It’s my Parting Shot to play a villain and explain why – again – for those who are new to my playful, sarcastic side or have intentionally forgotten why I am the way I am…..
As far as I’m concerned, last night’s Stanley Cup playoff results for the three Canadian-based N-H-L teams was perfect! Winnipeg won while Montreal and Edmonton each suffered heart-breaking losses!
Again, perfect!!
My life, as it turns out, has been split pretty much in two. My first 35 years were spent in Winnipeg, aside from two-and-a-half years in Brandon for my first radio job. The last 31 years have been spent in Saskatoon – a wonderful move for my wife and I!
In those first 35 years, I grew to be, first of all a Hab hater. My late father was a proud and devout Ukrainian and came to dislike Montreal with their mostly French-speaking line-up. He referred to the Canadiens, spelled with an “e,” with two alliterative “F” words. The first one my late mom gave him heck for, for using in front of me and the second one was a very politically incorrect way of referring to Frenchmen. He and I cheered like mad when the Toronto Maple Leafs beat Montreal in the 1967 Stanley Cup final!
Ironically, that was the last Cup the Buds won, but I have an affinity for the Maple Leafs as my second-favourite Canadian-based N-H-L team.
Because I’m from Winnipeg, I’ve been a fan of a Jets’ team since 1967! From the beginning when they were a Western Canada Hockey League franchise, to being a World Hockey Association powerhouse starting in 1972 and being absorbed into the N-H-L in 1979. Winnipeg’s rival, in all sports, has always been Edmonton – especially, as far as I’m concerned, with the Wayne Gretzky-led Oilers in the 1980s!
Yes, I’ve tortured myself for many years with these affiliations. Even when I cheered for the Boston Bruins, because of Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito, Gerry Cheevers and company, it took me a few years to finally get some satisfaction when they won the Cup in 1970 – a year in which the Habs didn’t make the playoffs, amazingly!!
So, if you don’t like my favourite and disliked N-H-L hockey teams, you have to put up with me after a night like Monday night! They have been few and far between over the years – and may still be few and far between this spring if my track record holds up!!
That’s my Parting Shot. I’m Les Lazaruk…and it turned out nice again!
