OUTDOOR GAME

AT THE BIG HOUSE, 2014

It was the largest crowd to ever watch a hockey game. On January 1, 2014, the Maple Leafs took on the Detroit Red Wings as part of the NHL’s annual Winter Classic. Played at Michigan Stadium, fittingly known as “the Big House,” in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the game saw 105,491 fans brave frigid temperatures to take in the spectacle. The record crowd surpassed the previous mark of 104,173 spectators when Michigan University and Michigan State competed in the same stadium in 2010 in what was billed as “the Big Chill.”

Following a scoreless first period, the Leafs and Red Wings each scored goals in the final two frames to head to overtime knotted 2–2, but neither team could break the deadlock. Heading into the shootout, Maple Leafs goaltender Jonathan Bernier, who sported a toque over his helmet for the contest, had made 41 saves, a record for the most in an outdoor regular-season game. With snow falling during the shootout, Tyler Bozak played hero, scoring the clinching goal for Toronto.

LEAFS ACQUIRE DOUG GILMOUR, 1992

Doug Gilmour remembers learning he was being traded while sitting in his hotel room on the road, when he apparently heard Calgary Flames GM Doug Risebrough talking about it in the next room. It didn’t come as a surprise. Gilmour had been disgruntled and wanted his contract renegotiated. Following arbitration in November 1991, which left neither side satisfied, the writing was on the wall.

On January 2, 1992, two days after scoring a goal and assisting on the overtime winner in Calgary’s win over the Montreal Canadiens, Gilmour, along with Rick Wamsley, Jamie Macoun, Ric Nattress, and Kent Manderville, was traded to the Leafs for Gary Leeman, Michel Petit, Alexander Godynyuk, Craig Berube, and Jeff Reese. At the time, the 10-player deal was the biggest in NHL history. A day later, Gilmour made his debut for the Buds, scoring a goal and picking up an assist in a 6–4 loss in Detroit. Gilmour, who will be a recurring character throughout this book, would become one of the greatest players in Leafs history.

GUY LAFLEUR SCORES 545TH GOAL AGAINST THE MAPLE LEAFS, 1990

There are three guarantees in life. Death, taxes, and players reaching milestones against the Maple Leafs. It’s true. When something significant happens in the NHL, there’s a good chance it happened against Toronto. Sure, it was to be expected in a six-team league, but even after the circuit has more than quintupled in size, it seems as though the Leafs just can’t shake being on the wrong side of history.

Case in point: On January 3, 1990, Guy Lafleur, who was playing his first season with the Quebec Nordiques after the New York Rangers lured him out of retirement the year before, scored his 545th career goal against Toronto to move him past Maurice Richard and into eighth place on the NHL’s all-time goal-scoring list. Lafleur would score one more goal against the Maple Leafs the following season before hanging his skates up for good in 1991. While this may seem like a footnote in Maple Leafs history, it is part of the team’s fabric, and there will be other moments like this throughout the book.