Leafs add grit to alumni game roster

There’s talk of a lockout shutting down the early part of the season, but since the Winter Classic acts as the unofficial kick-off to the NHL’s romp in mainstream American sports discussion, I doubt the league would prolong the work stoppage to force a cancellation of their major January 1 event.

Sure, the NHL has the right to cancel the game, but we’re told that’s standard legal proceedings, protecting the league against weather and Acts of God, such as an injury to Jimmy Howard forcing the Red Wings to start Jonas Gustavsson in net.

But that’s not the main attraction yet. The alumni game, which has had a bunch of people speculating whether or not Dave Keon will mend fences with the Leafs and show up, got an infusion of grit for the game. The team announced today, as per James Mirtle, that Tie Domi, Brad May and Tiger Williams will represent the Leafs.

Seriously, even. I will say that to many fans in their mid-to-late-20s, Domi was one of the more recognizeable Leafs when we were growing up. Brad May, not so much. He played 38 games with the Leafs, scored one goal and had 61 penalty minutes.

The three add to the Leafs alumni roster, which now consists of:

(Our previous posts on the alumni rosters are here and here)

That’s, for the mathematically challenged, 19 players. Last season, the Flyers skated with 25 players and a pair of goalies, so there are still a lot of spots open. Old guys apparently can’t move as much as they used to.

Still, no Dave Keon, Mats Sundin, Borje Salming, or Todd Gill, who is surprisingly has more career games as a Leaf than all but 15 players.