Bruce Huff (Toronto Star Columnist) aptly described 'Our Game' with reverence and clarity. He said, "Ball hockey. On the street, in the gym, on the arena floors is simply a slice of Canadiana..."
Well, Canada...let us invite the world to come and play 'Our Game' in the home of one of the oldest and most prestigious buildings in National Hockey League history.
Maple Leaf Gardens
....although, before we look any further forward towards this monumental event, let us take a moment and go back in time.....
It is May 2, 1967.....
"...Three seconds...two...one...the game is over! The Toronto Maple Leafs have won the Stanley Cup!" (Bill Hewett: CBC Hockey Night in Canada broadcaster)
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| Bill Hewitt in the broadcast booth |
The Toronto Maple Leafs (owned and operated by Stafford Smythe, John Bassett and the infamous Harold Ballard) under the tutalege of Mssr. George 'Punch' Imlach, are playing against Les Canadiens, the most reverred franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL) in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final at Maple Leaf Gardens . The 'Boys in Blue' are up three games to two in the championship series and lead 2-1 late in the third period of the contest when the epilogue to this epic chapter in hockey history would be finally written and later chronicled for years to come.
The net is empty...and you can still hear Bill Hewitt's voice resonate like it was only yesterday calling the play-by-play with less than a minute to go in the game...
"...Its electrifying here at Maple Leaf Gardens at the moment...
Here we go for the face-off...
The Leafs have (Allan) Stanley, (Red) Kelly, (Bob) Pulford, (Tim) Horton and (George) Armstrong...
Stanley talks to Kelly...
The puck is dropped. Kelly up to Pulford...Pulford gets it up to Armstrong...
Armstrong waits...takes a shot...he scores!
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| Johnny Bower making a save in the 1967 Stanley Cup finals versus the Canadiens |
Brian McFarlane (CBC Colour Commentator), along side Mr. Hewitt in the 'Gondola' high above the Garden's ice, can barely contain his excitement as he goes on to describe the events and euphoria on the ice and in the stands...
"...a wild finish...the players jump on the ice!...there are 47 seconds left to play...3-1 Toronto...Armstrong, the Leafs captain, gets a goal in the empty net...everybody is up and standing and cheering...all the Leaf fans here at the Gardens...programs are on the ice...players swarmed over the boards..."
"It would appear to be the insurance goal the Leafs were looking for...still 47 seconds left to play, but it would appear to be the goal the Leafs needed to win the Stanley Cup!"
And with that, the fans began the final countdown...10!...9!...8!...and completed by Hewitt's heightened tone for the viewers at home...
"...Three seconds...two...one...the game is over! The Toronto Maple Leafs have won the Stanley Cup!"
"....What a tremendous hockey game this was...Fantastic!McFarlane continued to describe the event with child like enthusiam....
...Look at the Leafs mobTerry Sawchuk...Johnny Bower is one of the first over the boards...number 27 Frank Mahovolich...and there is George Armstrong who scored the insurance goal...and Mike Walton...Bobby Baun...and Eddy Shack...Punch Imlach is out there shaking hands with his players..."
"...Peter Stemkowski throws Imlach's hat high into the air!"
The Canadians are lined up for the ceremonial hand shake and Toe Blake comes over to congratulate Punch Imlach.
"...(Red) Kelly and (Tim) Horton embrace each other..."
As the celebration continued and as history would have it, John Ferguson and Jean Beliveau would be the last to leave the ice (for the Canadians) as the Leafs remained poised to claim their prize...and with that, NHL President Clarence Campbell would be introduced to make the presentation of the Stanley Cup to captain George Armstrong at center ice.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it is now my great pleasure, duty and responsibility to present the Stanley Cup to the Maple Leaf Hockey Club for the 11th time"
Captain George Armstrong ushered his son Brian up with him to accept the Stanley Cup to help him raise it above his head in victory.
"...Its pretty hard not to get emotionally involved when you're in the Stanley Cup...its the ultimate for a hockey player...what you live for...it was the happiest moment when Army scored that third goal...I wanted to start crying..."As the championship bubbly was being poured into Lord Stanley's Mug, Hockey Night in Canada host Ward Cornell spoke with Maple Leaf defenseman Tim Horton about the magnitude of the team's accomplishment and what it meant to the allstar defenseman...
Since that moment in time there has been nary a replica of a trophy with such reverance or significance in sports history, nor a cup sought after by so many, but raised in triumph by so few, in that very place where the fans were loud and "The Chief" stood proud, underneath the scoreboard at center ice in the Maple Leaf Gardens....
Until now.....
WHERE THE WORLD UNITES for the World Ball Hockey Championships in June 2013 at the heritage site known as the Mattamy Athletic Center at The Gardens on 60 Carleton St. Toronto Canada.
The event approaches with an air of breathless anticipation and an unprecedented level of energy and enthusiam from everyone involved as the best mens and womens nations in the sport of ball hockey plan, prepare and pack their bags to travel from various continental divides to play on the world's largest stage for the game's biggest prize.
It will be the first time since 1967 that a major championship trophy of global magnitude and importance will be presented in what some would equate to as the middle of the living room floor in the house that Conn Smythe built.
On Sunday June 9....one nation will stand alone and accept the 2013 World Championship trophy emblematic of global 'orange ball' supremacy in the middle of the floor where George 'The Chief' Armstrong stood and raised La Coupe Stanley.
It will undoubtedley be an event for the ages and one that will be remembered for generations to come... Hence, as former wrestler, promoter and ringside announcer Billy 'Red' Lyons (Maple Leaf Wrestling) would say....
"Don't you dare miss it!"
For information on the championships or ticket information, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. '; document.write(''); document.write(addy_text74136); document.write('<\/a>'); //-->\n This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.