TRH GAMEDAY 31 – TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: Cry Sticking
Greeting Kings fans! Jesse Cohen from All The Kings Men here!
It’s that time of year again Kings fans! No, not Christmas, it’s the time of year that the Kings travel to Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs and we get to hear all about that one time Wayne Gretzky high sticked Doug Gilmour.
For Kings fans this moment is a delightful little foot note on the amazing run the team made before finally losing to Montreal in the Stanley Cup Final. Many Kings fans may not even remember it. Heck many Kings fans may have never even heard of it.
If you lived in Toronto, however, this simple oversight by the refs would be a part of your daily life. It would be ingrained into your personality. It would be the specter of dashed hopes that tormented your every waking moment. The nagging, ever present “what if?” that haunted your dreams, a nightmare lurking in your closet or huddled under your bed. An existential crisis you could never escape.
Think I’m exaggerating?
Go ahead and do a twitter search including any variation of the words “Gretzky” “high-sticking” “93” and/or “Gilmour”.
Then cancel all your appointments for a week.
@JoffreyLoopul Let's pretend the ice is an even playing surface and penalties are called without favouritism like Gretzky's high stick in93
— Butter Blades (@MapleBudz) December 9, 2014
@DownGoesBrown That Yzerman goal: TOO SOON! That's the Kerry Fraser missed high stick call of Blues fandom. Funny how Gretzky stars in both.
— Andrew Childers (@A_Childers_) December 9, 2014
*Just as bad as Gretzky's non-call high-stick on Gilmour* – Alfredsson's dirty hit on Tucker, + post-game reac…: http://t.co/xqgKKlX9Y7
— Matt D (@MattDonau) December 4, 2014
@JupJupLeafs17 no I think it was game 6, in LA, gretzky high-stick on gilmour, should have won the series that game https://t.co/DQbOJ1yqqU
— Ross G DiRasi (@RossGDiRasi) October 2, 2014
Just had the pleasure of meeting Kerry Fraser at Pearson airport… and no we didn't discuss Gretzky's '93 high stick pic.twitter.com/RorI0ofbZi
— Martin Rancourt (@Ranks_78) August 8, 2014
@TedNolansliver @BrendanBridgman @MapleLeafs @Steve_Dangle. A scrimmage in 93 waiting for a further review of the Gretzky high stick. :).
— Liam Maguire (@Liams_Hockey) July 6, 2014
@N_Sank @arda_ocal @Deadspin And Kerry fraser missed high stick by Gretzky on Gilmour. Missed call. Easy to ref from your couch!
— Jimmy Korderas (@jimmykorderas) June 29, 2014
@stevenstaff Excuse me you can't count 93 the Leafs were destined to win that year with Gilmour & Clark Gretzky owned the refs #peckerwood
— Blake Thomas (@blakert51) November 23, 2014
@ginger_michael – Not lost on me that Toronto's slide also started in 1967. Our Cantona (Gilmour) almost redeemed us in 93, but for Gretzky.
— AG (@AG1181) November 19, 2014
@itwasfourone how do Kings fans feel about the Gretzky stickwork with Gilmour
— Andy Saunders (@andythequizzer) November 15, 2014
@JoeYerdon Did Gretzky just high-stick Gilmour?
— Draglikepull (@draglikepull) November 14, 2014
@CMPunk @BaileyLAKings Gretzky should've gotten a high sticking (4:00+) in overtime of Game 6 in 93. #Leafs #FraserSucks
— Bill Feeney (@Parlay_King) November 29, 2014
Wayne Gretzky should have been called for high sticking #93
— Aaron Luyten (@aaron_luyten) October 15, 2014
@GSparks40 Gretzky high sticking Gilmour
— Danny Burke (@burkie8912) August 21, 2014
It’s pathological. Leafs fans can and will turn literally ANY conversation into an excuse to bring up that blown call from 1993.
I know 2 things: Etobicoke's open Saturday @ 6pm 1599 The Queensway And Gretzky totally high sticked Gilmour in 93. http://t.co/SOioHFQyX6
— The Burger's Priest (@burgerspriest) June 25, 2014
1993!
Do you have any idea how long ago that was in hockey years?
Phoenix, Colorado, Carolina and Dallas were still Winnipeg, Quebec, Hartford and Minnesota.
That’s what hockey logos should look like.
Conferences and Divisions had cool names not just geographical designations and whatever “Metropolitan” is.
Smythe 4 Lyfe!!!
The Mighty Ducks were still just a team from District 5.
Remember when the world thought goalies were always the fat guy?
Martin Brodeur had only played 4 games for the New Jersey Devils and looked like Rod Farva.
OK he still looks a little like Farva.
Jaromir Jagr had already won the Stanley Cup twice but hadn’t yet sold his soul for eternal youth.
Somewhere in Pittsburgh is a painting of Jagr that ages for him.
Teemu Selanne had a career year. As a rookie.
Man I miss the Winnipeg Jets. The REAL Winnipeg Jets. Not the Thrashers.
Gary Bettman had been Commissioner for less than a year and hadn’t locked out the NHL a single time.
The Instigator Penalty had just been created.
It’s probably the only thing less popular than Bettman.
An entire generation of players has come and gone since 1993 and while the Maple Leafs have added considerably to their list of grievances, they still can’t seem to let go of that one moment in Game 6 of the Campbell Conference Finals. I suppose it’s difficult to be TOO critical of them. It was the closest they’ve come to winning the Stanley Cup since 1967. That’s right. The last time the Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup there were 6 teams in the NHL. Up until 2012, the Leafs and Kings had played the exact same number of seasons without winning the Stanley Cup and as Kings fans we had our own horrible memories left over from 1993. It took a long time but I really think we, as a fan base, moved on and conquered those demons. I’d like to let Maple Leaf fans in on the secret to letting go of the past. There’s one simple thing you can do to forget all those disappointing moments and heartbreaking losses….
Watch your favorite team win the Stanley Cup. Good luck with that.
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