My Childhood Was Brought Back To Me

[killer1980]

I must admit, the tears were welling up in my eyes when they announced to newest additions to Legends Row. Kudos to Brendan Shanahan and the Leafs organization for honouring perhaps the key players of the 60's dynasty.

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[Warden of the North]

Good on Keon and Shanny for mending this rift

 

[Mystifo]

I know my Dad is happy. Hopfully now Keon is willing to sign more leafs memoribila.

 

[teeder333*]

Amazingly I think there were a lot of people just like you, and I think the ovation was possibly developing into something like this. But ...............

MLSE cut it off after like a minute of solid cheering. It was building, not descending and they just cut it off surgically and it just totally sucked.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=rocket+richard+ovation

 

[Stephen]

The thing I respect most about Shanahan is he was a kid who grew up a Leafs fan like all of us who knows the history and the ghosts and is doing the right things to put the organization back on track the right way. Ever since I was a kid watching Cliff Fletcher mortgage the future year after year, I'd think how great it would be if the Leafs had the kind of success the Detroit Red Wings did? Now it's great to have someone from that organization plot the course for us.

 

[Northern Dancer]

Keon had to be ready, Leafs have been trying to reconcile since Cliff's first term as GM. Good to see it finally happen.

 

[BayStreetBully]

The thing I respect most about Shanahan is he was a kid who grew up a Leafs fan like all of us who knows the history and the ghosts and is doing the right things to put the organization back on track the right way. Ever since I was a kid watching Cliff Fletcher mortgage the future year after year, I'd think how great it would be if the Leafs had the kind of success the Detroit Red Wings did? Now it's great to have someone from that organization plot the course for us.

That's what I love about Shanny too. How many former players are there that fit all the criteria:

1) had a Hall of Fame career
2) won multiple Stanley Cups and had the perception of being a "champion"
3) was respected by his peers for both being a top player and playing fair
4) had that ultimate "star" power
5) from Toronto or GTA

Over the last 30 years, players that fit the first 4 criteria probably include just Gretzky, Messier, Kurri, Coffey, Lemieux, Jagr, Roy, Yzerman, Fedorov, Shanahan, Lidstrom, Sakic and Forsberg.

How many of those are from the Toronto area? Gretzky, Coffey and Shanahan. Out of those 3, Shanahan has by far the most charisma and charm. Gretzky makes up for that by being Gretzky. Coffey is a distant 3rd. So the perfect person to be president of the Leafs and bridge ownership/alumni/corporates/current players/retired players/other GMs/media/coaches/fans is either Gretzky or Shanahan. If we can't have Gretzky, then Shanny is the next best thing.

 

[Deebo]

1) had a Hall of Fame career
2) won multiple Stanley Cups and had the perception of being a "champion"
3) was respected by his peers for both being a top player and playing fair
4) had that ultimate "star" power
5) from Toronto or GTA

Over the last 30 years, players that fit the first 4 criteria probably include just Gretzky, Messier, Kurri, Coffey, Lemieux, Jagr, Roy, Yzerman, Fedorov, Shanahan, Lidstrom, Sakic and Forsberg.

I'd add Scott Niedermayer to that list as well, he has won everything.

2x WHL, Memorial Cup, World Juniors, World Cup, World Championship, 2x Olympics, 4x Stanley Cup.

Conn Smythe
Norris
1st ballot hall of famer

 

[Stephen]

That's what I love about Shanny too. How many former players are there that fit all the criteria:

1) had a Hall of Fame career
2) won multiple Stanley Cups and had the perception of being a "champion"
3) was respected by his peers for both being a top player and playing fair
4) had that ultimate "star" power
5) from Toronto or GTA

Over the last 30 years, players that fit the first 4 criteria probably include just Gretzky, Messier, Kurri, Coffey, Lemieux, Jagr, Roy, Yzerman, Fedorov, Shanahan, Lidstrom, Sakic and Forsberg.

How many of those are from the Toronto area? Gretzky, Coffey and Shanahan. Out of those 3, Shanahan has by far the most charisma and charm. Gretzky makes up for that by being Gretzky. Coffey is a distant 3rd. So the perfect person to be president of the Leafs and bridge ownership/alumni/corporates/current players/retired players/other GMs/media/coaches/fans is either Gretzky or Shanahan. If we can't have Gretzky, then Shanny is the next best thing.

Shanahan comes across as a lot smarter than Gretzky. Gretzky and coaching never made much sense and he doesn't have much of a career as a manager. He seems like a better fit like a Wendel Clark style alumni who makes the rounds than a serious hockey executive.