"For most of my life, I was a diehard Toronto Maple Leafs fan. My earliest memories include sitting on the shag carpet of my grandparents' house, surrounded by family, as Hockey Night in Canada came on. If I close my eyes, I can still hear the nostalgic horns of the classic theme song. I didn't play hockey growing up. Playing was too expensive, but the excitement of watching from home made me feel like I was there with the team."
"When I was 15, my parents surprised my brother and I with tickets to our first in-person game. They had saved up so we could go inside the arena while they watched from a pub close by. That game cemented my passion for the team. Down 3-2 against the New Jersey Devils, with less than a minute to go, Leaf's winger Phil Kessel scored on goalie Martin Brodeur to force overtime. Cheers filled the arena as my brother and I jumped to our feet."
"The Devils won the game but the Leafs never gave up. I left the rink that night thrilled to see my team give it their all. As the Leafs slowly grew into a playoff team, I grew into a young adult ready to explore the world. When I travelled, my faded Leafs cap was as important as my passport. Man celebrates on a pier in Thailand and admires the Sydney skyline after watching hockey while traveling."
Jordan Man, 31, replaced cheering for the Toronto Maple Leafs with playing hockey in a beer league. He grew up a diehard Leafs fan, watching Hockey Night in Canada with family and holding strong memories of the classic theme song. He did not play hockey as a child because it was too expensive, but watching from home made him feel part of the team. At 15 his parents surprised him and his brother with tickets to their first in-person game, where a late Phil Kessel goal forced overtime and cemented his passion. Travel and a faded Leafs cap remained important rituals.
Read at www.cbc.ca
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