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http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/article/871948--leaf-fans-find-reasons-to-switch-teams?bn=1
There is peace in P.K. Subban's family home in Rexdale.
Used to be that mom, Maria, would root for the Leafs while dad, Karl, would root for the Habs.
“So we always had a little rivalry in the house,” said Maria Subban.
But as the curtain rises on another hockey season when the Maple Leafs face their historic rival at the Air Canada Centre on Thursday night, mom will have changed sides. Her son, P.K., is a rookie with Montreal.
“Who am I rooting for? I'll be rooting for the Canadiens,” said Maria. “Now we're Canadiens fans.
“It's great. We're looking forward to the game.”
It's pretty much a given that most of the viewers from the Greater Toronto Area who will tune in to Hockey Night In Canada will be Leaf fans.
Every year, however, a handful of allegiances change. Not because the Leafs have become perennial losers although they haven't made the playoffs since 2004 and haven't won the Stanley Cup since 1967.
But it's because the GTA is the single biggest feeder of hockey players to the NHL, more than any other municipal area. About 71 players from the GTA — about one-tenth of the NHL — are expected to play in the NHL this season.
About half were born in Toronto. By comparison, metropolitan Montreal — which includes the city, the south shore, Laval and the suburbs — will send about 25 to the NHL.
All those GTA athletes can't all play for the Leafs, so parents — quite understandably — start cheering for their son's team.
For some it's easy. There are plenty of Habs games on regular television for the Subbans to watch. The New York Islanders? Not so much. Barb and Joe Tavares need the NHL TV package and the internet to follow their son John.
“If I wasn't around, I'd have them taped,” said Barb Tavares. “I watched every one.”
Barb was more of a Bruins fan, thanks to Bobby Orr. Joe was the Leafs fan.
“We still watch them,” Barb Tavares said of the Leafs.
Allegiances can go deep. Scarborough-raised Mike Zigomanis made the Leafs this season. Even though he has played professionally for nine different teams at various levels, he's pretty sure his dad still cheered for the Leafs. “He wouldn't say it publicly, but ... “ said Zigomanis, laughing at the thought.
Paul Seguin, father of Boston Bruins' prized rookie Tyler Seguin, is used to changing allegiances. He was a hockey player of some note at the University of Vermont and a teammate of retired NHLer John LeClair, so he followed his buddy's teams — Montreal, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
But after settling in Brampton, the Leafs became his team.
“If you live in the Toronto area, you support the Leafs,” said Paul Seguin. “That's your team. They're the local favourite.”
The irony is not lost on him that his son might have been a Leaf. Seguin was picked second overall in the June draft, a pick the Leafs traded to Boston for Phil Kessel. “That would have been great for sure. We were Leaf fans, now we're Bruins fans.”
It helps that Paul Seguin has links throughout New England. That said, it's not as if the Seguin family are die-hard Bruins fans.
“We're still Leaf fans,” said Paul Seguin. “When they play Boston, we'll hope for Tyler to do well and if the Leafs win, I guess that might be okay. As long as Tyler did well in the game, that's all we're concerned about.”
There is peace in P.K. Subban's family home in Rexdale.
Used to be that mom, Maria, would root for the Leafs while dad, Karl, would root for the Habs.
“So we always had a little rivalry in the house,” said Maria Subban.
But as the curtain rises on another hockey season when the Maple Leafs face their historic rival at the Air Canada Centre on Thursday night, mom will have changed sides. Her son, P.K., is a rookie with Montreal.
“Who am I rooting for? I'll be rooting for the Canadiens,” said Maria. “Now we're Canadiens fans.
“It's great. We're looking forward to the game.”
It's pretty much a given that most of the viewers from the Greater Toronto Area who will tune in to Hockey Night In Canada will be Leaf fans.
Every year, however, a handful of allegiances change. Not because the Leafs have become perennial losers although they haven't made the playoffs since 2004 and haven't won the Stanley Cup since 1967.
But it's because the GTA is the single biggest feeder of hockey players to the NHL, more than any other municipal area. About 71 players from the GTA — about one-tenth of the NHL — are expected to play in the NHL this season.
About half were born in Toronto. By comparison, metropolitan Montreal — which includes the city, the south shore, Laval and the suburbs — will send about 25 to the NHL.
All those GTA athletes can't all play for the Leafs, so parents — quite understandably — start cheering for their son's team.
For some it's easy. There are plenty of Habs games on regular television for the Subbans to watch. The New York Islanders? Not so much. Barb and Joe Tavares need the NHL TV package and the internet to follow their son John.
“If I wasn't around, I'd have them taped,” said Barb Tavares. “I watched every one.”
Barb was more of a Bruins fan, thanks to Bobby Orr. Joe was the Leafs fan.
“We still watch them,” Barb Tavares said of the Leafs.
Allegiances can go deep. Scarborough-raised Mike Zigomanis made the Leafs this season. Even though he has played professionally for nine different teams at various levels, he's pretty sure his dad still cheered for the Leafs. “He wouldn't say it publicly, but ... “ said Zigomanis, laughing at the thought.
Paul Seguin, father of Boston Bruins' prized rookie Tyler Seguin, is used to changing allegiances. He was a hockey player of some note at the University of Vermont and a teammate of retired NHLer John LeClair, so he followed his buddy's teams — Montreal, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
But after settling in Brampton, the Leafs became his team.
“If you live in the Toronto area, you support the Leafs,” said Paul Seguin. “That's your team. They're the local favourite.”
The irony is not lost on him that his son might have been a Leaf. Seguin was picked second overall in the June draft, a pick the Leafs traded to Boston for Phil Kessel. “That would have been great for sure. We were Leaf fans, now we're Bruins fans.”
It helps that Paul Seguin has links throughout New England. That said, it's not as if the Seguin family are die-hard Bruins fans.
“We're still Leaf fans,” said Paul Seguin. “When they play Boston, we'll hope for Tyler to do well and if the Leafs win, I guess that might be okay. As long as Tyler did well in the game, that's all we're concerned about.”