Results tagged “stanleycup”

Toronto principal in controversial controversy over explicit poems he wrote and posted to his website. This is of course the first recorded case ever of somebody getting in trouble for something they wrote on the Internet, and the scandal has sent shock waves through the online community. "Wait, somebody actually this shit?" said Patrick Metzger. "Dammit, I better re-emphasize that my erotic snuff story about Geri Halliwell is purely a work of fiction!"

The saga of John Ferguson, Jr. is mercifully over: the beleaguered General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who's been a whipping boy for the team's misfortunes ever since his appointment in 2003, has been fired.

We have no problem admitting our man-love for Mats Sundin: he's been the captain of our favourite hockey team for most of our adult lives, he's one of the greatest Toronto Maple Leafs of all-time and he's a shoe-in hall-of-famer once he retires. Seeing him score his 500th career goal still ranks as the greatest sporting moment we've ever witnessed. We know we're supposed to be too old and too sophisticated to have favourite athletes...but if we weren't, Sundin would be head-and-shoulders above everyone else.

The rumour mill is swirling around the Maple Leafs this week, as a less-than-stellar season and mixed signals from club ownership lead to daily reports about the fate of the team's management and captain. With all signs pointing to a third straight early vacation at season's end, the team's followers are steamed.

It's been a strange week for Leaf Nation.

With much-maligned NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in the crowd, the Toronto Maple Leafs dropped the puck on the 2007-08 season at the Air Canada Centre last night. He was probably unable to catch a glimpse of a homemade sign halfway across the arena that read: “Bettman: ruining the NHL since 1993.”

Torontonians outraged by satirical ads for a children's camp where kids learn to be soldiers. The posters (which we wrote about earlier this week) are the brainchild of War Child Canada, which promotes aid and awareness for child soldiers and why that's bad. This story is further proof that satire is not only dead, but has in fact become a zombie. (The campaign's website is here.)

Taking a page from David Miller's Big Book of Intergovernmental Panhandling, Dalton McGuinty is complaining that Ontario is going to need a hot cash injection from the Feds if we're going to get those manufacturing jobs back from Bangladesh. Q: What do you get when you have an NDP mayor, a Liberal Premier, and a Tory Prime Minister? A: If you pay taxes in Toronto, pretty much nothing!

Artist Damien Hirst's diamond-studded skull reminded us that we used to live across the street from a lady who kept a magical Mayan crystal skull in her house. Which got us to thinking about other spooky things. So we've compiled a list of ten, supposedly haunted places in the city. Make your own ghost walk and if you do actually see a spirit, please let us know.

The Anaheim Mighty Ducks win the Stanley Cup. Thus finally fulfilling the lifetime goals of Emilio Estevez. Asked to comment, the Ottawa Senators said "aggghhhhhhhhhhccckkk," then scored on their own net again.

It was one of the wildest final weekends in NHL history. The Toronto Maple Leafs delivered a knockout blow to the Montreal Canadiens in one of the most electric matches in recent memory, only to have the New York Islanders break our hearts and take the final playoff spot in a shootout against the New Jersey Devils the following day.

Every five years, the bean counters at Statistics Canada dole out the census numbers. Well, the 2006 model is in the showroom, the tires are getting kicked, and those who care about such things are saying things like, "Hey, Toronto is STILL the biggest city in the country!"

With their 4-1 loss to the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes Tuesday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs slipped back to a .500 record (19-19-6) yet again, and now sit tied for ninth place in the Eastern Conference, fighting for their playoff lives after having played more than half of their games this season. They're missing a hospital ward full of regular players due to injury (Mike Peca, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Ian White, Kyle Wellwood, Darcy Tucker, etc.). They continue to struggle with goaltending that, while decent at times, is far from superior, with neither Andrew Raycroft nor Jean-Sebastien Aubin stealing a single game for them this year. So what has general manager John Ferguson, Jr. done to shore up his team with the all-star break and stretch run looming? Well, yesterday he claimed former Leaf third/fourth-liner Travis Green (two points in seven games this year with Anaheim, 22 points in 82 games with Boston last season) off of waivers. While a noted faceoff and penalty kill specialist, Green is hardly a replacement for the likes of Tucker (19-12-31 in 39 games), Ponikarovsky (11-13-24 in 35 games) or Wellwood (9-22-31 in 35 games) on a team that even when fully healthy is still lacking offensively.

The Maple Leafs have announced that GM John Ferguson will get a one-year contract extension. It's not that we think he's doing a bad job per se (though, sorry to break it to you, no Stanley Cup this year) but we kinda find ourselves agreeing with the Globe's David Shoalts in saying, "So what?" It's a slightly more exciting announcement than, "Our team colours will continue to be blue and white or white and blue, depending where we are playing," but not by much.

Since 2004, signs have hung on the southeast corner of Maple Leaf Gardens promising an historic Loblaws Real Canadian Superstore. "Soon you'll discover a store filled with fresh flavours, shops and services," the billboards cheerily stated, but the Gardens at Church and Carlton has loomed a decrepit shell since it went dark in 2001, despite some minor action hosting the filming of Cinderella Man. The last Leafs game was on February 13, 1999, where they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks just as they did on opening day.

That’s right, on Saturday, November 11, Toronto will be hosting the 2006 Rock, Paper, Scissors World Championship. The sport that’s settled a thousand disputes between drunks, children, and drunk children will see it’s best and luckiest players vying for a $10,000 prize and bragging rights for the next year. Teams already signed up this year include Team Smoot, Balls Deep, and BJs for Spanky.

This Torontoist is slowly becoming a sports fan (as if.) After watching 1.5 Stanley Cup games, (my first hockey games ever,) and with plans to go to a baseball game, I'm a changed man. The plans are to see at least one game of each sport... Yes, even the CFL.

Edmonton's Cup run is over, while Carolina has proven that they're a hockey town. Last night, in an incredibly exciting game seven of the Stanley Cup finals, the Oilers lost 3 - 1 to the Hurricanes. That there even a game seven is a testament to how hard the Oilers fought, but in the end Carolina was just way too strong. The Globe & Mail has an excellent write-up of the game.

An officer was shot at earlier today which prompted a manhunt in Etobicoke. Police kept a nearby school and community centre closed for safety reasons.

Matt Stajan was eight years old the last time Pat Quinn was considered to be the NHL's best coach. That's right... this season will mark fourteen years since Quinn was at the top of the game. So with the way things unfolded for the Maple Leafs and Team Canada this year, one might expect him to quietly disappear into retirement. Unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the case. Although Torontoist may not be a big fan of Quinn, they would never wish for the energetic coach to lose his mind. Sadly, it may have just happened. Following the Leafs victory over the Islanders on Wednesday night, Quinn stated that his team will make the playoffs. Understandably Leaf supporters are on a high right now, with the team recording points in each of the past 9 games. It's the same classic symptoms that Leaf Nation has been plagued with for too long now. A few wins and the Stanley Cup is now a sure thing, management is praised, contracts are extended, and everyone forgets that Jean-Sebastien Aubin isn't Martin Brodeur.

The Leafs host Boston on Tuesday evening before they go on the road for three games over the next five nights - Buffalo on Wednesday, New York to face the Rangers on Saturday, and Pittsburgh on Sunday.

Also, where are your clothes?

For those of you still in mourning over the lost hockey season, Torontoist says “Get a Life Loser”. Both this Friday and next will offer Toronto sports fans something they have been waiting for since the Argo’s Grey Cup win… Excitement! The abysmal basketball season will be pushed aside tonight as baseball returns to the newly revamped Rogers Centre, with the Blue Jays taking the field against the World Champion Boston Red Sox. The 2-1 Jays currently hold a one-game lead over the Red Sox in the tight American League East Division. Twenty-five year old David Bush will take the mound for Toronto. The team expects big things out of Bush this season. The Sox will respond with second-year starter, Bronson Arroyo. If this isn’t enough to make you forget about Darcy Tucker and Aki Berg, just wait…

"target="new">that isn't going to happen. The Stouffville Clippers would have definitely taken the trophy anyway.

Torontoist likes to make our own rules, so when it comes to year end lists and such, there are no rules. Along the lines of Torontoist's kinda-sorta-best-of's for 2004, while out and about we've noticed some good stuff, some bad stuff, and some damn near ugly stuff: