November 11th is the anniversary of two things. First and most obviously, it’s Remembrance Day for honouring the fallen soldiers from the two World Wars. We will participate in our traditional moment of silence, as many people wear poppies to commemorate the day.

Poppies also tie into the other anniversary today. One year ago today is when Don Cherry was fired for his rant against “you people” not wearing poppies in BIPOC communities during a hockey broadcast.

I can’t help but have both prominently in my mind this year. Remembrance Day and how it/war has become politicized by people of Don Cherry’s ilk is standing out as much now as it did a year ago, considering the state of the world — particularly down south.

But I’m just... tired of that group taking over things and ideas and tainting it just with their association. I want to at least Remember the day and what it originally stood for in my head. Both my grandfathers were part of the way, to different degrees. One of them took a bullet to his butt. The other, in his final year alive on this earth, tearfully recounted how the USA supplied Canada with planes and manufacturing on the sly by just parking them on the border and walking away long before they officially joined the war.

I don’t have a lot more to say on this. I just want to say that I remember both my grandfathers, and that I also remember Don Cherry.

I’ll lead with the fun stuff... The least charitable scouting reports of William Villeneuve were critical of his skating and defense, but the one thing you cannot deny is that the dude can make plays. His deficiencies might hold him back from the NHL unless he/the Toronto Maple Leafs development team can work on fixing his flaws, but if he does make the NHL it will be because he can make perfect passes like this:

Maple Leafs have the luxury of time | by Travis Yost at TSN.ca

NHL entering crucial stretch in planning for next season | by Elliotte Friedman

The NHL hopes to have a plan for 2020-21 as early as Thursday | by Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun

NHL player poll: Bubbles, schedules and more thoughts on the 2020-21 season | by The Athletic

Black Girl Hockey Club Awards Scholarship to 11-year old Winnipegger | by Meroutloud at TLN

Down Goes Brown: Which NHL team makes the best current lineup out of ex-players? | by Sean McIndoe

If there’s one thing that hockey fans love to argue about, it’s jerseys. What do you all think of these “retro” style jerseys?

News from the QMJHL, which has been shut down except for teams in the Maritime provinces, about how they plan on getting the rest of the league back up and running:

From The Branches