Toronto Maple Leafs

The Game

Saturday, May 27th, 2017.
10:08 pm
Game 7
Stanley cup finals
Toronto 2
Montreal 1
3rd period- 5:13

I squirm on the couch in front of the television in my Leafs Jersey. My brother is on my right and my parents to my left. We all stare helplessly at the screen before us.
Today is the day.
Now is the time.
Five more minutes.
This will make history.
All of leafs nation knows it.
All of hockey knows it.
All of sports knows it.
A vision of blue, white and silver dance though my head and I feel a heated pressure behind my eyes.
Tears.
It has been exactly 50 years since the Toronto Maple Leafs have won the Stanley cup.
50 years.
1967.
My Dad was 9.
My Mom was 5.
50 years.
Five. Zero.
That is triple my age.
I can hear the roar of the crowd at the Air Canada Centre through the telecast.
Despite being in my living room, I can smell the intensity in the arena.
This team is my past.
This team is my present.
This team is my future.
This team is my heart.
This team is me.
When they win, I win.
When they lose, I lose.
We are one.
4:43.
Time doesn't seem to be dying fast enough.
My fingers clutch around the leather couch cushion that I sit on.
As a few more minutes tick away, we still lead by one.
Good job boys, hang in there please.
I'm getting nauseous from my nerves. We are so close. I try to stay still but I can't stop fidgeting in my seat.
1:08
One minute and eight seconds of a hockey game left until we can make history. The thought of how hard we have worked, and for how long, to make it to this point is unreal.
Us fans-Leafs nation- how much verbal abuse we have been through yet have stuck it out year after year.
My Leafs. My boys.
Thinking about it makes me want to cry. I have only been on this earth for 16 years yet I feels like I have been through the entire 50 year journey with them every step of the way.
00:36
The Canadiens have pulled their goalie for over a minute now. The extra man doesn't seem to be helping their offence. Our defence has been strong and is limiting all their chances to set up. Our goalie has played amazing tonight stopping 37 shots. Our two goals were scored by Connor McDavid and Morgan Reilly.
The whole team has actually played really well.
Something, with the leafs, I have rarely thought before this season.
00:15
I stand.
I watch the seconds tick by.
As the clock hits ten seconds I can hear my brother and my dad start counting down. I want to join in, but I can't find my voice. So I keep staring wildly at the game, and at the clock.
Five seconds. Four. Three.
And as the final buzzer sounds I can feel heavy tears escaping from my eyes and running down my cheeks.
My brother and my parents are screaming and hugging each other, but I can't make myself join in.
I'm stuck standing in front of the television, crying.
I keep crying.
And crying.
All the memories come flooding back to me all at once and I can't stop crying.
Of pride.
Of how happy I am.
And of how surreal this seems.
It's unbelievable and the tears just keep coming. I burry my face in the palms of my hands and cry some more.
Finally.
Finally.
50 years.
Five decades.
Half a century.
Finally.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have won the Stanley Cup.