TORONTO — From legitimately flared tempers in an alumni game to a storybook ending written en plein air by a teenage hope, the Centennial Classic had more than its share of rewind-button-worthy moments.
Here are 20 awesome things from the National Hockey League’s 20th outdoor game.
1. Wayne Gretzky learned something new about hockey.
Hours after suiting up in a Blues uni and skating alongside Adam Oates and Brett Hull in St. Louis’s Winter Classic alumni game, the Great One hopped a plane to Toronto and made certain to tour the Hall of Fame truck parked in the fan zone outside Exhibition Place.
Gretzky is a lifelong student of the game who’s almost spent as much time in the Hall of Fame as Phil Pritchard, and yet he still got schooled Sunday.
“I learned something really new today going through the truck: you used to be able to get four assists on a goal. And I thought I knew a lot about the game of hockey, and I didn’t know that until today, which… wow, I wish that was around in the ’80s,” Gretzky laughed.
“And don’t change the rule for Jagr now.”
2. The view from the helicopter circling over the rink.
3. Mantha’s double-pump fake.
After a dull, test-the-waters first period, 22-year-old Detroit Red Wings forward Anthony Mantha opened scoring in the second frame with a beauty. He double pump-faked Maple Leafs rookie Auston Matthews, who was coming out to block his shot. Then he ripped it short side on Frederik Andersen.
Mantha would add an assist and score the tying goal with less than two seconds left in regulation. He has five goals in five games and nine points over the past seven, but his patience on the opener was wonderful.
Fun fact: Mantha scored both the Red Wings final goal of 2016 and their first goal of 2017.
4. Mike Babcock waxing poetic about Borje Salming.
“Growing up, for me, Borje Salming was my favourite Leaf. I thought he was an unbelievable player and warrior. Just incredible,” said the Leafs coach.
“He was an exceptional player. Intelligent. Good offensively and defensively. Could take a beating like no one I’ve ever seen in my life and just keep coming. Didn’t back up an inch. I’m not trying to take anything away from Darryl Sittler, but to me he was the player.”
5. Salming—at 65, the eldest Leaf to participate in Saturday’s alumni contest—saying he should get back on the ice more.
“It hurts a little bit,” the legendary defenceman told me after the game.
“A week ago I skated. Before that, it was the [2016] Hockey Hall of Fame game, and before that it was the [2015] Hockey Hall of Fame game. I don’t skate too much, which I should do. Turning and everything like this, it’s hard on the knees. The knees aren’t 100 per cent.” The heart is.
6. The unveiling of the first 33 of the 100 greatest NHL players of all time.
Considering 15 of them are Maple Leafs, the league chose a good town to make the announcement. Johnny Bower, Johnny Bucyk, Dave Keon, Glenn Hall and Red Kelly—some of the last living members of the group—made a surprise appearance at a press conference and spilled some wisdom.
7. Hall talking about the evolution of the goalie.
“We knew nothing about good equipment,” the Chicago icon said. “You get some skinny little fella and he’s got pants on that are 10 times too large. We used to move to save the puck. Now the goalkeeper moves so the puck hits him.”
Hall was brimming with zingers. Asked who was the better goalie, him or Bower, he quipped: “Let’s just look. Who’s better looking?”
Bower, 92, found it difficult to hear reporters’ questions but managed to fill the room with laughter with this: “I let in a few goals, but that’s because I couldn’t see them. I blame my defencemen for that.”
8. Something else about pants!
We loved the capital “T” on the Maple Leafs’ pants and the vintage, Tigers-styled “D” marking the Red Wings’ thighs. A nice nod to the ol’ Toronto Arenas and Detroit Cougars. So much attention gets paid to throwback sweaters, it’s about time somebody gave the pants love.
9. Lanny McDonald’s alumni photo bomb:
10. The concourse parade through adoring fans.
The Maple Leafs took over the Argonauts’ dressing room for the weekend, and its positioning at the stadium is such that the players must walk directly through a packed concourse, where fans can reach out and high-five the stars—an intimacy unavailable during a regular game.
11. Gary Roberts and Kris Draper getting nasty.
So, here’s something you don’t see at an alumni exhibition. Two old-timers exchanging legitimately testy slashes and nasty words, ramping up the truculence at a family-friendly matinee.
“It wasn’t fake, I can tell you that,” said Draper, who would go on to score the game-winner.
The confrontation was sparked when a forechecking Dino Ciccarelli rammed Leafs defenceman Danny Markov into the corner.
“Did you see Robs and Drapes go at it?” a giddy Tie Domi said post-game. “The two most fit guys on both teams going at it!”
12. Gretzky made the puck drop.
The best player to lace ’em up dropping the puck to kick off the 100th year of the league. Pretty perfect.
Interesting that the captainless Leafs selected Tyler Bozak to take the ceremonial draw. I wonder if that was for good luck, considering Bozak won the 2014 Winter Classic for Toronto with his shootout heroics.
13. Gretzky defending the names on the NHL’s individual trophies.
A reporter asked commissioner Gary Bettman if he would consider updating the names of the league’s MVP, Rookie of the Year, and scoring race awards. Gretzky interrupted. He wanted to handle the question himself.
“The Art Ross, the Hart, the Lady Byng… I think they should stay the way they are, because that’s the history of our game,” Gretzky said. “I really believe that that’s what separates our sport from every other sport, is some of the history that we have.”
Bettman added this: “While there will be certain players we’ll have to find ways to commemorate and respect for all eternity, disrespecting those who have been given the honour of having their names on trophies doesn’t strike me as a fair or appropriate thing to do. But it’s a good question. And I’m glad Wayne answered it.”
14. The current Maple Leafs and legendary Maple Leafs sharing one dressing room on Saturday.
“To see those guys and how much they loved Toronto and being a Leaf and all that was great for our kids,” said Babcock, calling it the highlight of the weekend.
“I thought we did a nice job that way with the alumni, and they helped us get better by being around us, and I thought that was important.”
15. Babcock’s adoration for Nick Lidstrom will never die.
“He’s good enough to play in the National Hockey League today. For sure,” said Babcock. “For sure he could play in anybody’s top four in the National Hockey League.”
Of course, Lidstrom would score in the alumni game.
16. Mike Palmateer’s body-breaking, arm-sprawling, penalty-shot-snuffing save.
“Mike Palmateer is trending” is something that was said in 2016. And it wasn’t because the 62-year-old died… although he did think he killed himself for a second.
17. The NHLPA is “more optimistic” about playing in Pyeongchang.
“I’m more optimistic now than I ever have been, at least as far as we’re concerned, that we’ll be able to reach an appropriate agreement with the IIHF to allow for the players to go,” Donald Fehr, the executive director of the NHL Players’ Association, said Sunday.
While Commissioner Bettman sounded less optimistic, it’s becoming clearer that the players will be pushing to participate.
“I assume there will be further discussions over the course of the next several weeks and I choose to be optimistic on this one,” Fehr said. “We’ll see.”
Also of note: Bettman is targeting three outdoor games for 2017-18. One will be the Winter Classic. Another will likely be on Dec. 19 in honour of the NHL’s inaugural game. Nothing is finalized, however.
18. Mitch Marner’s ridiculous goal through traffic.
The Leafs rookie cut to the slot through a crowd of five Red Wings to snipe this wonderful go-ahead goal in the third period:
“I watched Marner play with Max for two years in London, so I know what he’s capable of,” Tie Domi said.
“Guys like him, they’ve been small their whole life. So he’s smart. He doesn’t put himself in situations. The puck follows him around. He’s got eyes in the back of his head, always looking. You just hope he doesn’t let his guard down, especially in the second half. Second half, every game is like a playoff game. Teams in your conference try to hurt you, so you have to be aware.”
19. The Sportsnet teaser.
My wife has been trying to convince me that Coldplay doesn’t suck for years. She would’ve had an easier time by just showing me this montage. Goosebumps, I tell ya. Goosebumps….
20. Auston Matthews playing the hero…
But even more awesome was the explosive reaction from the normally restrained Kyle Dubas and Brendan Shanahan. Love it. (Though I’m not sure Lou Lamoriello flinches here.)
