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Although I'm not a hockey fan, I find it unacceptable that the Leafs don't have a thread on the Outsports hockey board. So here goes:
GO LEAFS GO!
The city of Toronto was in a frenzy of blue and white on Wednesday, as the Leafs opened the season hosting the Ottawa Senators. Alas, they would lose in a shootout (the first of the NHL season, I believe), and start the year 0-0-1.
An even tougher loss is the loss of Mats Sundin who took a puck to the face. I just saw him on TV and his eye looked like he got into a fight with a wall and lost.
So, it looks like another long season for the Leafs... who last won the Stanley Cup in the year I was born.
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From: Gatineau, Québec
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i'm enjoying this.
Other than die hard Leaf fans, i don't know many people who do not take pleasure in seeing the Leafs lose. With guys like Lindros, Tucker and Domi on the team, expect to be hated pretty much everywhere
But it's still just a few games into the season, i do believe they have enough talent to make the playoffs. I wish they wouldn't, but they will.
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From: Gatineau, Québec
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QUOTE
I don't know if it's actually \"Lindros hatred\" as much as \"Lindros cuncussion watch.\"
oh no no.. it's Lindros hatred.
With the antics he pulled when he was first drafted by the nordiques and then when he was with the Flyers, many are hoping he never wins anything.. ever. If i'm not mistaken, he had also acted like a primadonna in junior hockey before that.
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I saw this on another board and thought I'd share:
Custody Battle Ruling:
A seven year old boy from Toronto was at the centre of a courtroom drama in an Ontario Superior Courthouse this morning when he challenged a court ruling over who should have legal custody of the juvenile.
The boy has a history of being beaten repeatedly by both parents and the judge had previously awarded custody to the boy's aunt.
The boy confirmed that his aunt beat him more than his parents and refused to live there. When the judge then suggested that he be placed with his grandparents, the boy cried out that they beat him more severely than anyone. The judge, in an unprecedented ruling, dramatically allowed the boy, in spite of his youth and obvious inexperience, to make his own choice as to who should have legal guardianship over him.
In front of a packed and cheering courtroom this morning, custody was subsequently granted to the TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS as the boy stated his firm belief that they are, in point of fact, not capable of beating anyone.
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From: Philadelphia, PA
Member No.: 6
From today's Phila. Daily News, quoting Eric Lindros:
QUOTE
Does he see any irony in the fact that he's in Toronto and Peter Forsberg - who was part of the original trade that brought Lindros to the Flyers from Quebec - is in Philadelphia now?
\"No, the real irony is [Jeremy Roenick] in LA,\" Lindros said.
Eric Lindros, meet Alanis Morissette. wink
I think the real irony is that Scott Stevens is retired and Lindros isn't.
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Check out my blog, The Joe In Philly Experience! at http://joeinphilly.blogspot.com/
Philadelphia Phillies: 2009 NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONS/2008 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Hey - my Buds got off to a bit of a slow start, but they are looking damn good now. McCabe, Allison and Lindros have been stellar. Heck through 6 games now and they have only lost one in regulation time. There other two losses were in shootouts versus Ottawa. And they even had a third period lead in each of those 3 losses. And all this without Sundin. Not bad!
And forget about all that whining from people in other cities across Canada. There is a reason TSN and CBC love the Leafs. Just look at the ratings. The opener against Ottawa averaged 2.1 million and peaked at over 2.7 million viewers during the shootout - a record for TSN's hockey telecasts. Week One Hockey Night in Canada versus Montreal at the ACC attracted over 1.6 million viewers and Week 2 at Montreal attracted the third highest regular season rating since 1991 at 1.94 million.
Plus Leafs TV which is carrying 13 regular season games this season managed to attract over 100,000 for the game versus Atlanta last Friday night. Considering they did not even have 100,000 subscribers a year ago, to actually have over 100,000 viewers is crazy. I must admit - I was one of the apparently thousands who bit the bullet last Friday and switched my digital cable program so that I could get Leafs TV in time to get that game. 13 games is just too many to miss!
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QUOTE
There is a reason TSN and CBC love the Leafs.
i agree, everyone in canada loves to hate the leafs. Although i'd like to dispute your reasoning behind the TSN and CBC loving the leafs. If they were to put the Habs on, i think they would still get the ratings.
The only reason TSN gets dubbed the "toronto sports network" is because they show leafs leafs leafs, all the time, and are obvious fans of the team. Hey, there's no problem with that, we know the station is in Toronto.
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QUOTE
Leph75:
QUOTE
There is a reason TSN and CBC love the Leafs.
i agree, everyone in canada loves to hate the leafs. Although i'd like to dispute your reasoning behind the TSN and CBC loving the leafs. If they were to put the Habs on, i think they would still get the ratings.
Nope - ratings on the English networks for the Leafs are always the highest of any teams on national broadcast. And of course part of that is that the bulk of Montreal's fans watch on RDS in French. Same in previous years in the playoffs. Ratings for Leaf games in the first round are higher than any other games, and once the Leafs get eliminated (which unfortunately -they always do) ratings drop. For example in Round One in 2003 the average rating for games of the Flyer-Leaf series were even higher for the CBC than any of the second or third round series on average.
That is also why when the Leafs play in Calgary or Edmonton they still have that as the early game at 7:00PM Eastern time and do the late game from Vancouver at 10:00PM - because they know the Leafs will attract a bigger audience for that first game than if they showed an Ottawa or Montreal game in that time slot. Likewise TSN always gets their highest national ratings for the games they show the Leafs.
So Leafs fans get the bulk of their games in prime time. And that gives the rest of Canada lots of opportunities to cheer for the other team. wink
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Another wild and whacky Leaf game last night. Boy have there been some fun Leaf games to watch! Last night they looked great against the Bruins and had a 2 - 0 lead at the end of the first with yet another goal by Lindros and another by McCabe. Then they looked awful for the second and trailed were lucky to be tied 3-3. The Bruins had something like 24 shots on goal in the second period alone and had over 50 on the night!
A wild third period saw the Bruins take the lead, but then the Leafs tied it with a short handed goal, and then the Eddie Belfour show started. He did everything except stand on his head as the Leafs played almsot all the last 5 minutes of regulation and the first 3 minutes of the overtime shorthanded. Two men short for a minute of that. The Bruins were robbed about 4-5 times, and then in the last couple of minutes of overtime back at even strength the Leafs were all over the Bruins and came so close to scoring two or three times including once in the final few seconds. The ACC was going bonkers!
Then in the shootout Eddie stoned all 3 Bruins shooters and the BIG 'E" Lindros scored to win it for the Leafs. As the Leaf announcers said during the shootout that maybe the players and coaches might not like the shootout but boy the crowd sure seemed to. As Harry Neale said the atmosphere was 'absolutely electric!' A few friends who have been to games this year have todl me that at times it has almost been a playoff like atmosphere late in the games at the ACC. Four of their home games (Montreal, Ottawa, Carolina and last nights Bruins game) have just been crazy. And their games in Montreal and Ottawa (both with thousands of Leaf fans in attendance) were just as wild. Three shootouts and one other overtime already!
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Avec visor, Mats Sundin returns to the ice following his season opener eye injury and leads the Leafs to a 5-3 vicotry over the Lightning. Leafs now 7-5-2.
Group: Members
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According to Forbes magazine, the Toronto Maple Leafs are the most profitable team in the NHL.
QUOTE
Toronto had the largest operating profit, $24.2 million on revenue of $112 million. Minnesota was second with a $12.1 million operating profit on revenue of $61 million.
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Leafs on a three game roll with an overtime thriller over the Pens last night in Pittsburgh. It seemed like a great atmosphere in the Mellon Arena as there were a couple of thousand Leaf fans in attendance. Leaf fans are having to go further and further away to be able to get tickets to Leaf games since it is almost impossible to get them at the ACC. The crowds in Montreal, Buffalo and Ottawa always have thousands of Leaf fans in attendance when the Buds visit, and the same is true to a smaller degree in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. But that is the first time I have heard that many Leaf fans in Pittsburgh. I've got tickets for the return engagement in Toronto next Monday. Sidney Crosby's first visit to Toronto which should be fairly intense for Crosby with Toronto being the hockey media capital of the world.
Tough game tomorrow night though against the Sabres - who have been playing surprisingly well!
Was just reading some of the Forbe's financial ratings of the NHL teams and some of the Leaf ratings really do show that this can be called the Hockey Capital of the World.
Most Valuable Franchise - The Leafs at 325 million Highest Income - The Leafs 85 million Most Valuable Team Brand - The Leafs - 41 Million
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So is this the day that the Leafs FINALLY take their last gasp and become officially eliminated from playoff contention?
After their two game meltdown in Montreal about 3 weeks ago, when they dropped to 13th place and 11 points out of a playoff spot, I would have thought they would be long dead by now. But incredibly - the Leafs in Cinderella like fashion, in many wildly exciting games, have managed to not lose a game in regulation over their last nine, taking 16 of a possible 18 points in those 9 games.
But alas - it all seems that it will be a case of too little too late. Just another cruel tease for the most loyal - (to a fault) - group of fans on the planet.
With Tampa picking up a single point in their shootout loss to Carolina last night the Leafs now must win all 3 of their remaining games, while Tampa must be held to just one single point in their last two, both of which are at home. So with Toronto home to Ottawa - who we are 0-7 against this year, and TB home to the Canes, it may all end tonight.
But at least with the dramatically improved play of late - particularly of a number of the Leaf youger players - like Steen, Stajan, White, Wellwood and the incredible play of Captain Sundin along with Aubin's heroics in net, there is at least some reason for optimism looking forward to next year - I think. Or at least I hope. I did not feel that way at all 3 weeks ago.
And so for what I suspect will be the last time this season - GO LEAFS GO!
Toronto Maple Leafs 2005-2006
Oct 7 2005, 12:01 PM
Although i'd like to dispute your reasoning behind the TSN and CBC loving the leafs. If they were to put the Habs on, i think they would still get the ratings.