Rigamarole - A Foot In The Crease - Episode 4.24

www.afootinthecrease.com

Just as he did so many times over his thirteen years in Toronto, ending the night as the game’s first star amid thunderous applause from the Air Canada Centre faithful, once more on February 21st, this time as a member of the Vancouver Canucks, Mats Sundin ended the night in familiar storybook fashion to a similar warm ovation, finally allowing him to take a bow on the stage he had owned for so long.

It almost seemed scripted, fairytale like, the kind of moment that has been far too infrequent an occurrence this season at Air Canada Centre. But then, it was the special moments that Mats Sundin specialized in - his 500th NHL goal against the Calgary Flames, in overtime to finish a hat trick effort on October 14th, 2006; his game winning goal in overtime in game one of their first round playoff series against the Ottawa Senators on April 14th, 2001 giving the Leafs a 1-0 win; his goal to send game six of the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes, a game they would eventually lose, into overtime to prolong the magic just a little bit longer and so many others on his way to becoming the most productive Maple Leaf of all time.

So much was made in the days leading up to his return about whether fans would cheer him or boo him and frankly the fans at Air Canada Centre could not have handled it better. A standing ovation delaying the game several minutes following a tribute on the video board nearly brought Sundin to tears. When he was announced as the game’s first star after scoring the shootout winner, the reaction from the crowd was as if he was still a Leaf. During the play, a few boos to let him know that it was his house no longer.

In the end, a fitting conclusion from a world class player and a classy response for an equally classy player. Well done Toronto, well done Mats and most of all, thank you. But hey, all that was just rigamarole.