The big news in Toronto this week was the ongoing efforts of a mysterious group to place a second team in Toronto. The group had apparently met with the NHL's Bill Daly to discuss their proposal, but until today we didn't know who they were.
Well, now we do. Or at least, we know the group's front man: it's former Toronto Maple Leaf Kevin Maguire.
Wait, Kevin Maguire?
Kevin Maguire?
The guy that topped the DGB list of the worst Leafs enforcers of all time? That guy?
Apparently so.
Now look, I find the idea of a second Toronto team kind of intriguing. And that's especially true if the team wound up in Vaughan, since that's about as close as we'll ever come to my childhood dream of my hometown of Thornhill getting a team. (Proposal: get Charles Wang to move there, and bring back the Thornhill Islanders name.)
But really... Kevin Maguire?
I'm sure Maguire is a nice guy, and I don't have any reason to think that he hasn't become an excellent businessman in his post-playing career. There's no doubt that he has plenty of connections, and in his limited public comment on the situation he's never sounded anything other than completely reasonable.
But at the end of the day, he's still the guy who once did this:
As I wrote back in November:
It's never a good idea to fight Wendel Clark, but at least guys who played for other teams had some sort of obligation to try. There was something vaguely admirable about seeing another team's enforcer challenge Clark, willing to take one for the team even though he knew he was about to die.We later learned the backstory to the fight, including the fact that after they were done putting Maguire's face back together he actually came back to try to fight Clark again, which really can't be called anything other than a suicide attempt. And also, he got taken down by Russ Courtnall.
But when Clark is your teammate, and you still try to fight him... you, sir, are the dumbest man in the history of time.
I'm sorry, I can no longer take this second team bid seriously. It's being front by a man who once thought it was a good idea to fight Wendel Clark when they were on the same team. His judgment simply can not be trusted.
Then again, we all knew MLSE was going to crush this bid under the mighty corporate boot. So if you're going to try to start a fight that you know you're going to lose, I guess Kevin Maguire is your guy.
"Then again, we all knew MLSE was going to crush this bid under the mighty corporate boot. So if you're going to try to start a fight that you know you're going to lose, I guess Kevin Maguire is your guy."
ReplyDeletePerfection.
Heh, the Thornhill Islanders... that brings me back to memories of an equally shitty peewee team that could probably still beat the New York Islanders.
ReplyDeleteWendell is lucky those other guys jumped in there, he was probably getting tired beating the tar out of him then
ReplyDeleteI just came across this blog yesterday. Is it weird that my heart skipped a beat when i seen the name "Down goes Brown" cause I knew exactly what that was referring to?
ReplyDeleteFunny Blog. Hilarious blog. Cant wait to read more. Thanks DGB!
Kevin Maguire? The guy I used to watch when he was a St. Catharine Saint?
ReplyDeleteOh wow. I feel an old guy "When I was your age..." speech coming on.
I was a Markham Islander. Who cares? Not even me.
ReplyDeleteBut seriously, what were your thoughts on the Thornhill Rattlers?
@Louie...
ReplyDeleteBy the time the Rattlers came around I had left for Ottawa. To be honest, I wasn't even aware of the change until very recently. Are they playing at the same level the Islanders did?
Omg DGB my hometoen is thornhill as well, I would be ecstatic to have a team in our quaint little home
ReplyDeleteHey I love in thornhill now.....
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I love the idea of a second Southern Ontario team, whether it is in the NW part of the GTA, Hamilton, Kichener or London I dont care. Makes sense.
However, DO NOT let this crew form the eam. The mayor of vaughn is under investigation, the developer offering the land was convicted of securities fraud. This is Boots del Biaggio, Bruce McNall deja vu.
Why you would not let in someone like Balsillie and you would even contemplate this rag tag group is beyond me. Brig a team with a legit owner that lacks a criminal past.
Re: Thornhill Islanders
ReplyDeleteThe Islanders Jr. A team turned into the Thornhill Rattlers Jr. A in the 90's, and then moved a few years ago.
The younger kid rep teams are still known as the Markham Islanders as far as I know.
What I do know is that Thornhill Arena is the best among the M/GTHL rinks (although North York Centennial was pretty sweet) and Fisher Sports gives the best skate sharpening.