 in no time at all.

Aside from shopping, relaxing and making a couple of visits to the beach, the only other real excursion was to Sea World in Orland. I’d never been there before and I enjoyed it. The admission price was a little steep but I figure it’s something I likely won’t ever do again so why not spend the cash.

I enjoyed the water shows. In particular the Killer Whale (Shamu) and the Dolphin shows were very impressive. I enjoyed getting up close to some of the sharks, stingrays, dolphins and turtles that I normally wouldn’t get a chance to see. It was quite interesting and different from going to Disney or Universal Studios.

Of course the photographer in me had to get out to take some photos so we went down to Myakka River State Park one day. This is my favourite spot to find alligators in the wild. As it turned out it was a good day for them as we saw eight gators in one location and two more in another. They are scary looking creatures. I managed to get pretty close to some of them...probably closer than I should have been. But I managed to get a few good photos.


In the end the vacation was a success. I spent time with family, tanned my gelatinous body and was able to unwind and relax for three weeks. I just hope my next vacation gets here a bit sooner next time.

Habs Game Fun

On January 27, 2009 while on vacation in Florida, my brother, sister-in-law, Uncle and I drove up I-75 to Tampa for the night to enjoy some NHL action at the St. Pete Times Forum.

The Montreal Canadiens (my favourite team) were in town to battle the Tampa Bay Lightning. Sadly, my team lost but it was still a fun time with great seats and an enjoyable night.

Here's a video I shot during the pre-game warm-up from our seats. Aside from the hockey players and crowd, the video also shows my brother Scott, sis-in-law Erin and Uncle Mel getting ready to cheer on the Habs. To be honest, Mel is a Maple Leafs fan but we let him cheer for a good team for a change.

Super Bowl a Super Ripoff

I've never attended an NFL game in person before. I've been to several CFL games in Toronto in the past and they were fun but I’ve always wanted to sit in the stands and experience an NFL battle.

I have come to the conclusion, however, that the Super Bowl is not the game I should go to for my first experience. Don’t get me wrong…I’d love to go to the Championship Game but there’s no way I can justify spending that kind of money.

This season the Super Bowl is being held in Tampa, Florida at Raymond James Stadium on February 1st. As it so happens, I’m going to be in the Tampa area at that time and figured, “Hey…why not look into getting some tickets?” Needless to say I wasn’t looking very long.

The cheapest seats available cost $2,137 for one ticket in the nosebleed section of the end zone. By comparison, the most expensive ticket around mid-field lower level would set me back $6,364 per ticket. Of course…this is in U.S. funds and doesn’t take into account the exchange rate.

I may be a fan, I may like football and I may be a lot of other things but insane isn’t one of them. Obviously I won’t be attending the game but will probably just watch it on my brother’s TV instead.

I understand it’s the game of the year and the league and the city of Tampa want to make as much money from the event as possible but the prices mean there’s no way any average working person who’s a fan could possibly afford to attend the game. The Super Bowl is only for the elite fan with money to burn or the wannabes who don’t even watch football but will attend just to keep up appearances. Celebrities come to mind.

Curiosity also forced me to look at the prices to attend just a regular season game in any NFL city. I picked Washington and Cincinnati for no particular reason.

My faith was restored to some degree. In Washington, the cheapest tickets were $112 while the most expensive ran around $570 at field level. Sure they aren’t cheap either but at least an average guy could probably afford to attend a game or two.

If you live in Cincinnati, you might want to go to a few more games during the season. The cheapest seats available were $12. No…that isn’t an error, at least not on my part. Twelve bucks gets you a seat in Paul Brown Stadium. The most expensive seats were around $250.

So after doing this little bit of research, I’ve come to this conclusion. If I’m going to attend my first NFL game it will likely be during the regular season. That is, of course, unless someone reads this and wants to take pity on me and buy me a couple of tickets to Super Bowl XLIII. I’m not opposed to accepting charity.

Also, don't feel too bad for me...I'm going to attend a Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens NHL game while I'm there instead. That only cost $100 per ticket.

Another Mediocre Season in Toronto?

Can you believe another hockey season is only a couple months away and training camps will be starting even sooner? It seems like only yesterday Detroit won but the summer has been flying by and I for one can’t wait for the puck to drop.

It would be quite easy for me as a Montreal Canadiens fan to make fun of Maple Leaf fans and their team that hasn’t hoisted Lord Stanley’s Cup in 41 years and counting but that’s not what I plan on doing. I say that but ultimately it may seem like exactly that after I’m done.

To be honest, I can’t fault Leaf supporters as their loyalty has been tested and they continue to support their team. Once a Leaf fan always a Leaf fan and I can respect that. But at what point do the fans start demanding more from their team’s management?

You can’t blame the players that have been in Toronto as they just haven’t been that good. Oh sure, there have been some great players during this lengthy dry spell. Players like Sittler, Salming, Sundin, Gilmour, Clark and others but while super stars are nice to have, they can’t do it on their own.

Leafs management has continuously, and quite impressively, failed to build a team around these players. These Leaf teams of the last four decades haven’t underachieved; in fact many have done a lot better than I think anyone could have predicted.

Put yourself in the shoes of those in charge of the team for a moment. Why on earth should they go out and spend money on building a team or do any better scouting when their fans continue to put up with it. Oh sure they might complain a little but they still sell out every home game and Maple Leaf jersey’s, t-shirts, pendants and bobble-heads continue to roll off the shelves. The money is rolling in and they don’t even have to win. Why bother to improve?

In almost any other market except perhaps Montreal, New York, Detroit, Chicago and a few others, the Leafs would have been sold to owners that want to win long ago. They wouldn’t have survived because the paying public wouldn’t support them.

Actually, I probably should remove Montreal from that list because their fans and the media would have demanded more from the team and have over the years. The only difference is, in Montreal, they may go through a few lean years but they always bounce back.

I’m not even suggesting that Toronto has to win the Cup to be a success. That is the ultimate goal of all teams but for a team that has struggled for so long a success would be to build a contender. They need to make the playoffs every year. They need to build a team by not buying older players past their prime but instead draft well and bring in some youth for the future. Once the nucleus is in place, then you can spend some money on some big guns to add more firepower.

I’m sure I’m not telling Leaf fans anything they don’t know. Heck, they above anyone else know what the team needs to do. But if it’s so obvious, why hasn’t it happened? Why does the team continue to trade away draft picks on has-beens? Why do they continue to struggle year after year? In my opinion it’s because they don’t need to win to make money and that’s what it’s all about.

Harold Ballard may have been a crotchety old fool but he was a smart guy who sat in his bunker at Maple Leaf Gardens every game and counted the money while laughing at the poor saps in the stands who paid to watch a pitiful team. The faces may have changed but the formula still works and Leaf fans continue to say, “Maybe next year.”

Clip of the Week - April 21/08

The hockey playoffs are here and of course that means despite the much nicer weather outside, I will of course be planted in front of the TV watching hockey for the next month and a half.

Mind you, I'll likely lose some interest if my Montreal Canadiens are ever eliminated as it's always more fun when you have a team to cheer for.

Earlier tonight I was doing plenty of cheering as the Habs avoided elimination in Game 7 of the East Conference Quarter-Final against the Boston Bruins.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous but once the game started I could sense that the Canadiens were in full control and were not going to disappoint their fans.

In the end Montreal left no doubt who the better team was as they cruised to a 5-0 victory and advanced to the second round of the playoffs.

The only disappointment followed the game when some brain dead idiotic "fans" decided to cause trouble and riot in downtown Montreal by burning police cars and looting. How is that a celebration?

I can recall back in 1993 I was in Toronto when the Blue Jays won their second World Series and there were several hundred thousand people crammed onto Younge Street and it was a very peaceful celebration. Everyone was hugging and kissing and cheering and just having a good time. The police were present but they only had to sit back and watch or maybe deal with a few idiots but nobody felt the need to do damage or cause trouble.

Any way, here are the highlights from Game 7 for you to enjoy...especially the Toronto and Ottawa fans. Sorry, I couldn't resist rubbing it in a little.

Gaff Of The Year

In case I haven't made it obvious enough in the past, I'm a Montreal Canadiens hockey fan. My father is a Habs fan and therefore I am a Habs fan.

As fans of le bleu, blanc et rouge we are compelled to hate our arch-rivals from Toronto and are sworn to ridicule them every chance we get.

Of course since the Maple Leafs haven't won a Stanley Cup since 1967, we've had plenty of ammunition to fire their way. They've suffered through year after year of dismal performances, limped into the playoffs from time to time but more often then not, they've been working on their golf games while good teams are still playing hockey.

Their biggest problem is their poor drafting skills and obviously their scouts over the years were spending more time drinking in the arena bars rather than watching for good young players...especially Canadian players.

I don't really need any more fuel to add to the fire but I will say one thing about the Leafs, they are a giving group. Off the ice they're good guys who give back to the community. On the ice they're in need of some help and have been for 41 years.

When you live in Ontario as I do and you're forced to watch the crappy Leafs on TV all the times It's nice to know the Toronto players are kind enough to give those of us who cheer for better teams something to enjoy once in a while.

Such an occurrence took place just last night in New York where Toronto was playing the Islanders. Maple Leafs goalie Vesa Toskala (gee...another non-Canadian player) looked foolish as he badly misplayed a clearing attempt by NY while they were killing a penalty. What happened next was a thing of beauty. Enjoy the video evidence below.

Florida Trip Journal 2007-2008

The following, for those who are interested, is a brief but lengthy log of my family's holiday vacation from the time we hit the road on the morning of December 14th to our return on January 9th. This will give you just a bit of an idea of what we did to celebrate the holiday season on the sunny and warm Florida Gulf Coast.

Day 1 - Friday December 14th
My mom, dad and I loaded my car and were on the road at 3:00 a.m. With one storm ending and another on the way we did our best to travel between them. For the first time in all my trips South I actually saw the sun in Pennsylvania. Light snow in New York and part way into Pennsylvania but then it turned much nicer. Lots of ice in the trees down to Harrisburg as well. We stopped driving around 5:30 p.m. and rested for the night in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. I was ready to see a bed.

Day 2 - Saturday December 15th
Up and on the road by 4am for another long day on the road. A little rain and heavy traffic at times but overall it wasn't a bad commute. I'm sorry ladies but I have come to the conclusion that the worst drivers on the roads are women. If it isn't the case, you certainly have plenty of fellow females who are adding some weight to the rumour. We arrived at Scott and Erin's at 5:20pm. Out for a quick supper at Outback Steakhouse...mmmm prime rib, and then home for an early night.

Day 3 - Sunday December 16th
I slept in late and it was a quiet day. Shopped at the WalMart, played cards and relaxed. Also kept an eye on the computer to try and get news on the big snow storm hitting back home. I'm glad to be in Florida but wondering what's happening at the house.

Days 4-10 - Monday Dec. 17th to Sunday Dec. 23rd
Mostly shopping during these days and relaxation in the evenings as we continued to prepare for Christmas. I've come to the conclusion that it's much easier to spend money rather than earn it...but I think we all knew that already. WalMart is like a second home to me now and the massive malls are almost as familiar. Went to have the car detailed and it looks like new all washed and waxed and the inside cleaned.

Day 11 - Monday Dec. 24th
Scott and I were up early and on the road to join the masses for the final pre-Christmas shopping day. We traveled up the road, over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and into Tampa where we found the International Plaza Mall which is a gigantic two level mall. It's an impressive place but most of the stores were well out of my price range. The Apple store was nice to visit though. Erin had to work today so it was just the four of us for our annual Christmas Eve supper at Outback Steakhouse. We used to eat at Ponderosa but sadly they no longer exist anymore to keep that tradition going. It was a quiet evening at home as we prepared for a busy Christmas Day.

Day 12 - Tuesday Dec. 25th
Up early for breakfast and then it was present opening time. It was a very good haul for all of us with lots of new toys including a new laptop for me, diamonds for mom, iPod and telescope for dad and two iPhones for Scott and Erin. We were spoiled as usual. It was then off to Erin's parents house for supper, more gift opening and a lot of laughs. Both sets of Erin's grandparents, mom and dad and sister Ashley were there. By the way it was in the 80's and sunny today...not what I'm used to for Christmas but I'm not complaining.

Day 13 - Wednesday Dec. 26th
Scott and I went golfing today at Stoneybrook Golf Club just down the street from the house. The good news was I played better than the last time I played that course but the bad news was I still didn't play great. Scott had a good round though. It was nice to get out on Boxing Day to play 18 holes on a warm day and I got to work on my tan a little bit. I was quite sore in the evening since I hadn't played in almost 3 months.

Day 14 - Thursday Dec. 27th
Most of the day was spent around the house relaxing. Late in the afternoon all five of us jumped in Scott's truck and headed for Tampa to watch the Montreal Canadiens play the Lightning at the Forum. It was a packed house with lots of Habs fans in attendance and of course we had our Montreal jerseys and hats to fit in and cheer our team on. Our seats were awesome and the Habs won 5-2. It was a fun night and worth the price of admission.

Day 15 - Friday Dec. 28th
More shopping on a very hot day. I actually got some tan this day as I spent time waiting for my parents to shop. It was a quiet day overall which is always nice.

Day 16 - Saturday Dec. 29th
Mom, Dad, Scott, Erin, Ashley and I hit the road for Tampa to spend the day shopping, or browsing as I would describe my involvement. It was a full day at the International Plaza and the place was very busy with lots of sales. Of course even the sale prices were more than I was willing to spend at this ritzy place. Supper was spent at The Cheesecake Factory which was very nice and very filling. The Tons of Fun Burger was truly more than a mouthful. It was a good day.

Day 17 - Sunday Dec. 30th
Another quiet day mostly spent around the house. Watched some football in the afternoon and then a couple of movies in the evening.

Day 18 - Monday Dec. 31st
It was an overcast day with scattered showers so our plans changed and we didn't do much. Did a little shopping with Mom, Dad and Scott. We had a very good lunch in Sarasota at Cheeburger Cheeburger. It was very filling and tasty. In the evening Erin's sister Ashley joined us for food, games, cards and champagne as we rang in the New Year 2008 together.

Day 19 - Tuesday January 1st
Other than a quick outing to Walmart with Scott it was a day spent at the house watching college football, playing games and eating lots of food on this first day of the new year. Erin's sister Ashley and her parents Lynette and David also spent the afternoon with us. It was a small but nice gathering.

Day 20 - Wednesday January 2nd
Slept in a bit but got up and booked a campsite online at Presqu'ile for mom and dad for this summer. It seems so far away right now. Out and about with ma and pa on a much cooler day as we visited the Outlet Mall at Ellenton and checked out a few other places. Home for supper and a relaxing evening.

Day 21 - Thursday January 3rd
Woke up to a very cold morning for Florida as the temperatures were just above freezing. Thankfully it wasn't expected to last more than a day or two. Scott, Mom, Dad and I headed for Myakka River State Park to check out the wildlife and be one with nature. The gators were scarce today thanks to the cold weather but plenty of varieties of birds. We also made our way down to Lido Beach by St. Armand's Circle. After supper at Red Lobster it was home to watch TV and play a few games on the Xbox 360 before calling it a night.

Day 22 - Friday January 4th
Woke up feeling a little ill today so I decided to spend a quiet day resting around the house and watching some movies. It is expected to be a busy day tomorrow for mom and dad's 45th wedding anniversary party here.

Day 23 - Saturday January 5th
This was a busy day as mom and dad celebrated their 45th anniversary today. I took mom and dad out for a little light shopping while Scott and Erin got things ready at the house. Upon our return we were joined by the Hinman's, Ashley and Grandma Lusk. We had a delicious turkey dinner, presents were given and emails from friends back home were read. Mom and Dad also received a letter personally signed by the Prime Minister and another from the Premier of Ontario congratulating them. After supper we played some games and then relaxed. It was a good day. Of course dad and I also kept an eye on the World Junior Hockey Gold Medal game which Canada won. They beat Sweden in overtime for their fourth gold in a row.

Day 24 - Sunday January 6th
Another day of relaxation mostly. Mom, Dad and I went up I-75 to the Ellenton Outlet Mall for a quick visit and then to lunch before returning home. Spent the afternoon playing games on the Xbox 360 with Scott and then a quiet evening as we get prepared for the trip home.

Day 25 - Monday January 7th
Up fairly early and started to get ready to leave as we're expecting to hit the road very early tomorrow. We had a lot of stuff to pack and we managed to get a lot of it in the trunk of my car. Safe to say the load won't shift any as it is packed tight. Scott and Erin worked today so the folks and I did some last minute running around before coming home, having supper and calling it an early night.

Day 26 - Tuesday January 8th
Up at 3:00am, finished packing the car, said our goodbyes to Scott and Erin and on the road by 3:45am. Dad and I shared the driving duties as usual and the trip went well overall. Traffic was OK for the most part until we got up around Richmond, Virginia in time for rush hour at 5:00pm. The only problem occurred on I-275 when a dump truck went flying past us and kicked up a rock which hit the windshield and cracked it on the drives side. I was quite angry as you might imagine. The crack spread about 8-10 inches before it stopped. We decided to get off the road and grabbed a motel in Fredericksburg, Virginia as we figured 15 hours driving was enough for day one. The temperature was very warm and mostly dry the whole way which was nice.

Day 27 - Wednesday January 9th
It was another early morning as we were up and on the road by 5:00am. It was a long day with the some rain to start and then sunshine and high winds the rest of the way. We saw several transport trailers and one fifth wheel camper that had been blown over by the winds. We lost a little time in Wilkes-Bare, Pennsylvania as we took an off ramp to get gas that didn't have an on ramp but thanks to my GPS we were able to go cross country a bit and back on to I-81. We also had a delay at the Ivy Lee bridges at the Thousand Islands. Due to the very strong winds the transports were not being allowed over and they were only letting vehicles over in one direction at a time. We finally make it to the house and got the car unpacked and relaxed.

Despite the cooler weather it was nice to be home again but I do miss the heat and weather of Florida already. It was a great trip and I only hope the warm weather returns to Canada sooner rather than later. I should also thank my employer for allowing me the time off. Luckily it was a slow time at work so I wasn't missed too badly.

And a reminder you can check out more photos from the trip by clicking Bundy's Photos in the right column.