From the Branches: It's my fifty mission cap

Bill Barilko disappeared that summer

He was on a fishing trip

The last goal he ever scored

Won the Leafs the cup

They didn’t win another till nineteen sixty two

The year he was discovered

I stole this from a hockey card

I keep tucked up under...

Tragically Hip: Dying singer Gord Downie bids Canada farewell | BBC
"A Canadian band whose lead singer was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer have performed their last concert at the end of an emotional farewell tour."

The Tragically Hip's Set List For The Aug. 20 Concert In Kingston | Huffington Post
Guess the first song.

The Tragically Hip tour setlists analyzed: songs played most and least | The Whig
"Narrowing the Tragically Hip's extensive career of classics down to a short list of essentials is an impossible task for many fans -- and it couldn't have been easy for the band for its much-anticipated 'Man Machine Poem' tour."

Tragically Hip's Gord Downie saved my cat: former neighbour | Canoe News
"To many Canadians, the Tragically Hip’s Gord Downie is a musical super hero. For Barry Godin, it’s not just because of the incredible performances."

The Tragically Hip Feel the Canadian Love at Last of 3 Toronto Concerts | Billboard
"Two huge visuals at both entrances to the venue announced 'Those Nights in Toronto' and new T-shirts were emblazoned with 'That Night in Toronto.'"

On the Tragically Hip’s last stop: ‘This is carpe diem.’ | Maclean's
As has been true on every stop on the Man Machine Poem tour, this is not a funeral, nor a wake. This is a rock’n’roll spectacle, not a rock’n’roll suicide. This is carpe diem. This is about: "Get it out, get it all out / Yea stretch that thing / Make it last, make it all last / At least until the supper bell rings." As every review has pointed out, as has been printed on T-shirts and even Downie’s boots, "no dress rehearsal, this is our life."

The Hip show ends but the ovation unlikely to end any time soon | Ottawa Citizen
"With a delirious sold-out crowd hanging on his every word and countless Canadians watching live on TV from their homes and public viewing parties, Gord Downie used the much-anticipated final show of the Tragically Hip’s 'Man Machine Poem' tour to campaign for Canada’s North."

Love-in for the Hip at Rio’s Canada House: Arthur | Bruce Arthur in Rio
It felt like a celebration for the folks at the Olympics watching Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip’s final performance of their Man Machine Poem tour.

Pearl Jam's tribute to @thehipdotcom last night https://t.co/LsTroQZfjl

— James Mirtle (@mirtle) August 21, 2016

Leafs news

What Can the Maple Leafs Expect from Nikita Zaitsev? | THW
"The Maple Leafs and Zaitsev were long rumoured to be working on a deal to bring the blueliner over to North American soil. It was finally made official and Zaitsev will be in Toronto for training camp."

Toronto Maple Leafs Player Preview: Jake Gardiner | Editor in Leaf
"Often criticized and under appreciated, Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Gardiner is an important part of the blueline right now."

Maple Leafs Continue to Hunt for a Backup Goaltender | Hockey Buzz
"Toronto’s goaltending situation was rectified when the Leafs traded Reimer last season and then dumped Bernier off to Anaheim for a couple of cashews and a potential pick. Obviously management knew their goaltending wasn’t going to take them to the promise land and with haste they changed the direction of the franchise."

89 Champs: Where Are They Now: Mark Hunter | M&G
"Mark Hunter parlayed an NHL career into a franchise ownership and a management position with the Toronto Maple Leafs."

Toronto Maple Leafs: Shifting Toward A Non-Fighting Sport | Editor in Leaf
"As entertaining as hockey fights are, there is no statistical value to their existence. Games are won and lost on the scoreboard via goals and fighting doesn’t contribute to that statistic."

What is the best Tragically Hip song?