Rigamarole - A Foot In The Crease - Episode 2.27

www.afootinthecrease.com

If there has ever been a typical Darcy Tucker week, this past week was it, without a doubt. In the days leading up to the trade deadline, Tucker again voiced his desire to remain a Maple Leaf above all else. Well aware he could command far more on the free agent market than the $3 million per season he signed for; the Leafs, Tucker made it clear, were his primary concern. Yes he wanted to be paid appropriately, but remaining a “Leaf for Life”, keeping his family settled and staying close to the city that had grown so close to him is what mattered most. Tucker was the second person this season to say he wanted nothing more than to stay where he was, his bonds to the city too strong to break. Tucker was the first to actually mean it!

Though not in the lineup when Kaberle was blindsided by Cam Janssen, Tucker made his way down the tunnel and prepared to take Janssen on himself. Perhaps fortunately for both parties, Tucker never made it to the Devils bench. Nevertheless, his willingness to stand up for his teammates and the passion he showed that night, played a part in inspiring the Leafs to score a comeback win against the Devils. The next night against Buffalo, Tucker had had it; he was back in the lineup, unable to sit idly by any longer. That game he was supposed to play 8 minutes, Tucker skated for 16.

In his second game back, it was Tucker who got the Leafs on the board and en route to a key victory when it appeared the Capitals were on the verge of taking over. Picked as the game’s second star, he came out on the ice for a post game interview and appeared on the verge of tears as he thanked the ACC crowd.

After every warm-up, Tucker skates off with several pucks and hands them to children. When he runs out of pucks, there are handshakes and high fives waiting for the other youngsters. Anyone speaking negatively about Tucker is simply jealous he doesn’t play for their team. GO DARCY GO. But hey, all that was just rigamarole.