That night the Leafs decided to do a “homecoming game” wherein they honoured the likes of Alyn McCauley, and basically anyone who has ever played a game with the Leafs, up to and including a goalie who once had a “period shutout” in the 80’s – that’s right, a period shutout, as in he let in goals during that game. Legends. Now, to be fair, they did honour the same big names they always honour, such as Wendel, and Darryl, and Johnny Bower for the millionth time this season alone. I guess Dougie was too busy living it up in the O that night.

The problem is not the ceremonies themselves (however lame), the problem is what said lame ceremonies do to an already fragile Leafs crowd. We all know that a large portion of the in house Leafs fans are of the corporate persuasion. And while I’m not one to judge who is or is not a “real” fan, I have always noticed that there is a much larger percentage of patrons at the Air Canada Centre that seem to just be non-fans simply enjoying a night out. Seems kind of unfair when you think that there are lifelong, true blue, and loyal as all @#$% fans out there that would pay top dollar to be sitting in those seats. So, when the game day crowd is already not as enthusiastic as, say, the crowds at the Front Street pubs, and in man caves across the country, then these unnecessarily emotional tributes will only succeed in sucking the life right out of the entire building.

And it sure did.

I also noticed that the amount of red jerseys in the crowd was a lot higher than it used to be. Sure, there have always been a tonne of Montreal fans at these tilts in the past, and loads of blue jerseys at the Bell Centre when the Leafs come to town, but I was actually taken aback by how the red seemed to be taking over the ACC that night. I guess more and more disgruntled Leafs fans are jumping ship to Montreal, which is kind of shocking to me. If being a diehard Leafs fan is in your blood, then it’s practically blasphemy to start an affair with the Habs. I would have thought it was impossible, but I understand the influence of Hal Gill can be too much to handle at times.

The game, once again courtesy of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd, was a bit of a snooze as to be expected. The Leafs (somehow) shamed the Habs with a final score of 3-1. The third goal was an empty netter, and the first two were scored in the first period, so… you know… The highlights for me were drinking my first rootbeer since Korea, using the MLSE bathroom instead of the public ones like some scrub, when my friend outbid one of the aforementioned scrubs for a Maurice Richard autographed puck and photo majig thingie, and the free parking.

I probably shouldn’t let the world in on this fact, but CIBC Infinite Visa now gets you free parking at the NHLPA lot (20 Bay Street) for every Leafs and Raptors home game! This may not seem like much to fans in other cities, but in Toronto this particular lot is $20 on game night. Save some cash, and buy yourself something nice. Also, I should add that this credit card just happens to be the official card of PsychoLadyHockey.com! You’re welcome for the free promotional spot, CIBC! How about you pay my bills out of gratitude? If you haven’t noticed, I have a bit of a hockey addiction!

Top Photo: Alyn McCauley, a Maple Leaf that actually saw the post season while playing in Toronto. P.S. I’d go there…

Montreal is best known for its nightlife, strippers, and a legal drinking age of a mere eighteen years young. Oh, and a little hockey team known to NHL fans as Les Habs! In simple and sweeping terms, Montreal is the Las Vegas of Canada. This is the town that party animals from all over the country flock to for a little nighttime scandal and daytime shopping. Whatever happens in Montreal, stays in Montreal. And that sentiment DEFINITELY applies to this blog post. Sorry! My lips are sealed. However, I will say that I had a delicious crepe for brunch, and man handled some of the game used equipment at the “sale” the Habs were throwing at the Bell Centre. $300 for a helmet? No thanks.

Roll the credits…

When Boxing Day finally approached – *ahem* that’s December 26th for you Yanks – I was just as excited as most of you were to be watching hockey on TV again. However, little did I know that I would be watching NHL hockey live and in person that night. Around 4:30PM I got an interesting message explaining that a FREE ticket to the Leafs game had come available and it was mine if I wanted it. Uhhh, yeah, hello? Of course, I want it. Plus, it didn’t hurt that the ticket was two rows behind the Habs bench AND had a fancy box attached to it as well! Daaaaaaamn, I wish I had those seats when the Coyotes were in town – I would have been up to no good x infinity!

Seeing as it was the day after Christmas, I was still in my pajamas at this time. I had been playing with the Wii Fit Plus all day and hadn’t even showered yet! Like the mad woman that I am, I got ready at a furious pace, and jumped in the car to speed back to Toronto. It was clear sailing the whole way there until I hit the Gardiner and all Hell broke loose as per usual. I made it to the Air Canada Centre with ten minutes to spare before puck drop. Yes, I missed the warm up! It was very unfortunate considering that the Habs have a spicelicious team that I have come to appreciate.

The box was amazing and was full of great food and great people. It was my first time in a box at the ACC and, actually, at any hockey game. My only box experiences have been for Jays games at the SkyDome *sigh* Rogers Centre. The food in our box was fancy – lobster and shrimp and sushi and ice cream a plenty! Yum! If you have never been to the Air Canada Centre, then you probably wouldn’t know that they have boxes near the locker rooms as well as in the upper bowl! The box I was in was near the Habs dressing room, and was actually the box right smack in the middle of the players walkway to get to the ice! I had the best photo-ops ever, but my camera and my photography skills failed miserably – what else is new?

And then of course there were the actual seats. It’s definitely challenging to know where to look when you are anywhere near the Montreal Canadiens. Lapierre, Price, O’Byrne, and, oh, Mike Cammalleri, why must you be so short? Not to mention DILF-o-rama, Hal Gill! He reminded me of that horrible night in Pittsburgh last season. He was present for the infamous “Teenstache” incident in which, at a local watering hole, I mercilessly taunted one of the Penguins for strutting around with the aforementioned almost facial hair. My partner in crime that night still talks about how much she hates Hal Gill! Apparently, he was quite the douche bag to her! That whole concept of beautiful men having attitude problems is completely unfathomable (sarcasm). On the other hand, another girl friend of mine said she once saw him with his top off and the vision made her quickly reprioritized her life’s goals to #1 See Hal Gill Naked. Oh, yes.

Not gonna lie, much like at the Rangers game on the 18th, I spent a large portion of the Leafs OT loss stealing pictures of the tri-coloured babes – with a large chunk of time dedicated to capturing the Hal Gill money shot. Anyway, I *THINK* I’m hitting another junior game tomorrow. I’m heading back to the old Guelph Sports and Entertainment Centre (now Sleeman Centre) – another former haunt of mine, but with less significance. And, of course, Chicago is fast approaching. I don’t think I need to remind you that I’m going on this road trip despite the warnings from my sequel to Down the Rabbit Hole. This trip could very well be the death of me. After all, it is in the Chicago area that my “character” dies. Until next time…if there is a next time.

Roll the credits…