Maven s Memories: Islanders vs Leafs in 2002
Stan Fischler looks back at the intense Islanders-Maple Leafs seven-game series in 2002 by Stan Fischler @StanFischler / NewYorkIslanders.com
Workhorse Islanders defenseman Ken Jonsson called it an awesome feeling.
Crack forward Alexei Yashin edited it down to one word, Wow!
Coach Peter Laviolette said, Let s get on with it.
The Islanders Army was ready for the fireworks. It was playoff time, April 2002.
Then again so were the Toronto Maple Leafs, headed by coach Pat Quinn who opened the verbal duel with a We re the underdogs because we ve got so many injuries.
It was a weak curtain-raiser which was quickly squelched by Lavvy who shot right back at Quinn, Nice try!
Montreal Canadiens’ Eurotrip: Part 4 Easy prey in Moscow
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In September, the marked the 30th anniversary of their one and only trip across the Atlantic Ocean to the Soviet Union. They brought their reputable franchise to unfriendly territory just as massive political upheaval was sweeping the region, to face off against their storied rival for the first time on their soil. This is the story of that tour. Related
Halfway through their Soviet tour, the Canadiens players were not just getting mentally tired, but also physically tired after all the frequent travel and short sleeps. After an early morning flight following the previous night’s gala, from Riga to Moscow, Pat Burns cancelled practice and gave the players a necessary day off, satisfied with the progress they had made in overcoming the challenges thus far on the trip, and hoping that it would recharge batteries.
Montreal Canadiens’ Eurotrip: Part 1 A team in turmoil
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This past September, the marked the 30th anniversary of their one-and-only trip across the Atlantic ocean to the Soviet Union. They brought their reputable franchise to an unfriendly territory, just as massive political upheaval was sweeping the territory, to face off against their storied rival for the first time on their soil. This is the story of that tour.
The history between the Canadiens and the Soviet Union is well documented. So it came with little surprise that one day the Canadiens would travel abroad to face their international foes. The chosen time happened to be a tour to start the 1990-91 training camp as the team was going through some major changes.
Viewers of TheStable.ca Virtual Winter Open House on Friday (Dec. 18) raised $3,000 for the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society (OSAS).
Donations were collected from several of the 500 people who provided an RSVP for the livestream event, which featured 45 of TheStable.ca’s yearlings training in eight sets.
Each winter and spring, TheStable.ca hosts an in-person Open House at its home base, Tomiko Training Centre, in Puslinch, Ont. The event is always streamed online. Removing the in-person element because of the pandemic, the broadcast was enhanced to include hosts Mark McKelvie, Fred MacDonald, and Bill O’Donnell reporting from their respective studios in Guelph, Charlottetown (PEI) and Milton. Anthony MacDonald co-hosted from track-level.
Rick Vaive, the first Toronto Maple Leafs player to score 50 goals in a season, has his wheels in motion.
For a player who never backed down from a challenge, a right wing that was tasked with toiling against the opposition’s top defencemen night after night for nearly 900 NHL games, jumping into the race bike and sitting behind a Standardbred might seem like a breeze.
Not exactly.
Vaive, who recently had the opportunity to hold the reins of one of Thestable.ca’s horses, enjoyed the drive, so to speak, but admitted there was one moment in particular that left him feeling a little out of his element.