The Ultimate Road Trip: All 89 Games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ultimate Leafs Fan

By Mike Wilson, Lance Hornby and Brendan Shanahan

“If you like hockey and travel, you’ll love this book.” — Rick Vaive, Leafs captain and three-time 50-goal scorer

The Ultimate Leafs Fan attended every Toronto Maple Leafs contest of the 2018–19 NHL season and in this lively account makes it his mission to figure out what makes fans bleed blue

Through 89 games, from October to April, Mike Wilson, a retired Bay Street trader, traveled to 31 rinks to document stories of Leafs love. Mike took every conceivable mode of transport, stayed in team hotels and on the couches of family and friends, then went into the cheap seats, private suites, the streets, sports bars, hotel lobbies, and many other unique locations where Leafs Nation gets together, to gather tales both hilarious and heart-wrenching. Media personalities, former players, and NHL celebrities gave Wilson their thoughts on what fuels the Leafs passion.

With a foreword from club president Brendan Shanahan and colourful souvenir photos, The Ultimate Road Trip allows fans to vicariously experience the journey of a lifetime, and explores the passion of the sign-waving, fully costumed diehards who fill arenas from Alberta to Anaheim.

• Language: English
• Publisher: ECW Press
• Release date: Oct 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9781773056036

Mike Wilson

I have been writing poetry and short stories for several years. Have had formal education in the IT field. Published in Tales of the Talisman and Aphelion-webzine.com periodicals, as well as four editions of the annual Lyrical Iowa poetry book. I live and write in Des Moines, Iowa.

Book preview

Copyright

Dedication

To my dad, Ernie, who instilled the passion for the game and to Leafs Nation, who fulfilled the dream.

Foreword by Brendan Shanahan

I have been a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs my whole life.

Growing up in a family of six, there was only one reliable thing that would cause everyone to drop what they were doing and come together: the Leafs on a Saturday night. We were a hockey family and we loved the Leafs. Good, bad. Win, lose. No questions asked. They were our team.

Every Leafs fan has their heroes: Darryl Sittler, Lanny McDonald, Borje Salming, and Ian Turnbull were mine.

As a kid, I didn’t have the opportunity to attend games and I didn’t see the team play on the road.

Unless you count afternoons with friends spent staking out the frozen pond behind Darryl Sittler’s house, driving past Bill Derlago in the parking lot of Sherway Gardens, or listening to Salming order popcorn while standing behind him at the Humber movie theatre (his deep raspy voice shocked and awed me!), I never met a player either.

I always had those Saturday nights, though — me, my family, and the Leafs.

When I heard about Mike Wilson’s travels in 2018–19, following the Leafs from city to city, my thought was immediately: what a dream come true for a hockey fan. To travel alongside your favourite team is a bucket-list item very few people have the opportunity to cross off. Once he began sharing the accounts of his travels, I was struck by the number of people he encountered who had stories that go beyond simple fandom.

They are stories of passion for a hockey club. Passion that strengthens the bonds between family and friends. My passion for the Leafs may have been briefly interrupted by my playing career, but, needless to say, it was reinvigorated when I joined the club as president in 2014.

Following that return was one of my favourite Maple Leaf memories, and it didn’t take place anywhere near the ice.

It was my first year on the job in Toronto and my son, Jack, was spending the afternoon in my office prior to that night’s game. We had been sitting and talking when Sittler walked into my office, sat down, and spent 20 minutes or so chatting with us before heading down to the arena, where you can find him as a club ambassador on many game nights.

Now, my son (who was 12 at the time) loved Sidney Crosby. After Darryl left, Jack waited a moment, turned to me, and asked, Was that like if one day I became president of the Penguins and Sidney Crosby came to talk to me?

That’s exactly what it is like, I replied. Still a fan after all these years.

I’m proud to report that in the time since that meeting, Jack — as well as my daughters, Maggie and Cate — have all taken to wearing the blue and white. The names on the sweaters may have changed several times, but, once again, I’m in a hockey family. We love the Leafs.

The Leafs aren’t best defined by a logo or a player or a moment. They’re best defined by the passion they create in the people who love them. Wherever you are in the hockey world, you can find a Leafs fan, and in that person, you have a friend with a story to share.

You don’t need to take my word for it, though. Enjoy this book and see for yourself through the eyes of Mike, the Ultimate Leafs Fan.

Brendan Shanahan, 2019

Introduction

When I announced I’d be following the Toronto Maple Leafs for the entire 2018–19 season, including the playoffs, the response was typically: Great idea! But why?

Well, that’s a question I wrestled with myself when I proposed this adventure to my partner, Deb, as far back as five years ago. Back in 2009, ESPN The Magazine anointed me the Ultimate Leafs Fan because of the collection of team artifacts I’ve amassed in my 66 years — around 2,000 at last count. I’d started like any kid, at a very early age, compiling all kinds of bubble gum cards, newspaper clippings, coins, and other items.

But my real passion was the game of hockey.

Growing up in Toronto in the late 1950s and ’60s, I spent most of my free time outside. The few channels on the black-and-white TV weren’t exactly loaded with 24-hour entertainment, which meant shinny in our street or house-league rink during the day and watching the pros every Saturday night.

In Toronto, it was never any team except the Leafs on Saturday on CBC or mid-week on another network. The Leafs magnified my obsession with hockey and before long anything related to one of my heroes was a must-have.

Once Deb and I found the right location to house our collection 16 years ago, my objective was simply to use it as a backdrop to our entertainment room, where cold beer would always be available and friends could enjoy watching hockey and other sporting events, such as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (my favourite football team also occupied a place of honour).

Then, Leafs TV featured The Room, as it came to be known, in a two-part series. And before I knew it, we were planning hockey-themed fundraising events for Canfund Olympic recipients or athletes, anti-bullying, and other great causes. The BroBible website voted it the second-best man cave in the world, next to a reproduction of the Bat Cave. As a result, we’d become fairly well known in hockey circles and people wrote us daily, offering new items, asking questions about the century-old franchise, and, best of all, adding to the many stories about the Leafs.

These fans say it all.

Now, some of my most prized possessions, including the original door to the Leafs dressing room at the Gardens, several vintage sweaters, and souvenirs, are part of the Canadian Museum of History. But there is still a chapter of this story that remains unknown: why are fans so passionate about a team that hasn’t won a Stanley Cup in more than 50 years?

Part of it goes back to the early 1930s, when Foster Hewitt first broadcasted games on radio, a medium still in its infancy, across a vast, unconnected country. With the Great Depression crippling the nation and the onset of World War II, this much-needed entertainment prompted families to gather around the set Saturday evenings and listen to games featuring the Leafs. With only two teams in Canada, anyone west of Ontario followed Toronto — an exclusivity of listeners from the Great Lakes to Vancouver Island. That circumstance, in addition to the seven Cups won between 1932 and 1951, laid the foundation for generations.

My ambitious notion to follow the club for a full season originated from a friend in South Bend, Indiana, who hasn’t missed a Notre Dame football game since his graduation in 1977. I thought, why not attempt that for a whole Leafs season?

Watching road games on TV, I’ve often wondered, who are those people in Leafs sweaters having a great time in the stands? Are they from that city? If not, how did they get there? How much did it cost?

To further convince myself this was a worthy quest, I thought of personal experiences crossing paths with Leafs Nation in unlikely places. In 2012, Deb and I were venturing around the marketplace in the old City of Jerusalem, following the Stations of the Cross. We spotted a familiar sight hanging from a vendor’s stall near the Eighth Station: a Toronto tee with Go Leafs Go, written in Hebrew.

Later that day, visiting the Western Wall, our guide mentioned it’s customary to write your greatest wishes on a scrap of paper and stuff it into the spaces between the 2,000-year-old limestone bricks for good luck. I wrote, Please allow the Leafs to make the playoffs and Notre Dame go undefeated.

Well, the Leafs did make the playoffs for the first time in almost a decade and the Fighting Irish didn’t lose in reaching the national championship. But Toronto crashed and burned in the first round against Boston and ND was destroyed in the final by Alabama. I remember looking at Deb a few days after the painful end to both seasons and remarking, I think we have to go back to the Wall and include playoffs in our note.

For my 60th birthday a couple of years later, we were on safari in Tanzania, a surprise gift from the more adventurous Deb, who tries to broaden my interests beyond the rink. One morning, as we walked around the shantytown area of Arusha at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro, a motorcycle came toward us — the driver was wearing a blue Darryl Sittler sweater.

We both looked at each other in amazement before bursting into laughter. Deb believed a Leafs fan must have worn it to the top of Kili and, per tradition, gave it to his Sherpa afterward, but really who knows?

So Deb agreed a seven-month journey was the perfect means for me to connect with Leafs Nation, document their personal and intimate stories, and experience it all firsthand right across North America. I also thought of catching up with hockey people in coaching, management, and league operations in the various road cities who’d visited the room or had a tie to Toronto and the Leafs.

We had initially targeted 2017, the club’s NHL centennial year, but the logistics didn’t work and it was put on the back burner. But during a leisurely stroll with Deb in Florida, in March 2018, I blurted out there would never be a more perfect time than the upcoming season, with the club on its way to respectability again. Let’s just go for it.

We hustled back to our condo and started strategizing that day. The NHL schedule wasn’t released until June 24, but by mid-July, after countless hours of planning and exhausting our poor travel agent, it was all done, at least on paper.

True Leafs spirit.

The plan was to record and document my journey as I spoke with fans and share these stories and my progress with Leafs Nation via social media. I’d write a weekly column in the Toronto Sun and eventually compile enough material for the book you are about to read.

The goal was to ask as many fans as possible one essential question: Why religiously follow the team every step of the way? I wanted to know how it all began. Was it a certain player, a goal, a game, or some other moment that connected them? Were they influenced by a friend or family member?

It all sounded so professional, except for the fact that I’ve never really been a camera guy. Deb purchased a simple-to-use Canon with recording capabilities, a six-inch lens that was NHL arena approved, and a new Samsung phone that could serve as an alternative when things got hectic. As a precaution, she also registered me in an eight-week photography course at Henry’s camera store that was very helpful for someone inept at this skilled craft. The instructor knew he had his hands full when he was forced to show me how to turn the damn thing on. If looks could kill . . .

However, my patient classmates turned out to all be Leafs fans and became even more helpful once they found out about my project.

My knapsack was soon loaded with my computer, iPad, and notebooks, along with all the essentials to quickly transcribe game notes, city by city.

---

The essential question I planned to ask as many fans as possible was why they were so passionate about a team that hadn’t won in over 50 years. Was it a player, a goal, a game, or other influences?

I utilized planes, trains, automobiles — even a boat — to get to 41 road games and playoffs, while the handy Toronto Transit Commission was to be my chauffeur for home games.

My journey from early October to late April covered 34,475 miles in the air, 1,665 aboard trains, and 4,174 by car, a total of 40,314 miles across the continent to all 31 NHL cities, plus a trek to a 32nd rink in Brooklyn, even though the Leafs played the Islanders twice at Nassau Coliseum that season. I was away from home for 83 days, required 48 hotel rooms, and spent 25 nights with friends and family and 10 more at our condo in Florida.

When travelling around the various cities I wasn’t too fussy on short-haul transport, although Uber/Lyft was summoned 57 times throughout the season, while Amtrak trains to and from Newark’s Prudential Center were cheaper than a Lyft, $8 one way compared to $100. Add 13 rides from friends and newly made ULF followers and 20 subway trips to get me to the game and back.

This trip kept me moving and fit. I averaged 8,000 to 10,000 steps per game, walking to, from, and around the rinks.

So if you’re ready to experience my journey, let’s hit the road together.

Hanging out with the members of KISS at a Buffalo game: Vince and Cosmo Bonazza, Mike Arcaro, and Wes Stonos.

Chapter 1: Toronto

Hello/Goodbye

Whether you’re a house leaguer pulling on a freshly crested jersey or a seasoned pro doing the same, opening night is always the best time of the season.

The optimism is at its peak: there’s the acquisition of new players, maybe an incoming coach, new ownership, or a sure thing draft prospect. Or maybe it’s status quo and your club just needs some luck.

Regardless, every team starts tied for first place and in the playoff hunt, and fans are amped as expectations mount during a long off-season. This could finally be the year.

My hopes were certainly high to start 2018–19, but they were skewed differently than during previous years. On October 3, 2018, as I headed to Scotiabank Arena, sporting a new Ultimate Leafs Fan jacket, I was certainly excited to see the new-look Leafs with John Tavares, who was the biggest free-agent signing in franchise history, but my mind wandered in many directions as I embarked on my mission to attend every game.

On the subway, my car paused between stops headed to Union Station and I thought about how ironic it would be if the train broke down and I was trapped, missing the opener after all the hype surrounding my quest over the previous few months. Fortunately, we got rolling and within minutes I was at the pre-game party at Maple Leaf Square, amongst a few thousand enthusiastic fans. It was already a playoff-type atmosphere. I was quickly recognized by Chris Davis, who wore a white Leafs sweater and blue star-shaped sunglasses, topped with a large royal blue Mohawk hairpiece. He wanted to wish me well on the journey and, indeed, we’d meet a number of times through the coming season. He and his dad started watching games decades earlier, with Chris’s grandmother, and they now attend games together whenever they can. Deb joined me in the square, and after speaking with more fans we headed in for the warm-up.

As season ticket holders going back to my dad’s era, we’ve attended many openers at the Gardens and Scotiabank Arena, and while the expectation surrounding this team was probably at its highest in recent franchise history, I could also detect a sense of apprehension among supporters. That was something I could relate to: after months of talk about what I’d envisioned, it was show time for my bold endeavour as well.

As we circled the hallways, I was put at ease as we conversed with the crowd and heard tales of families watching Hockey Night in Canada and of Wendel Clark’s fights and Doug Gilmour’s wraparound goal, both players inspirational heroes for many in the 35-to-50 age bracket.

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment chairman Larry Tanenbaum heard of my trip and invited Deb and I to the directors lounge at intermission. This MLSE suite across from the dressing room is as well appointed as you’d expect: a fully stocked bar and a buffet table with everything from sushi to hot dogs to trays of desserts; a couple of big TVs that pipe in the intermission broadcast; and lots of comfy armchairs and sofas throughout. We were thrilled to meet so many of Larry’s friends, as Larry held court and took time to introduce us.

Toronto Police superintendent Scott Baptist was there and spoke of his aunt gifting him a stick signed by the 1950–51 Leafs that was his pride and joy. For reasons he can’t explain, he sold this wonderful artifact about 15 years ago, regretting it every day since. The pained expression on his face as he recalled the story certainly drove the point home. I tried to comfort Scott by suggesting to not focus on its loss, but rather the memory of the piece that will bond him with his aunt and the Leafs for the rest of his life. A smile came across his face as he shook my hand, saying my message made him feel a lot better.

My old pal, the flamboyant ex–Dragons Den TV star Michael Wekerle, stopped by in the second intermission, and after a passionate good-luck hug and a series of selfies including curious onlookers, he was gone as fast as he arrived.

In the director’s lounge at intermission with Larry Tanenbaum on opening night.

Former captain Rick Vaive was present in his Leafs Alumni role, telling me he had to keep his Toronto allegiance quiet from his father while growing up in the Ottawa/Gatineau area, then a tight Canadiens enclave. Anytime it was Toronto versus Montreal and young Vaive betrayed any Leafs emotion, it meant a game misconduct and off to bed. He cheered Toronto goals only in his head.

Later, playing for his first NHL team, the Vancouver Canucks, Vaive was amazed at how many fans donning Leafs colours came out to the old Pacific Coliseum. After living in Vancouver in relative anonymity, he was traded to Toronto, where he was constantly recognized in the streets. That celebrity took some adjusting on his part, and to this day, he’s impressed with the Leafs road show.

But there was one moment at the Gardens that wasn’t so pleasant for him. During a bad game by the Leafs, coach Dan Maloney decided to make a point by benching the entire top line of Vaive, Bill Derlago, and John Anderson. About halfway through the second period, a guy behind the bench (which had no glass partition at the time) yelled, Hey, Vaive, since you’re doin’ nothin’, how about grabbing me a hot dog?

Vaive had to stifle his laughter.

I wanted to yell back ‘What do you want on it?’ but was afraid Danny would’ve punched me in the back of the head.

I was also approached by Markham native Jim Taylor, who remembered Young Canada Night at the Gardens in the Original Six era as his favourite game of the year. In 2017, the club introduced the Next Generation Game, reinstating the custom of celebrating youth in the community. Taylor recalled his dad would round up enough tickets to take Jim’s entire team on Young Canada Night. It’s his fondest childhood memory, with the Leafs’ open practice a close second.

But our standout story of the night was from 41-year-old Mike, who was attending his first live game, with his best friend Julian. As I turned on my camera and asked what the Leafs meant to him, he said it was all about watching games with his dad. If they didn’t see it together, the call the next morning was always, What was the score? He cherished these moments.

With tears streaming down his face, Mike said the last words his dad spoke to him before passing were, What was the score?

With all the excitement of Tavares scoring in his debut, Auston Matthews’s overtime winner, and Mike’s heartwarming story, I looked at Deb and wondered, How do we top this?

Mike Wekerle of TV’s Dragons’ Den.

Celebrating with the Taylor family.

Mike, his best friend Julien, and me.

Opening night with Deb.

Oct. 3, Leafs 3, Canadiens 2 at Scotiabank Arena

Matthews scored twice, once on the power play and lodged the game winner, but Brendan Shanahan inadvertently stole the thunder hours before puck drop. It became apparent restricted free agent William Nylander would not sign with the club right away.

We’re lucky, Shanahan said at the unveiling of a Parks Canada plaque recognizing the historical significance of the Leafs at Scotiabank Arena’s main gate. "At the end of my first season, four years ago, I said we need players that want to be here, that this [tear-down] might not be for everybody. You have to want to be a Leaf.

"Kyle [Dubas] and I have the same vision of what we want to build here. We feel we’re big fans of William, we want him to be part of this. When I get together with some of my old mates from the Cup years in Detroit, we talk about winning together and growing together and that’s what we remember. At the end of the day, we all found a way to fit with each other, so we kept adding