Book excerpt: Mike Commito’s ‘Leafs 365’ maps out a rollercoaster franchise, one daily story at a time
No matter what the schedule says or when the playoffs end, hockey is a year-round affair. After the Stanley Cup is hoisted, free agency is just around the corner, and then, even during the dog days of summer, trades and signings are always still in the works. And then, before you know it, training camp starts and it’s time to do it all over again. Hockey happens 365 days a year, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
With that in mind, five years ago I published my first book called Hockey 365. As the title suggests, it includes 365 short hockey stories, one for every day of the year. I did a second volume a few years later but then decided to apply the same format to my favorite team, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Leafs 365, which officially hit bookshelves this past week in Canada, brings the Hockey 365 concept to the Buds to give you a daily dose of the Leafs, from the franchise’s first season in the NHL in 1917 to finally winning a first-round series in 2023.
To give Leaf and hockey fans a better idea of what you can find in Leafs 365, Daily Faceoff has graciously given me the opportunity to run an excerpt of the book. But since Leafs 365 isn’t one big story but many — 366 to be exact, since I had to account for leap years— I decided to share a few excerpts in the spirit of how the book unfolds.
Like the emotional roller coaster of watching a high-scoring Leafs game, Leafs 365 has just about everything:
- Stories that will make you smile …
For Leafs fans, it has already entered into the lore of “Where were you when it happened?” On October 12, 2016, Auston Matthews, making his NHL debut in a game against Ottawa, scored four goals, establishing a modern-era record for the most goals in a rookie debut. I know I’ll never forget where I was; I was at home with my wife, Chantal, and two-week-old daughter, Zoe. As Matthews continued to rack up goal after goal, Chantal, who isn’t much of a hockey fan, said something along the lines of “Is this normal?” I told her emphatically that it was not and that we were watching something historic.
Although Zoe slept through the whole game in her tiny Maple Leafs pajamas that were still a couple sizes too big, holding her as we shared an unforgettable moment in hockey history is something I will cherish forever. While the Leafs ended up losing in overtime, something every Senators fan is always so quick to point out, it’s probably a game that holds special meaning for you as well.
- Stories that might make you cry …
There was not a dry eye in the house. After announcing in the summer that he was suffering from ALS, Börje Salming made a courageous homecoming to Toronto for the Hockey Hall of Fame’s annual induction. He made his first appearance before the Leafs hosted the Penguins on November 11, 2022, alongside former teammate Darryl Sittler and Mats Sundin. It was beautiful but also incredibly heart-breaking to see Salming, who was so fierce on the ice, in such a weakened state. As the crowd gave him a much-deserved standing ovation, both he and Sittler were overcome with emotion. It was one of the most touching moments in Leafs history.
The next night, Salming returned with his family for a tribute and ceremonial puck drop. In honour of Salming and his franchise legacy, head coach Sheldon Keefe’s starting line-up for the game was all Swedes. Although Toronto fell behind early in the first period, they came back to earn the victory for the King. Sadly, just two weeks later, Salming passed away. A warrior until the end.
- Stories that will make you angry …
“I can’t believe the Leafs are going to the second round. This is so exciting,” is what I remember writing in an email to my uncle Don. I can’t recall exactly what I said because I never sent it. Early in the third period in a do-or-die seventh game against the Boston Bruins, the Leafs had what many believed to be a commanding 4–1 lead. If they could hold it, it would give Toronto its first playoff series victory since 2004.
As a lifelong Maple Leafs fan, I knew it wasn’t over until the final buzzer sounded, so I decided to hold off on sending anything to my uncle just yet. With my proposed email sitting in my drafts folder, I watched in disbelief as the Bruins scored three goals in the final 10 minutes of regulation to force over-time. Six minutes into sudden death, Patrice Bergeron scored his second of the night to complete the improbable comeback. Shattered, I fished my phone out of my pocket and deleted that cursed email.
- Stories that can only happen to the Toronto Maple Leafs …
It’s the type of story that could only happen to the Leafs. On February 22, 2020, they were defeated by a Zamboni driver. While David Ayres did more than drive the ice resurfacer at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, he will forever be remembered as the Zamboni driver who beat the Leafs. When Toronto hosted Carolina that night, Ayres, who was serving as the emergency backup goaltender, was in the building should he be called upon.
After former Leafs goaltender James Reimer, who started for the Hurricanes, left the game six minutes in, Ayres became Petr Mrazek’s backup. But when Mrazek was bowled over halfway through the second period, Ayres was suddenly the last Carolina goaltender standing. Making his NHL debut at the age of 42, he allowed goals on the first two shots he faced. But the team rallied around Ayres, and he stopped the next, and final, eight shots he faced to backstop the Hurricanes to a 6–3 victory, becoming the first emergency backup goaltender in NHL history to win a game.
- And, of course, stories that remind you why you go through all this, year after year, after year, after year …
For nearly a decade, the Leafs were the yardstick for playoff futility. Following a catastrophic third-period meltdown against the Bruins in Game 7 in 2013, in which the Buds squandered a three-goal lead only to lose in overtime, it seemed as though every post-season comeback or collapse was measured against that performance. And until the team could find playoff success, that narrative followed them around.
That is until April 24, 2023. With just over 10 minutes remaining in the fourth game of the opening-round series against the Lightning, Toronto was down 4–1. Many Leafs fans, who figured it was over, turned off the game and went to bed. But Auston Matthews scored two straight goals to ignite a response to force overtime. Less than five minutes into the extra session, Alexander Kerfoot tipped in the game-winning goal to cap off an incredible comeback that would usually only happen against the Leafs. Although the team may have vanquished that cursed narrative, there was still more work to be done to ensure it would stay buried.
You can buy Leafs 365 wherever you like to buy books.
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