Hi everyone! Yes, it’s that time of year again when games actually matter and every single loss is literally the end of the world. At least, that’s how it always seems here in Canada where hockey is a matter of life and death every single day. Seriously, after the Leafs lost to Montreal in the season opener, the media was already starting to question if this game would have a serious impact on the Leafs’ playoff hopes.

Game one, folks.

One out of 82.

Eighty-one more games to go and some folks are already thinking the season is over. That’s Canada, folks. How can you not love that?

We’re passionate about the game, it’s true. It’s been a part of our culture for a very long time, and the thought of it slipping away is enough to make any Canadian cringe just a little bit. In the past, we’ve seen our teams pack up and go far, far away, and the thought of losing another franchise is always a possibility.

We also want another Stanley Cup.

Badly.

Seriously, it’s been 29 years since we’ve seen silver, and it’s getting annoying. It might be a sort of inferiority complex beginning to develop here in the Great White North, much like what has always existed in the Bay Area. That great rivalry between Oakland and San Francisco.

No one can argue that the Bay Area has played host to a great number of champions over the last fifty years. There were those great Oakland A’s teams of the 1970s, then the Golden State Warriors took home the NBA championship right after the A’s dynasty ended, followed by the San Francisco 49ers and their five Super Bowl championships in the 1980s and 90s.

San Francisco’s teams continue to thrive in their respective leagues, while Oakland has seen both its hockey and football teams leave town, while their baseball team is on the brink of pulling up stakes.

This week’s article, from the Sport in American History website, was forwarded to me by Tim Hanlon of Good Seats Still Available, and the piece is not only a review of my book on the Seals, but a wonderful history of the Bay Area’s first NHL team, and how Oakland continues to live in the shadow of its bigger, more famous city-brother across the Bay. Click on this link to go to the Sport in American History site and read this fascinating piece.

Until next time, stay gold!