Page 30 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 85

30 Issue #85 December 2019 www.sportsenergynews.com

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Excuse Me, Where Did Our Fans Go?

Colts games with my press credential for And don’t go blaming a struggling As for the Senior Prowlers, its new and
Cogeco’s Your TV broadcasts. rebuilding team either. In this case the a different game, and so giving it time is
I am the PA Announcer for the Senior Colts, but most boosters know that teams okay. Some would say that the interest
Prowlers, and thus walk right to my seat go through lean years and sometimes, in the game is not what it was. The rule

By Thom Racine at the Benson Centre. it takes years to return to the glory days. changes, the cost of doing business, the
But I am only one person. Yes, Fifty to sixty years ago when Cornwall marketing hurdles. Have no doubt. Gone
our lives are busy, but are they too busy was known by the moniker “Hockey are the days of making the games a
that close to a thousand hockey fans Town,” even the great senior teams weekly event, something to look forward
have disappeared in ten years? struggled to fill the old arena at times. to.
If the Colts and Prowlers can only Oh, and it should be noted, Cornwall is It is a sad commentary on our times
harsh reality has set in and one must
A wonder - where did our hockey manage less than 500 fans combined not alone. A lot of towns, even big cities that our beloved pastime is slowly going
loving fans go? to their weekend games, and a few of have seen a reduced number of fans at away in a city that boasts such a rich
history of hockey teams.
I suppose you could say, it has been those go to both, it becomes obvious - their games. Take note, those who want a return
simmering for some time. not many in these parts care about the Let’s blame it on the cost of attending
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Now, before I rant on, let me greatest game on earth anymore! games, nope, because that’s the cop out. to the glory days of the cherished
clarify by referring to that modern day Harsh statement, sure it is, but If you really wanted to go, you would Royals! It’s safe to say that less than 500
maxim, transparency. I get in to most something is going on. find the money if you could. die-hard hockey fans remain in our city.
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Sports Panel
Sports Energy presents
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The Toronto Maple Leafs have been struggling to post wins this year and head coach Mike Babcock has taken the
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hit for the teams slumping season. In your opinion, where do you predict the Leaf’s will finish this season and why?

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been struggling to post wins this year and head coach Mike Babcock has taken the hit for the team’s slumping season. In your
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opinion, where do you predict the leafs will finish this year and why?
Brendan Shanahan and Kyle Dubas are predicting that replacing Mike Babcock will enable the Leafs to become Stanley Cup contenders. They are betting that
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Sheldon Keefe will motivate pricey stars such as Tavares, Marner, Matthews, Rielly, Nylander and Andersen and make a legitimate run at the Cup. Many so-
called experts say that the Leafs are a flawed team, but how can a team with the above-named stars and this past summer’s additions of Barrie, Kerfoot and Ceci
fail to be a contender? Can Keefe be the angel that replaces the so-called “ogre” Babcock and lead this team to their full potential? Last year this method worked
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for the St. Louis Blues when on Nov 19th they replaced Mike Yeo with Craig Berube. All this move did was enable the cellar dwelling Blues to win their first
Stanley Cup. On paper the Leafs are a much superior team to the Blues, so Shanahan and Dubas decided that the team wasn’t flawed, but the coaching was. We
all know that a copycat league the NHL is, and the Leafs actually waited until the 20th of Nov. to drop the boom on Babcock. So I think that the coaching change
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will have the desired effect, and the Leafs should go from mediocre to magnificent, bringing home their first Cup since 1967. Okay, maybe a little overzealous
there! Let’s say that they’ll make the playoffs!
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Jake Lapierre - Conditioning Coach - When I asked Arthur (Junior) Lalonde the same question regarding the Leafs, (Junior is an old friend,
a great hockey historian and enjoys hockey trivia), he responded with “They better, with the amount of money they’ve spent!
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Here’s a little hockey trivia from Junior; with the Winnipeg Blue bombers winning the Grey Cup this year, what former Blue Bomber
running back also played for the Toronto Maple Leafs during the same seasons for several years?
Leafs are 3 & 0 since Nov 20th and appear to be playing with a revived energy, chemistry and having fun again however bookies have
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them at +2000 to win the Stanley Cup this season. Toronto is currently in third place in the Atlantic Division and 14th overall so it’ll
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take a lot of chemistry, energy, determination and heart to get past the first round of playoffs. So, yes, in my opinion I believe the boys
will squeak into the playoffs, but I don’t believe they have the defense to get any further than they have in the past few seasons. I hope
they prove me wrong.
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Trivia answer “Gerry James” was a running back for the Bombers and also played for the Toronto Maple Leafs throughout 1950’s and
early 1960’s.
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Jim Riddell - Seaway Karate Club -The Toronto Maple Leaf’s season so far, has not been meeting expectations and at the time of Mike
Babcock’s firing, they were on a pace for only 78 points. The Sheldon Keefe era in Toronto has begun – Keefe has a successful track
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record in every league that he has coached in so far and is well liked by his players. He won a Calder Cup with the Marlies and has
established a relationship with several current Leafs players from their time with that team. My prediction is that the Leafs will turn the
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season around and make the playoffs, but not get beyond the second round. They certainly have some skilled forwards but with half of
their cap space tied up in only four players, they just don’t have the depth to make a deep run.
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