It is now official. Commissioner Gary Bettman has finally cancelled the rest of the 2005 NHL season, including the Stanley Cup playoffs. This move will have two obvious but major consequences: the CBC will have a heap of primetime programming to fill come Spring, and there is NO WAY the Toronto Maple Leafs will win the Stanley Cup this year.
That’s right. Mats Sundin, Eddie Belfour, and the gang are sitting this one out in favour of guys in business suits discussing legal issues and economics. There’s no question the lack of a springtime Leaf playoff run will leave many Toronto beleafers with an insurmountable void usually filled with chants of ‘This is the year!’ as they faithfully pledge their support to the blue-and-white.
But don’t worry, hockey fans; I have the solution to your springtime woes. There are some other teams in blue and white that need your support.
Your Varsity Blues men’s and women’s hockey teams are starting playoff runs of their own. The men’s team enters the playoffs atop the OUA Mid East division after a very solid, although up and down, season. The women’s team has been a fixture in the Canadian Interuniversity Sports (CIS) top ten rankings all year and have the honour of hosting the OUA finals in March at Varsity Arena.
If it’s star power you crave, the women’s team features a balanced scoring attack with several weapons for opposing teams to deal with. Meanwhile, forward Jacqueline Cherevaty has been chasing the OUA career scoring record this season, an astonishing feat to say the least.
On the men’s side, captain Ian Malcolm is averaging almost a goal a game this season, and right-winger Mike Nason has also put together a remarkable offensive campaign. Between the pipes, the play of goaltenders Ryan Grinell and Brian Dunnigan has been impressive, especially of late.
But the main thing to remember is that these are not multimillion dollar athletes we’re cheering for-these are your colleagues, your adversaries, your friends. They aren’t playing for contracts or endorsement deals. They’re playing for self pride, team pride and, most importantly, school pride.
U of T, consider this a challenge: Sundin, Belfour and the boys are taking the year off; it’s time to support the superstars playing in our own backyard. Playoffs start in early March and it would be nice to see Varsity Arena filled to the rafters.
