LEAFS NOTES: Gilmour-Marner connection now long distance
Article content
Of similar height and weight, both 100-point playmaking OHL juniors, strong defensively, hard to hit, they were also linked by sweater No. 93, which Mitch wore in London in homage to his father Paul's favourite Leaf. In his current role as a club ambassador, Gilmour saw Marner up close many times.
Article content
Article content
Article content
'I've been a big fan of Mitch's from the very beginning,' Gilmour told the Toronto Sun on Wednesday. 'One of my favourite players to watch. He's come a long way.'
Article content
While Marner trails only Gilmour in franchise post-season assists — 60 to 50 — it was playoff intangibles that clearly separate them. The Gilmour-led Leafs of the 1990s played in two conference finals and eight different series in four years, while Marner never got past the second-round in nine seasons.
Article content
It's a big reason Gilmour — and everyone else in these parts — will have to watch Marner from afar as a Vegas Golden Knight. Seeing him wear a mustard-toned 93 — digits he couldn't have in Toronto as it was retired for Gilmour — will take some getting used to.
Article content
'It's going to be hard days for Leaf fans to see him,' predicted the 62-year-old Gilmour. 'He's a guy that can play everywhere in your lineup: Power play, penalty killing and he can get you 100 points.
Article content
'But it's the business, right? And sometimes the business is not fun. Hey, I played for seven different teams (St. Louis, Calgary, Toronto, New Jersey, Chicago, Buffalo and Montreal). My young daughter would be worried sometimes and say 'Dad, they say you're no good', but I'd tell her 'Somebody else will always want you.' '
Article content
Marner left for Vegas with an eight-year, $96 million US deal, agreed to in his final hours as a Maple Leaf. But barring a Leafs-Knights Stanley Cup final, he will be back in town only once a season.
Article content
Players will insist the most under-rated members of a team are its equipment managers.
Article content
'One hundred per cent,' said Gilmour. 'You just look at all the hours they put in during the day. And at night, when we'd get off a plane and able to go right to bed, they're on their way to the rink to get our stuff ready.'
Article content
It was a jolt to many Leafs and former NHLers to learn a decade ago that Scott McKay, Toronto's long-time equipment man in the Pat Quinn era, had a cancer diagnosis. He has survived, but the battle continues and friends want to help him raise funds and awareness in a big way.
Article content
On Thursday, Gilmour, Curtis Joseph, Shayne Corson, Brad May and Raffi Torres will reveal Street Hockey For The Cure, to benefit the Canadian Cancer Society, the Scott McKay Foundation and the St. Michael's Hospital Foundation. Proceeds of the Sept. 13-14 tournament near the grounds of the Hotel X at Exhibition Place will go to reducing the financial burden of cancer patients throughout treatment, such as the Wheels For Hope transportation program.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
26 minutes ago
- CTV News
Local hockey league says ‘there's hope' after being granted one more year to play at Toronto arena
the puck will drop once again at least for one more season, as the local hockey association works to find a new home. Walking through the halls at Weston Lions Arena, Lesley Bannard expresses relief. It was feared that the arena located near Lawrence Avenue West and Weston Road had seen its last game, and the minor hockey organization she runs would fall apart. Now, she says, 'There's hope for us.' 'There's hope past this year, which is amazing. The last time he talked, there was no hope past September, potentially,' Bannard said. Lesley Bannard Lesley Bannard speaks to CTV News Toronto inside Weston Lions Arena. (CTV News) When CTV News first reported on the story last month, Bannard had been told there would no longer be an ice rink at the arena when Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment transforms it into an MLSE LaunchPad, which would offer free sports programs to local youth. The first MLSE LaunchPad, located in the downtown neighbourhood of Moss Park, caters mostly to sports played on a court. Back in June, Bannard said, 'All we're asking for is a chance. A chance to survive.' The Weston Minor Hockey League had been wondering why they were being pushed out of an arena they had called home since it was built 75 years ago. Weston Lions Arena The ice hockey rink inside Weston Lions Arena. (CTV News) There are over 100 players in their house league. Hunter Williams is one who began playing this past season. The seven-year-old expressed sadness over the potential loss, saying, 'I want to play one more season here, though.' After the story was reported, Bannard says community support skyrocketed. She was offered a meeting on July 2. Weston Lions Arena Weston Lions Arena is pictured here. (CTV News) Bannard shared that after meeting with MLSE and the city, the league was granted one more season at the arena. She added that the Weston Minor Hockey League has also been working with the city to find a new home for the 2026-27 season. Final plans for the Weston Lions Arena location have not been revealed. Councillor Frances Nunziata said in a statement, 'I, the city, and Weston Lions all look forward to being able to provide more details once plans are solidified this coming fall.' In a separate statement, the MLSE Foundation said, 'A key part of this process is working diligently with the City of Toronto, local councillors and the community through public consultations to ensure any existing programming, if applicable, will have a suitable alternative location and that the selected space creates opportunity for thousands of local youth to access sport.' Bannard says she would love to see an ice arena in the final design, 'but as long as the community has their say, that's what matters to me.' Lesley Bannard A young Lesley Bannard wearing the Weston Lions hockey jersey is seen in this undated photo. (Supplied) The history of Weston Lions Arena is intertwined with Bannard's life. She played here as a child and is now a coach. Bannard was even married at centre ice and soon her child will be old enough to skate. Lesley Bannard wedding Lesley Bannard gets married at centre ice inside Weston Lions Arena. (Supplied) If this is the end, Bannard sees this season as a chance to say goodbye. 'To have one more year staring at this roof, staring at the gondolas with the big logo on it and staring up at our banner hanging up in the corner there, it's just going to be a really special year.'
Canada Standard
2 hours ago
- Canada Standard
Blue Jays complete sweep of Yankees, take AL East lead
(Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images) George Springer hit two homers and drove in four runs as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting New York Yankees 8-5 Thursday night to complete a four-game series sweep. Springer had four homers in the series as Toronto moved into first place in the American League East, one game ahead of the Yankees. Addison Barger added three hits with a homer and two RBIs and Nathan Lukes had three hits and two RBIs. Trent Grisham hit a solo homer for the Yankees. Jasson Dominguez added four hits. Toronto scored once in the first against Clarke Schmidt. Springer walked and came home on Barger's double. Grisham led off the third against Chris Bassitt (8-4) with a homer to left center on a cutter. The Blue Jays regained the lead in their third. Lukes led off with a double to right and Springer homered to center. The Yankees tied the game in the fourth. Dominguez lined a triple to the gap in left center and scored on Anthony Volpe's single. Austin Wells doubled and Volpe scored from third on a wild pitch. Clayton Beeter (0-1) took over in fourth for Schmidt, who allowed three runs, four hits and two walks with one strikeout and was removed with right forearm tightness. Beeter walked Will Wagner, who took second on Davis Schneider's single. After Leo Jimenez's sacrifice, Lukes finished a 14-pitch at-bat with a two-run double past third base to give the Blue Jays a 5-3 lead. Barger led off the home fifth with a homer to right center on a hanging slider. Braydon Fisher replaced Bassitt in the sixth after a two-out walk to Grisham. Bassitt allowed three runs, eight hits and three walks with nine strikeouts. Aaron Judge led off the seventh with an infield single, took second on Cody Bellinger's single and scored on Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s double off the left-field wall. After Dominguez struck out, Chad Green replaced Fisher. Green retired Volpe on a groundout, but Bellinger scored on the play to trim the deficit to 6-5. Wells drew a walk to put runners on the corners, but Green induced pinch-hitter Giancarlo Stanton to ground out to end the threat. Judge was walked intentionally with two out and no one on base in the eighth and southpaw Justin Bruihl replaced Green and fanned Bellinger. Springer hit a two-run homer off Luke Weaver in the home eighth. Jeff Hoffman pitched around a double in the ninth to earn his 21st save. --Field Level Media
Canada Standard
2 hours ago
- Canada Standard
George Springer's big bat helps Blue Jays upend Yankees
Field Level Media 05 Jul 2025, 09:38 GMT+10 (Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images) George Springer hit a grand slam and a solo homer and collected a career-high seven RBIs Tuesday afternoon as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting New York Yankees 12-5 on Canada Day. Andres Gimenez added a three-run homer for the Blue Jays, who have won the opening two of a four-game series. Toronto moved within one game of the first-place Yankees in the American League East. Jasson Dominguez had three RBIs for New York. The Yankees scored two in the first against Kevin Gausman. Paul Goldschmidt singled and Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton walked to load the bases to set up Dominguez's two-run single up the middle. Max Fried didn't allow a hit over the first three innings before Springer led off the fourth with a homer to left center on a 2-2 curveball. The inning continued when Davis Schneider was given an infield hit on a chopper to third and Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s throw was wide of first. Myles Straw walked and Gimenez homered to center on a fastball down the middle to give the Jays a 4-2 lead. Nick Sandlin took over in the sixth from Gausman, who allowed two runs, six hits and four walks with three strikeouts in five innings. Fried retired his final seven batters and allowed four runs, three hits and two walks while striking out two in six innings. The Yankees scored twice in the seventh to forge a 4-4 tie. Cody Bellinger led off with a single and Judge was intentionally walked by Justin Bruihl. Chisholm's grounder forced Judge at second. Braydon Fisher (2-0) took over and consecutive fielding errors by third baseman Ernie Clement and first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. each resulted in a run. Mark Leiter Jr. (4-6) entered in the Toronto seventh and allowed Gimenez's one-out single and a Tyler Heineman walk. Luke Weaver replaced Leiter and pinch hitter Addison Barger reached first on catcher's interference to load the bases. Clement lined an RBI single off shortstop Anthony Volpe's glove. Springer followed with his ninth career grand slam on a blast to left center. Geoff Hartlieb walked in a run and allowed Springer's two-run single in the home eighth. Toronto's Yariel Rodriguez allowed a run in the ninth. Prior to the game, Toronto recalled Leo Jimenez and optioned Jonatan Clase to Triple-A Buffalo. Jimenez started at shortstop on Tuesday and was 0-for-2. --Field Level Media
