It turns out all seventeen honoured Leaf greats were getting their numbers retired and elevated to their rightful place in the rafters. Gone are the days of watching the likes of Jonas Hoglund, Darby Hendrickson and Matt Stajan wear Dave Keon’s #14, or Colby Armstrong sport Ted Kennedy’s #9, or Garnet Exelby don Tim Horton and King Clancy’s #7. Long overdue.
Unlike past Leaf teams on ceremony nights, the Leafs came out flying once the game started, showing the emotion you expect to see from the home team in a home opener. Nazem Kadri fought David Backes, and acquitted himself well, in a rematch from last season’s visit to St.