#14 in the house?

Milo

I heard a rumour that during the tribute to the 1963 Cup winning team tonight, the Greatest Leaf of all time will finally return to the ice. Apparently Dave Keon Sr. will make an appearance in the ACC, ending a long-standing, and acrimonious stand-off with the club. I do hope it is true, as I long to see my boyhood hero finally get the applause and adulation he deserves from Leafs-Nation.

compuease

Will be great to see, as a teenager those were great leaf teams to watch..

Dave Keon was present for the 40th reunion of the 67 team as I recall.

compuease

For those of you interested in the past, have a look at the Leaf/Wings game in this thread.. So many former greats from both teams in this game... wow..

Battle of Ontario Part I: Dave Keon's Return


I know you kids will make fun but whatever..

Cerberus

Seems like you guys are pretty keen on him

I'm here all week folks; tip your waitress

Milo

Dave Keon was the greatest Leaf of all time. In his 20+ year career, he had a grand total of 1 fighting major, and he won that scrap easily.

piggypie123

I hope I get to see the Leafs hoist the Stanley Cup in my life time.

Milo

Maple Leaf legends deserved better from fans, team: Feschuk | Toronto Star

I hate the Habs with a palpable intensity, but give them their due. short of Manchester United and Liverpool, there is not a professional sports club anywhere in the world that honours their past with the fervour and class that the Montreal Canadiens and their fans do. I was so disappointed by the banality of last night's event, that I almost wished Keon had stayed away. I would not have had to witness that embarassing display if he had.

Hellmuth's Mole

I have no doubt the Leafs have some very ardent fans, but the seats in the platinum and gold levels aren't filled with them. They are filled with suits playing the part of hockey fans that wouldn't know Dave Keon from Dave Winfield.

THAT's a Toronto thing. Montreal has high priced tickets too but you won't see more than a handful empty when the puck is dropped. And when they have a night honouring something or someone from the past the fans know to show up early and give that person the respect they deserve.

I'll never forget being there a few years ago after Clara Hughes returned from the Olympics with a Bronze medal, getting introduced pregame at the Bell Centre to a 5 minute standing ovation.


EDIT: And no offense to our men and women in uniform or their predecessors, but the times of the 45th Highlanders bag piping out those to be honoured can instill chills on Remembrance Day but when the Leafs use them for every ceremony it loses some lustre.

Milo

It's the 48th Highlanders, and they are connected to the Leafs through the Smythe family. That said, your point is accurate, as it seems MLSE uses the regiment as their "go-to" showcase for things of this nature. Too difficult to think up something original each time, I guess. Either that, or it would get in the way of selling those $10.00 drafts. Nope, say what you will, but the Habs have fostered that "legacy" spirit among their fans, and no one in the NHL even comes close.

Macke

Milo wrote: »

I heard a rumour that during the tribute to the 1963 Cup winning team tonight, the Greatest Leaf of all time will finally return to the ice. Apparently Dave Keon Sr. will make an appearance in the ACC, ending a long-standing, and acrimonious stand-off with the club. I do hope it is true, as I long to see my boyhood hero finally get the applause and adulation he deserves from Leafs-Nation.

Didn't he show up a few years ago?

I seem to remember he did

Milo

He showed up briefly for the tribute to the '67 team, other than that, total absence from MLSE events.