Sittler: He (Keon) Should at Least Do it For the Fans. He needs to be Honoured

[colchar]

I agree.....hence why the Leafs should retire his Jersey...Great players deserved to have their Jersey Retired and not just a banner in the sky!

So if they change their policy how do they deal with #27? There are two greats who deserve to have it retired with their name associated with it.

 

[ULF_55]

So if they change their policy how do they deal with #27? There are two greats who deserve to have it retired with their name associated with it.

I don't think there would be any reason not to have both hung with the number?

Criteria should be very strict though, as much as I liked Ellis, I don't hold him in the same regard as Keon.

 

[Cotton]

Keon was quiet in public but a LION in real life. Very intense, totally diametric opposite of what people thought he was like.

I heard he had one helluva temper too.

For those of us old enough to see him play, he epitomized everything good about the 1960s Maple Leafs. They certainly didn't have the most talent, they had a terrible owner(s) but they demonstrated a grit and determination that was embraced by an entire country. Dave Keon was their centerpiece and soul. What he feels or has done since can never and should never take away from what he did on the ice. No Leaf that I have seen in my lifetime has been better or more important. Retire his number!!!!

I don't doubt what you say, but just want to add that from everything I've ever heard or read or seen George Armstrong was just as important for different reasons. His leadership abilities were top-notch and he was intelligent enough to know in which way to trigger his teammates, be it a one on one talk, a group talking-to or a strategic joke intended to break tensions/anxieties.

This isn't to take anything from Keon, who was the superior hockey player, but to not take anything away from Armstrong either who has been described in the same way, as the "glue" who held everything together.

 

[killer1980]

@cotton

Each member of the team, I'm talking all 60s winners, were important pieces. George Armstrong was the leader at a time when the captain was not necessarily the best player. His contribution to keep the team going, certainly The Big M, cannot be minimized. Dave Keon was the best and shone above his peers. Retire his (14) jersey!!!

 

[Cor]

Keon is holding a grudge against no one. The team has tried to make amends.

Different Ownership, Different Building, Different Management.

 

[Stats01]

a stubborn old man acting like a whining child.
very sad.

Actually it's pretty selfish that the team wants to honour him when he has wholeheartedly rejected it...when you start pressuring someone to do something that would benefit them then it starts looking like you have you're own agenda...the Leafs have their reasons for doing this too...just think for a moment what it would be like for the brand for people on HNIC to watch Keon FINALLY! being honoured. this is partly to do with fixing a damaged image and fixing the Leaf brand back from the Ballard years.

Keon doesn't need to agree to that at all, yes would it be nice for him personally.....not right now. Maybe never. That's up for him to decide not the team. He's not whined at all, Keon actually has never from my time following the team really even talked about it, it's always been about the team wanting to do it. If he doesn't want to to do it the team should just quite frankly **** about it and move on. How many years do we have to go through this. Dave Keon has issues with the franchise...the franchise now has to accept that and move on.

It's like an ex reminiscing about their former gf/bf and one wants nothing to do with the other yet one keeps trying and trying and trying to get back with them and even after a million rejections they don't get the point. IT'S OVER! MOVE ON

 

[Preisst*]

So if they change their policy how do they deal with #27? There are two greats who deserve to have it retired with their name associated with it.

It would be a complete mess as there is a double digit amount of players from the past who are just as deserving : Apps, Day, Conacher, Broda, Bower, Dye, Bentley, Watson, Klukay, Metz, Mortson, Kennedy, Thomson, Jackson, Armstong, S Smith, Stanley, Horton, Brewer, Baun, Pulford, Kelly, Primeau, Sittler/Mahovlich...........

This is just off the top of my head and there are others we are missing......

We'd look as stupid as Montreal who retire #s for any player who plays in 25 straight games (or so it seems)....

The Leafs do it right, honour the player, a # has never scored a single goal for the team, they don't even backcheck....

This is just my opinion of course.