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George Armstrong, beloved former captain of the Maple Leafs, personified the complicated history of Canada. Being of Indigenous and Irish-Canadian descent, he grew up aware of two distinct realities. Armstrong was not subjected to the residential school system directly, but members of his family were were. "George saw the impact [his cousins] would have went through because [he was] living at [their] house during the summer when they weren't in residential school," says relative and Cambrian College professor Ghislaine Goudreau. "And so even though he didn't grow up with a lot of the culture, he saw the impacts of that. And I think it affected him a lot." At the same time, Armstrong had the same dream as many Canadian children: to wear the Leafs' emblem on his chest. He worked his way through the ranks and joined the organization for the 1950-51 season. Armstrong was a regular for the Leafs by '53, and by '57 he was captain, a position he would hold for 13 seasons. While still subjected to "casual" racism – being nicknamed "Chief" by fellow players, the media, and fans, for example – Armstrong’s abilities on the ice, and his mixed heritage, allowed for a level of respect and tolerance that much of his Indigenous family did not receive. Armstrong, because his lived experience was unique, found himself caught between two worlds, and therefore did not feel comfortable being known as a spokesperson for his people. But in captaining a team as legendary as the Maple Leafs, he inadvertently did a great deal for many Indigenous Canadians. "He was the captain of the last Leafs team to win the Stanley Cup," says Waubgeshig Rice, writer and journalist and member of Wausauksing First Nation. "He’s immortalized in hockey history in so many ways; to know that even as a young kid was really awesome, and it was a major point of pride as a hockey player, fan, and Anishinaabe person." And so, this Canada Day, we celebrate George Armstrong’s great achievements, but also sit with the pain and loss he and his family endured. We acknowledge this country’s difficult past and present, while also looking forward to a more unified future, something Armstrong himself, through his actions, worked towards.

Last Monday, the National Hockey League and its official uniform supplier, Adidas, released new third uniforms for all 31 active teams (the soon-to-be Seattle Kraken excluded), dubbing this set the "Reverse Retro" line. The idea was seemingly to take a popular or cult element from a franchise's past – be it a particular colour, logo, etc. – and mash it up with the present. Franchise is a key word as many teams riffed off elements from previous incarnations in other cities. For example, the Colorado Avalanche took the now-famous Quebec Nordiques uniform and put it into their colourway: The result is awesome, at least from an aesthetic standpoint... I'm not sure hockey fans in Quebec City will appreciate their beloved fleur-de-lis being used by the city that took their club away. In any case, the most successful Retro Reverse uniforms are the ones that have taken two very different eras and blended them together. One other prime example is the Minnesota Wild, who mixed the green-and-yellow of the state's previous team, the North Stars, with their current primary logo: The result is something bright and bold that celebrates the past while remaining linked to the present. As lovers of sports history, we at The SPORT Gallery certainly applaud the NHL for their attempt to turn contemporary fans on to vintage design. However, not every Reverse Retro look was as successful as the two we've shared thus far. As it happens, most of the Canadian teams' new thirds have been critiqued for different reasons. Here and now, we're going to focus on the Maple Leafs and what they could have done differently. The Leafs' Reverse Retro jersey (we've yet to see the full uniform thus far) is a blend; the logo is based on the late-1960s iteration, which was worn when they last won the Cup in '67, and the jersey itself looks like that of the '70s and '80s. A big stripe comes up from the cuffs all the way through the neck, and there's blue leaves on each shoulder. The only way the jersey is "remixed," apart from pre- and post-1970 elements being combined, is that instead of white as the secondary colour to blue, we've got grey, which is new to the Leafs: It's not a bad look by any means, but could they have done better? Many have voiced their disapproval on social media, so the general consensus seems to be yes. Our thought is this: the Leafs should have looked to their uniforms from 1927 as inspiration. That year was the first of the "Maple Leafs" nickname, a result of Conn Smythe taking over the franchise, which had been the "St. Pats" for the previous few years. Being a military veteran, Smythe viewed the maple leaf as a proud national symbol, which influenced his decision to rename the team. But, during his first year of ownership, Smythe still wanted to show a sign of respect for the previous organization, and thus decided to keep the St. Pats' green and white colours for the remainder of the season. This was the result (according to nhluniforms.com): Smythe's decision created a "mash-up," in a funny way, bringing together the now-iconic Maple Leafs with that of the St. Pats. The current Leafs staff have done a good job of celebrating their previous identity, so most know of the St. Pats at this point. The single year of the Leafs being green is, however, sadly not widely known of. We propose mashing it up further, bringing in the logo from the '30s, with the full wordmark within the leaf (of the same shape), perhaps with some striping, to spice it up.   Whatever the particulars, the Leafs could and should have gone with something that's more of a departure from their modern identity. The teams that did that, like the Nordiques and the North Stars, ended up at the top of the Retro Reverse uniform rankings, which is not where the Leafs can be found currently.

Time for another journey back in time via our Who Were They? series. There's more hockey history on the docket (click the links for our Original Six and Class of '67 pieces), though this time we'll be looking at the history of an individual team, the Toronto St. Pats.  Think of hockey in Toronto and one thing comes to mind: the Maple Leafs and their famous blue and white. The Leafs are one of the National Hockey League's Original Six teams, the core group that battled between 1946 and 1967. The franchise has been around since the dawn of the league in 1917 and is still beloved despite having not won a Stanley Cup since 1967.  Their look – blue shirt, white leaf, and white stripes – is so iconic, and has remained largely untouched for so long, that many tend to think it's been that way forever. In actual fact, the Leafs were not always the Leafs. The franchise had two previous identities; first they were the "Arenas," from 1917-1919, and then they became the "St. Patricks," or "St. Pats." It was in 1927 that the now-famous "Maple Leafs" moniker came to be when Conn Smyth took over and wanted something more uniquely Canadian.  The St. Patricks name was decided upon for promotional reasons; there was a visible Irish population settling in Toronto, and branding the team in such a way was meant to get players on the ice and fans in the stands. Their ownership group ran amateur hockey clubs under that name in the city since the beginning of the 1900s, and when the Arenas went up for sale before the 1919-20 season those at the St. Patricks figured it was their time to make the step up to the big leagues. They bought the team for $5,000 on December 13, 1919.  As you can imagine, the St. Pats wore green and white, providing an eight-year colour deviation for the franchise. And during this period they managed one Stanley Cup win, in 1921-22. They beat the Vancouver Millionaires three games to two in a best of five series. But, in the seasons following this big win, the St. Pats struggled to make the playoffs and would suffer financially. In stepped Smyth, and the rest is history.  Though the St. Pats years were relatively uneventful – under the Maple Leafs moniker the club would win 11 cups – this previous identity remains popular. The Leafs have made a tradition of wearing throwback St. Pats uniforms around St. Patrick's Day in March, something we very much approve of!

It's a new year, which means it's time for a new blog series. And so, allow us to introduce Who Were They? a look back in time at some of the most important – yet less understood – terms, teams, and individuals of sporting history. First off is the National Hockey League's "Original Six." There is an unmistakeable mystique to the oldest franchises among the four major North American sports leagues, but perhaps none more so than the Original Six. The name is actually something of a misnomer; the term was never used during the period it references (1942-1967) and only two of the franchises in question – the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs – were on hand for the start of the league in 1917.  The NHL's first 25 years were tumultuous ones, with franchises failing in a half dozen cities. The Montreal Wanderers folded six games into the first season when their arena caught on fire and burned to the ground. But hockey had caught the imagination of fans in Boston, New York, Chicago, and Detroit, and after the folding of second franchises in Montreal (the Maroons, in 1938) and New York (the Americans, in 1942), the NHL embarked a quarter-century of shocking stability – and thus the Original Six was born.  The deep sense of nostalgia the era evokes certainly isn't rooted in its competitiveness. The Montreal Canadiens won 10 of the 25 available Stanley Cups, the Maple Leafs captured nine (including their most recent, in 1967), the Detroit Red Wings five, the Chicago Black Hawks one, with the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers shut out. The leading scorer of the era was, of course, Gordie Howe, with 1501 points, trailed distantly by Maurice Richard, Jean Beliveau, Andy Bathgate, and Alex Delvecchio. The winningest goalie was Terry Sawchuk, with 430 wins, followed by Glenn Hall, Jacques Plante, Harry Lumley, Gump Worsley, and Johnny Bower. As mentioned, the term "Original Six" was not used contemporaneously during the period, but was first referenced in a piece by Tom Fitzgerald in the Boston Globe on June 9, 1967, a few days after the expansion draft that saw the NHL double in size to 12 teams overnight. The term didn't come into widespread use until the 1990s.  

When out at a sporting event, there's certain songs you're bound to hear blasting from the jumbotron. "We Will Rock You," "Jump Around," and "YMCA" are major ones. The probing beat of The White Stripe's "Seven Nation Army" has been adopted by teams and their fanbases across the globe. Queen actually has two stadium hits, as what would a title win be without an emotional rendition of "We Are the Champions"? The running trait of all of these songs is their ability to excite a crowd and get them to believe in their team, in a moment of glory. Each delivers a succinct statement, and/or has a strong and repetitive rhythm. They make you want to sing or move or both. Interestingly, while this kind of composition quickly jumps out as a arena rocker, the lyrical content tends to not actually reference sports. There are relatively few songs out there that are dedicated to teams, athletes, or a sport. The big one, which most baseball fans will know, is "Centerfield" by John Fogerty. It's a catchy, classic-rock hit that speaks to the mystique of the national pastime and its language, stories, and stars. "Centerfield" also, in the chorus, appeals to every little-leaguer's desire to get on the field and play their part: "Put me in, coach, I'm ready to play." There's another baseball-themed song out there that's written by a major artist, though it's by no means as popular. Bob Dylan penned a tune titled "Catfish," which speaks of Jim Hunter's legend. Jim "Catfish" Hunter was one of the best pitchers of his era and was the first to sign a million-dollar contract, with the Yankees. Dylan's ode is captivating, but is more bluesy bootleg than catchy stadium rocker.  Hockey has inspired a few songs, and most are by Canadian artists, which isn't a surprise given the sport's popularity up north. Tom Cochrane's "Big League" is a powerful rock hit that still gets frequent airplay. The song is actually rather sad – it, from the perspective of a parent, tells of a talented player that dies in a bus crash before he can break it.  Canadian giants The Tragically Hip also have a hit that tells of a hockey tragedy. The verses of "Fifty Mission Cap" are a tribute to Toronto Maple Leaf Bill Barilko who died in a plane crash shortly after scoring the series-winning goal in the 1951 Stanley Cup Final. The song has become an all-time favourite for The Hip, though it doesn't have the pop sensibilities to be regularly played in hockey arenas.  Perhaps the most fun and charming, and therefore popular, song to be inspired by the game of hockey is "The Hockey Song" by Stompin' Tom Connors. It's a popular one at hockey arenas around the National Hockey League, including the Maple Leafs', where it is played every game. You may not be familiar with Stompin' Tom himself, but if you're a hockey fan you'll know the chorus: Oh! The good ol' hockey game, is the best game you can nameAnd the best game you can name, is the good ol' hockey game It's a honky-tonky, rollicking-good-time of a song that, like Fogerty's "Centerfield," really captures the essence of the subject matter. The crash of the boards, the "insane" fans, a last-minute winner, the Stanley Cup filled with beer... it's all jammed in there in just a couple of minutes. It's become hockey's theme song, and for good reason. To take us out, here's Stompin' Tom making the only U.S. TV appearance of his entire career, on the Conan O'Brian Show. 

It's officially playoff time for the NHL. The lone Original Six match-up this year is Maple Leafs vs. Bruins, and thus far it's been an all black-and-yellow affair. The Bruins won the first two games handedly, 5-1 and then 7-3. The series now shifts from Boston to Toronto and the Leafs will hope for some home-ice magic.  You never know how things are going to go when these two teams meet. This is the 14th playoff match-up all-time and momentum has always heaved from one side to the other. The last meeting, in the second round in 2013, was especially tempestuous.  The Leafs are leading 4-1 in the third period of game seven – run out the clock and they will be bound for the Eastern Conference Finals. But run out the clock they will not; the Bruins mount a wild comeback, scoring three goals to force overtime and another 6:05 in to seal it. The Leafs' season, just like that, is over. Unfortunately for their fans, the Leafs have become synonymous with failure. The club does have 13 Stanley Cups to its name, but has not won one – or even made a Finals appearance – since the 1966-67 season. Their series loss in 2013 is representative of the last 50 years, of high hopes quickly dashed.  The Leafs are still fixing to exorcise their playoff demons. Their chances remain good this time around – even down two games in the series – with this core group of young talent, especially with the experience of going toe-to-toe with Washington last season under their collective belt. Who knows, maybe this year will finally be the year. Winning tonight will be a good place to start.  *** To get a better sense of how long Toronto has been waiting and what a Finals appearance would mean to the city, lets take a look in at two very different generations of Leafs fans... "What was it like back then? When we were actually good... What was it like to see the cup raised? I can't even picture it." Jon asked these questions of his grandfather. 1967 felt like an eternity away and he wanted to get a better sense of what winning felt like, to know if the stories of the Maple Leafs raising the Stanley Cup were actually real and not just some fairytale. They sure felt make-believe. "We weren't known for losing then," Jon's grandfather said. "We had won close to ten Cups over a 20-year period. But it was still a party when we won. There were parades, thousands of people downtown, streamers and whatnot. It was a blast. And we walked a little taller, I guess. Yeah." "It's just so hard to imagine. We're so removed from it – it feels like a entirely different team now." "Well, it is in a way. The experience is different at least. For me, it was the whole package... The Garden was such an intimidating building. When you walked down Carlton and came up to it, you felt like an ant. As a young man, this towering structure above you, home to so many greats... it was intimidating. I think visiting clubs felt that too." "Right, right. What was it like inside then?" "It was simple! Hah. No jumbotron, no HD highlights and loud music. No ads on the boards. There wasn't much light in the stands when the game was on either, just this glowing white oval in the middle of it all... drew you in. A simpler time." "Crazy." "I guess to you it would be! To us it was normal. So was winning. We had good teams back then, with guys like Armstrong and Mahovlich, or Bower. Real legends. We weren't the butt of jokes, that's for sure." They certainly were not. The Maple Leafs of Toronto held Stanley's famous cup aloft in 1918, 1922, 1932, 1942, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1962, 1963, 1964, and, most recently, in 1967. It would be a suspect few laughing at the Leafs in the first half of the 20th century. The idea of 50 straight trophyless seasons would have seemed utterly absurd in '67. "I wish I could have lived through that. I'm just hoping we can make one finals by the time I kick it." "Hah, my poor boy, you will. This team we've got now is on their way! We've got to put the last 50 damn years behind us and look to the next 50. These young lads will get us there, I'm sure of it. We're worlds away from my time, sure, but we can be winners again." "Matthews pushes it down the ice, skirts one defender as he crosses the blue line. Cuts in, drags the puck back... a quick wrist shot – and he scooooooooores! Goal, Austin Matthews!" Winning has finally become the norm in Toronto as this young Leafs squad continues to stand their ground in a competitive Atlantic Division. They made the playoffs last year and are poised to do so again. The role of Mike Babcock – so popular in Toronto he's inspired a line of socks – cannot be overstated; the head coach, who has won a Stanley Cup and Olympic gold as bench boss, has really groomed his young talent well. The Leafs have also brought back the vintage 32-point leaf logo from more successful days to help provide a greater connection to the past, to the 50 years of the franchise that are worth remembering. The simplified 11-point leaf saw nothing but failure in its five decades and has been banished, and with it, the Leafs hope, their inability to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. Put exciting young players in inspiring throwback uniforms and throw in some excellent coaching – it's certainly a good recipe for reaching the promised land. "Alright kid, are you ready to go?" "Yeah, grandpa, one sec! I just need to grab my hat!" Jon put on the weathered snapback hat he had worn to countless games and met his grandfather, who had come down from Guelph, at the door. It was March and they had tickets for a St. Patrick's Day showdown against the Habs. Tonight Jon would also wear a "St. Pats" t-shirt – before 1927, when the team became the Maple Leafs, they were known as the Toronto St. Pats, an attempt to appeal to the large Irish population in the city. Before that they were the blue and white "Arenas." "You know it's funny, Jon, you wearing that St. Pats shirt... that was way before your time – I remember it!" "I know, I know, it's just a good look!" They sat in section 318, row 9, and watched as the Leafs grabbed an 1-0 first period lead on a cool, late-winter Toronto night. Jon, 25-years-old – who had never seen the Leafs even reach the Stanley Cup Finals – and his grandfather sat together, fans of two very different times. Things got worse for the Habs early in the second as the Leafs grabbed another on a breakaway. They would make it 3-0 before the third and 4-0 by night's end, a solid "W" for the boys in blue. "I've got a good feeling this year," said Jon's grandfather.  

2017 has been a special year for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the NHL. Both venerable establishments turned 100 and celebrations were had. The Leafs hosted the Red Wings in the Centennial Classic on New Year’s Day, a birthday party of sorts. The outdoor game (played at BMO Field) was essentially the Winter Classic, but gussied up with additional historical elements. There was no official word on whether party hats and cake were on offer, however. The Leafs dressed the part all season as they have moved to a new (old) logo and uniforms, which harkens back to the club’s look of the 1960s. Gone is the simplified 11-point leaf. In its place is the more detailed 31-point throwback. For the Centennial Classic the Leafs altered their jersey slightly, adding a white band around the chest and silver accents. They went green for the St. Pats back on March 18th and will wear "Arenas" across their chest this 2017-2018 season, salutes both to the Buds’ previous identities. While the Leafs have been in party mode, some disgruntled Torontonians are very aware of their sustained lack of success and are surely weary of celebratory acts. This year is also the 50th anniversary of the club’s 1967 Stanley Cup win, of course, the last time they captured the cup. There have been some good times since then — the Leafs made the Conference Finals four times between the 1992-93 and 2001-02 seasons — but no Stanley Cup Finals appearances. And, since 2004-2005 the they have missed the playoffs every year but one. Sorry, Leafs Nation, before we move on there is a little more failure to relay: that one playoff appearance of the 2000s, in 2012-2013, ended with the Buds coughing up a three-goal, third period lead to the rival Bruins in game seven of the Conference Quarterfinals. It sums up Toronto’s suffering quite well, sadly. Things are looking up as of late. No, really. Mike Babcock, who was so successful with the Wings, is bench boss, and Lou Lamoriello — another winner — is GM. The Leafs also snatched up the much fawned over Auston Matthews in the 2016 draft with their first round pick, and the young man has already been labelled the franchise’s saviour after scoring 40 goals last season. And while the kids couldn't get past the first round of the playoffs in 2016-2017, they look primed for an extended run in the near future. And, really, why not like the Leafs? They have a long history, a great look (with a symbol shared with Canada itself), heroes to idolize, and a dedicated fanbase. There is still a long waiting list for season tickets despite the club’s strong ties with futility. The Leafs are — or should be — the Cubs of the hockey world. Lovable losers. Now that the Cubbies have their trophy, the Leafs can even take full reign of that title across all North American sport. But, instead of being loved, they are hated as much as the Yankees and do not have the same wealth of championship rings to keep them warm at night. The funny thing is that, while the love and respect for the Cubs has grown with their winning percentage, if the Leafs were to win their division, and then a title, they would be despised even more. No pat on the back, no ‘job well done’ from fans of the opposition or even the general public, just more fuel added to the fires of hate. Much or all of this dislike is due to Toronto’s self-importance; the country’s biggest city, its financial and cultural mecca, is therefore the country’s best, or so it goes. Put simply, Toronto: The Centre of the Universe. The rest of Canada rails against this, though it is hard to tell whether the average non-Torontonian actively brings the city down, or if that notion is generally understood, but incorrect. There is, however, absolutely no way to claim bias against two other Toronto teams. Countless Canadians — coast to coast — adore the Blue Jays. Just look at their recent series in Seattle, where west coast Jays fans have repeatedly invaded, turning Safeco Field into a sea of blue for three games. The Raptors have a big following now too, as their pre-season tradition of playing sold-out games in different Canadian cities (Vancouver and Calgary last season) indicates. So, why not the Leafs? The obvious reason is that the Jays and Raptors are now the only Canadian teams in their respective leagues. There are six other teams (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, and Montreal) in the NHL that represent the Great White North. For most, there is no need to love the Leafs with so many other, more local options. The NHL also has a high number of Canadian players on successful American teams, which draws some fans south. Those actually from Toronto have, for the most part, stuck by their club despite the down years. 2012-2013 may have been it for some, the game seven collapse the final nail in the coffin. There were empty seats at the Air Canada Centre a couple of years ago, with tickets available for cheap on online resale sites. Nevertheless, hope springs eternal, and the arrival of Matthews and other young talent has rejuvenated Leafs fans. The franchise’s first 50 years saw great success, maybe the coming 50 will too. Cleveland won an NBA title, and the Cubs the World Series, so anything is possible. Win or lose, let’s all give the Leafs a big birthday gift: some love. They are never going to be number one in the hearts of many, but that does not mean so much negative energy must be directed their way. To hate the Leafs is to hate Tim Horton, and to hate the man is to hate his donut and coffee franchise. Timbits, Double-Doubles, and the Toronto Maple Leafs: all much needed, and very Canadian. Cheers to 100 years of the Buds