Guest Post: When a Leafs fan moves to Ottawa

Don't Fear The Reaper

BY CHRIS CARTER

When I moved to Ottawa nearly fours ago, it was with the implicit understanding I would remain true to the Blue and White.

Behind enemy lines in the Battle of Ontario, I made no secret of my allegiance. When conversations with new neighbours invariably turned to hockey, within minutes I was uttering phrases like "Leafs Nation" and "the blood runs blue" – usually to baffled howls of laughter.

My wife tolerated my open affair with the Leafs until one day she pointed out that, as our children were growing up and attending school in Ottawa with hundreds of other little Sens fans, it wasn't fair of me to diminish their participation in the collective experience by creating confusion over loyalties.

So I grudgingly agreed to go underground.

Now, I've never really been too exercised with hatred for the Senators. It's hard to hate a team that so generously rolled over for the Leafs in the playoffs year after year.

But the blood still runs blue.

And I had to watch as a team fashioned after the Romans enjoyed playoff success, even reaching the Stanley Cup finals, while the Leafs spiralled downward in a decadent malaise resembling a dying empire's last days.

It's not like the Sens haven't had their their own troubles – contract issues, the loss of key players, unreliable goaltending and their own no-trade clause outrage with Dany Heatley. How did they overcome this while the Leafs burned?

Their formula for (moderate) success seems rather simple when you boil it down:

1. A coach, first Bryan Murray and now Cory Clouston, with a system and the trust of the players to make it work.

2. A captain who rises to the occasion. Daniel Alfredsson is the target of so much Leafs Nation scorn for a reason: He's good. Few players combine heart, ability and character like him.

3. Truculent players, like Chris Neil, who are tough but – here's a novel idea – talented enough to provide some secondary scoring.

4. One rock-solid, if not flashy, player who anchors the blueline year after year even as other players come and go. Like Chris Phillips, who's merely +108 for his career in Ottawa. Plus one-hundred-and-eight!

Sure the Sens are blessed with a couple of high scoring centremen and have drafted decently enough to bring along replacements as burgeoning stars priced themselves off the roster – but those four elements are the keys, the supporting columns in their coliseum, as far as I can see.

And after four years I can't help but at least admire them, while exchanging secret signals with the fellow travelers hiding amidst the Sens army, hoping the Leafs have finally found a way to stop the bleeding.

 

Chris Carter is an online editor with thestar.com and a helpless enabler of
Leaf and Raptor MaLaiSE. Follow him on Twitter at: @carter_c

 

 MAIN PHOTO: JONATHAN HAYWARD/CANADIAN PRESS

Comments

[John Braham]

Hey Chris

As a Leaf diehard (and yes, there have been many deaths over the years) I know exactly where you are coming from. I have been in Ottawa for almost twenty years now and my blood is still as blue as the first day I drove up to the Capital. Certainly Ottawa deserves some recognition and praise for the teams that they have assembled, but let's keep it in perspective. In those initial years they really did stink which was to be expected. This gave them a lot of very high draft choices that for the most part, were used very well (no mention of Daigle here ... that would be cruel). Much like a bad Penguins or Washington team years ago, they assembled elite talent through the draft and eventually it all came together. The Leafs on the other hand, managed to buy enough aging talent through free agency to avoid high draft picks. Now the Sens have enjoyed success and as a result, number one picks haven't happened for years. As there previous stars age, there are no number one's being developed. I believe we are now starting to see the effects of that. In contrast, Leafs are starting to rise. Yes, we gave up two first rounders and a second for Kessel, but we have Kessel!!!! We are the second youngest team in the NHL and there is clear sign that at last, we are on the rise (didn't set that bar too high with a 29th place finish admittedly).

So, while we can recognize the success of Ottawa, I look forward to seeing how they do in this new era where number 1 picks elude them. Toronto is definitely starting to nip at their heels. Give it a few years and I suspect we'll be doing more than that. In the end, no matter what the outcome, it is and always will be GO LEAFS GO!!!!

[WendelisGod]

Alfie = character?

He's quite the character, shooting a puck at Scott Niedermayer. Not to mention hit from behind on Tucker in the playoffs.

I've got no admiration for the Senators, and their window of opportunity has slammed shut.

[Pyramid Power]

MaLaiSE. Love it. Nice post but why listen to your wife? lol Openly worship your team as you see fit as you are lord high and ruler of your domain. I am sure your children will not be scarred to know that Daddy loves God's team - the glorious blue and white. :)

Saw a fair bit of the game last night between the Hens and the Sabres. Very entertaining fast paced game, crisp passing and excellent attack on both side despite the low score. Having a hot Leclaire in nets, and well, Ryan Miller, didn't hurt keeping the score low. Glad to see that local Toronto lad Jason Spezza might be out just as local boy Cammalleri missed the opener two nights ago.

The Leafs will be in for a much more tougher challenge tonight, and I am very glad we will be starting Giggy. Our PP needs to get untracked after going 0-5 in the opener. PK needs to keep doing what they are doing. And here's to hoping Mike Komisarek and Carl Gunnarsson have more effective games back on defence.

Mike Fisher cross checking Jay Rosehill in the face in the pre-season will be remembered. He may have to play his way out of trouble tonight as I imagine the Leafs will want a little payback for that.

Hope to see round two of Francois Beauchemin and Alexei Kovalev. LOL

And the continuing bouts and loathing between Carkner and Orr should make this a very fun Saturday night at the ACC.

Get a lead Toronto and protect that lead. Watch out after scoring and protect the lead with your lives. Hope Wilson learned his lesson after the last game where once again we quickly gave up goals after going up by two goals. This is a constant theme with these Leafs, and we must take steps to stop this. Put out our checking line and Phaneuf and Beauchemin after a goal, and go warn Giggy to stay sharp. We almost invariably have a letdown after a goal.

GO LEAFS GO! Boston just lost so very good news there. We're tied with Buffalo for first in the division. lol

[Pyramid Power]

Replied to you WendelisGod, but the post did not make it. Something very very wrong with this blog as I have lost at least ten comments that easily should have made it. Extremely annoying to come here and take the time to comment, but not have the posts go through. I assume it is still a technical issue Vinay?

VM Replies: No technical issues on this end. So not sure why your comment(s) vanished into the ether yesterday.

[Julia]

I've been in Ottawa for 17 years and I'm still a Leafs fan. My husband roots for the Sens. Our children know that their mummy cheers for one team and their daddy for another. I am training them to root for blue as well.

But it has been tough over the last few years to be a Leafs fan in Ottawa. Hopefully this year will change things.

[Steve]

Folks, i have always lived in Ottawa and have always loved the leafs. That will never change. Chris C. you are giving the sens way too much credit..easy there on the Alfy love-in or we might not actually believe your a leaf fan.,,,we had our fill of Swedish forwards they will take you to the dance but leave you wanting more.

PS i agree it has been tough here being a leaf fan but the tables are slowly turning...little by little the sens are getting worse and the leafs are getting better...it`s only a matter of time now when everyone realizes that i was right in sticking to my guns and supporting the leafs.

[carl]

Live in Ottawa and been a LEAF fan all my life.Always will be and proud of it! Watching this team going in the right direction as of late is great. To be honest never had any problems here in Ottawa with the fan base they too love their team. Makes for a great rival
"EVERYONE ENJOY ANOTHER YEAR OF HOCKEY" CHEERS!!!!!

[chrissi sheppard]

Spent 4 years of University in Ottawa... and I've never felt like more of an outsider in my life. Luckily I had my Leaf Nation immigrants for support! I went to a Leaf/Sens game in my last year, and the crowd was split 50/50...it was a beautiful moment when the blue and white pulled out a win....but the bus ride home wasnt nearly as pleasant.

[K Bosley]

I too am living in Ottawa while cheering for the Leafs. Luckily for me I am still able to cheer openly as I wish. Check my blog on living behind enemy lines at http://5thlinecentre.wordpress.com

[Softwalker]

The sweetest moments of my 17 years in Ottawa have been because I'm a Leafs fan. But there's also been a dark side -- while in high school, my daughter was harrassed, taunted and even spat on because she sometimes wore a Leafs sweater. Had this behaviour been directed at someone wearing a turban or a headscarf, the authorities would have intervened on the spot and the culprits summarily suspended. But as it was, teachers and principal all sat on their hands and shrugged their shoulders. Chris, in your shoes I might ask my wife what sort of precedent you might be setting for important issues in the future -- for example, one of your kids deciding they're gay.

[Moe]

I remember back in early 2000's, when the leafs were going deep in the playoffs every year and destroying the sens.

There was a kid in our middle school who was from Ottawa and a Sens fan. Everytime Toronto would win a game, we'd kick his ass, for being a Sens fan.

[Sid-the-Kid's # 1 fan]

Gotta say, I am not a leafs fan by any means. Never have been, never wil be. I do however, have to say they had a remarkable start to the season, and played some excelent games so far. They're starting to fall back a little bit now, but I must say that the leafs have already started to make a better name for themselves.