FTB: Tournament time!

Good morning Toronto Maple Leafs fans!

It's time for holiday hockey tournaments both big and small, starting tomorrow all across the world.

When I was a wee little Seldo, my mother's family would gather on Boxing Day, rent the local Lions club and have our big family get together. My one cousin would leave early sometimes to go play in a hockey tournament, so I'd tag along and watch, but what I was really looking forward to were the raffles.

You know the type, shops would donate small things like a mug of chocolates, some free passes to local attractions, maybe some Jr. Blue Jays tickets (RIP to my local single A team),and occasionally someone would write a letter asking nicely and the Sabres or Leafs would donate a signed jersey or puck.

I'd bring my ten bucks I would get from Grandma (not a lot, but a dozen or so grandkids adds up) and hope to win some candy. Never get your hopes up.

One year, I hit the jackpot though. I'm reading the numbers on my ticket, comparing them to the wall or prizes and there it is. My seven numbers matching the grand prize:

A game used LA Kings hockey stick signed by the whole team. Cool in itself but this was Christmas 1995. The final few games Wayne Gretzky was on the team.

Yeah, I got the Gretzky signed stick.

So in standing there, and my uncle walks up and asks if I won anything. Me, being a precocious, naive, and dumb 12 year or said "I won a hockey stock, but I don't play hockey. Could I trade with for the candy basket?"

After realizing what his dumb nephew said...he told me no. I'm just...no.

So I went home, and waited for my stick to be delivered. I guess someone local worked for or had a relative who played for the team and they were bringing it back from LA.

It took two months to get here, so they also included two Buffalo Sabres tickets. Right on the glass, next to the Sabres net. My very first NHL game and I got to watch prime Dominek Hasek up close.

I got to see the old Memorial Auditorium before it closed, the Sabres won 6-1, and oh baby we had a brawl at the end of the game with Hasek jumping right in. Oh what a time.

That made me a hockey fan and briefly, a uh, Sabres fan. Hey. Kids love brawls.

And thanks to Hockey Reference, I found the game.

That stick still hangs on my basement wall, joined by an early 90s Bruins team stick I found at an antique store for 20 bucks, and a Jason Spezza signed stick.

Best two bucks I ever spent.

There are two big tournaments happening, and with the world juniors in Ottawa we have an entire days worth of games for a week.

The .mornings will feature the Spengler Cup, and invite only tournament for European club teams and a Team Canada for some reason.

Everything begins tomorrow, Boxing Day, December 26th.

That kicks off this year with HC Fribourg-Gottéron (Swiss) facing off against HC Dynamo Pardubice (Czech) at 9am EST on TSN, followed by host team HC Davos hosting Canada at 2PM.

Even if you aren't super into it, just check it out for the most beautiful hockey arena in the world.

Then, to give you something to flip back and forth with during intermissions, the Mens U20 World Championships begin at 12PM with Sweden and Slovakia facing off.