Home openers give teams, fans chance to celebrate before puck drops for first
There is usually something special, something sentimental, about NHL home openers, and none more so than in the original NHL cities of Montreal and Toronto.
When the Canadiens hosted the Leafs on Tuesday night, Montreal brought back the legendary Guy Lafleur, who passed the torch to Canadiens newcomer Daniel Briere — and the tradition-loving fans, as usual, lapped it up.
The Leafs, by contrast, don’t always go for pomp in home opening ceremonies. If you’re old enough, you’ll remember that was especially the case in the Harold Ballard ownership era.
Back in 1973, at the Maple Leafs’ home opener, Ballard himself was front and centre — for all the wrong reasons.
During the day, the owner had learned he was granted parole after serving one year of a three-year sentence for theft and fraud involving $205,000 of Gardens money.
The Star reported at the time that while at the game on a daypass from a halfway house, Ballard perpetuated another fraud by promising his team would be in the final. Those were the days. Even now, many fans who want their hockey — and want it now — prefer to skip the opening ceremonies when watching at home because, well, they tend to drag on.
The Leafs have given no hint at anything really special for Saturday night at the Air Canada Centre against the Ottawa Senators.
Of course, a mainstay, the 48th Highlanders, will perform, and a lucky fan will drop the puck. That fan will be the winner of the Leafs’ ongoing contest on mapleleafs.com.
However, the Leafs are not immune from making a big opening-night production.
They’ve hit a sentimental chord in the past by bringing back legends like Johnny Bower and Borje Salming to stir up the faithful.
However, home-opening ceremonies in Toronto have not always been a lot of fun.
Often, they can be solemn occasions, like commemorating a death.
They have even been, dare we say, boring? Like the time they trotted out former Premier Mike Harris to drop the puck.
Last season’s opening ceremony proved to be one of the memorable occasions largely because fans were already giddy with anticipation after the lockout ended.
It wasn’t until Jan. 21 that the Leafs got to see hockey in Toronto, and the Leafs seized the moment with an out-of-this-world experience.
They treated the fans to a ceremonial faceoff from astronaut Chris Hadfield, who “dropped” the puck fr
The puck “dropped Felix Potvin’s glove. I vin, Darcy Tucker, Da Johnny Bower, who ice.
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he highlights of other p Day, Red Kelly and retired. Kelly gave a ch and Salming got a wo had their numbers ively — raised to the hat of Hap Day, in a The 48th HighlandPrime Minister Steugh the entire game. ner of the millennium n when the Leafs paid loyal fan. At the cereyan and sister Megan ior to opening faceoff father, Rudy, who was efore he was killed in girls, who were flown onto, were invited to n Leafs president Ken ned about the death. that night. ony, there also was a celebration of Paul Morris, who had retired the previous spring after 38 years as the Leafs’ public address announcer. Oct. 11, 1995 Wendel Clark, who became one of the most popular Leafs when he hit the ice for his first shift in 1985-86, received an outburst of affection when he appeared as a New York Islander to face the Leafs in their 1995-96 home opener.
The reaction wasn’t quite as strong for Ontario Premier Mike Harris, who performed the ceremonial first puck drop. JAN. 25, 1995 At the Maple Leafs’ sold-out home opener against the Vancouver Canucks, dollar hot dogs were among the ways the club thanked for their loyalty during the105-day work stoppage. The teams began a 48-game season. NOV. 12, 1931 At Maple Leaf Gardens, the 48th Highlanders performed to the crowd of 13,000 during the opening ceremonies in a tradition that continues to this day. The game also marked the beginning of Foster Hewitt’s Hockey Night in Canada radio broadcasts and began a Saturday night tradition that continues on television. With files from Astrid Lange, Star Library