IN A NEW YORK SKATE OF MIND
The Big Apple area’s three rinks a big draw for the expatriate fans of Leaf Nation at Christmastime, writes Mike Wilson.
NEWARK, N.J. After back-to-back losses in Florida, a good place for any fan on the Toronto Maple Leafs road trip to recover is at the The Brooklyn Inn.
One of the oldest in New York and converted from a big house to a big bar in 1885, it was an ideal stop for me before Toronto played the New Jersey Devils next day.
Little has changed in more than 130 years of this establishment. Quite similar to the 19th-century Elevator Bar I visited in Columbus, Ohio, last month, the ceiling has a stunning art deco design. It serves no food, nuts or pretzels, has no TV, though it does have a pool table and classic jukebox.
The Inn was known by a few different nicknames through the decades, including ‘Dem Bums,’ the affectionate term for the Brooklyn Dodgers by sports cartoonist Willard Mullin.
Next stop was the corner of Bedford Ave. and Sullivan Place, one-time home of the Dodgers’ storied Ebbets Field.
Built in 1913, it meant as much to the baseball fans in Brooklyn as the Gardens did for hockey fans in Toronto. Ebbets Field was where the Dodgers played until 1957 when they broke many hearts and moved to L.A.
It was at Ebbets Field the Dodgers made the historic Jackie Robinson signing, though all that stands of Ebbets today is part of the outfield wall in a parking lot surrounded by apartments.
Just as in Manhattan, you always find something interesting walking the streets of Brooklyn. For me, it was Vinnie’s Iron Works, a building featuring two weather vanes and a statue of Jesus enclosed in a glass case on the roof.
I crossed the East and Hudson rivers to reach the Prudential Center, home of the Devils, which has an adjoining rink for the team to practise if the main rink has another event going on. Prudential has wide hallways, lots of concession stands and recently added the William Hill sports betting lounge, now legal in the state. You can’t actually bet on site, but staff will guide patrons to the phone app and the odds for those day’s professional games are listed on the tote boards. Alcohol is also served, allowing adult customers to relax and study the odds while sipping a beverage.
Many Leafs fans and families combined a pre-christmas trip in New York with this game.
Newly married Eric and Lucia Lau came from Toronto to show off the Toronto sweaters they received as wedding gifts. Just so everyone knows who’s in charge, Lucia’s had the ‘C’ and Eric an ‘A’. Eric confided that the devastating Game 7 loss to Boston in 2013 was not so bad in the end.
“We’d just met and we were speaking on the phone after Game 7. She listened to my frustrations and pain losing the series even though she wasn’t a fan. Today she is.”
The couple held up a sign asking Mitch Marner for a warm-up puck, which the classy young Leaf provided.
I informed them a young boy had scored a stick from Marner in Tampa a few nights earlier with a clever sign. The Laus wished they’d thought of asking for that, but were very happy with the puck.
The Sarfraz family from Mississauga: Laleni, wife Monica, and kids Maya and Mira, now live in Jersey and are also hard-core.
“The Gilmour years even though they lost (in two conference finals) were my favourite moments,” said Laleni.
“It had been a long time since they’d got that far.” Mike Wilson is travelling to all 41 Leafs road games as part of his quest to attend each of the team’s 82 this season. Follow the Ultimate Road Trip at ultimateleafsfan.com and on Instagram at theultimateleafsfan. Special to Postmedia