When I found the photo that accompanies this article, I thought, perfect, that has to be exactly how Brian Burke felt when he first took over as the GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Burke has been a GM in the NHL since the 1992/1993 season and is known in the hockey world as a no nonsense kind of guy.

When I first heard he was coming to Toronto, I must admit, I was not overly enthused.

Brian Burke had won a cup. Okay, lots of GM’s have won a cup.

He was also credited with re-building a floundering Vancouver Canucks franchise, not bad, but it has been done.

No, the thing that had been stuck in my mind when I heard that he was coming to Toronto was this on going public feud with Edmonton Oilers GM Kevin Lowe. I thought it was childish and that Brian Burke may be little more than a long winded buffoon.

I have changed my mind.

Brian Burke has since cemented his place among one of the best GMs this town has ever seen.

In what has not yet been his first full season as the Toronto Maple Leafs boss, he has managed to completely turn the entire franchise inside out. Taking an aging and essentially mediocre team riddled with bad contracts and under achieving players, and he turned it into the youngest team in the league.

There is now not only hope in Leaf’s land for the future, there is also over thirteen million dollars in cap space.

While Brian was imparting his own brand of truculence on the world of hockey, his personal life was anything but quiet.

It surprised most of us to not only learn that one of Burke’s six children, 21 year old Brandon, was gay, but that Burke, Mr Macho, Mr Truculent, wasted no time in announcing that he was not only his son’s biggest supporter, but was also in fact his biggest admirer.

“I had a million good reasons to love and admire Brendan. This news didn’t alter any of them.

I would prefer Brendan hadn’t decided to discuss this issue in this very public manner. There will be a great deal of reaction, and I fear a large portion will be negative. But this takes guts, and I admire Brendan greatly, and happily march arm in arm with him on this.”

Less than three months later, almost on the eve of the Olympic Games in his old stomping grounds of Vancouver, Brian Burke and the rest of the hockey world were absolutely shocked to learn of Brendan’s death.

Brendan Burke was on his way back from visiting Michigan State University to his own campus (Miami University in Ohio) when the accident occurred.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman described Brendan as “a young man of courage and character. Words simply cannot express our sorrow over his loss.”

In the face of the passing of his son, Brian Burke, and Team USA went on to win a Silver Medal at the Winter Olympics.

From the beginning of the season, whether facing tampering charges, revitalizing an almost dead franchise, supporting his son, and mourning his subsequent death, Brian Burke has stood strong.

He has been the kind of leader that has been missing from the Toronto Maple Leafs’ organization.

He has been, in short, an inspiration.

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If only there were more games against the Ottawa Senators.

This is how the Toronto Maple Leafs and the majority of their fans feel this season; well, this Leaf fan anyways. A season that has been one of the worst in memory as far as their place in the standings goes, and the worst start this city has ever seen.

Yes, it’s been a tough season in Leaf Nation, but if there is one thing that gives this young team and their loving fans a breath of fresh air, it’s those darn Sens in a classic Battle of Ontario.

It’s not just the fact that the Leafs had the Sens number this season, winning the season series 4-2 and outscoring their provincial rivals 17-9; though it’s always nice to have bragging rights until the next game.

It’s not just the fact that Phil Kessel has learned to love playing against Ottawa, scoring six goals in the five games he suited up against them; though, it’s nice to see he enjoys playing against them more than anyone else.

It’s not even the fact that, in their four bouts, Colton Orr defeated Matt Carkner three times while making sure everyone knew it; though, it sure was nice to see a Leaf on the less-bloody side of a pounding for a change.

No, it wasn’t any of those things that made the Battle of Ontario so great in the midst of a dismal Leafs’ season, though they didn’t hurt. It simply was the fact that no matter where the teams are in the standings or how many games are left in the season—a game between the Leafs and the Sens always matters.

Always.

That’s the beauty of a heated rivalry such as this, especially with the rebirth of the hatred we’ve missed for so many years. Who would have thought that in the season of the most rebuilding for the Leafs, they could learn to hate their foes with a rage we haven’t seen since the early 2000s in their epic playoff series. Only Tomas Kaberle remains on the team from those days, and yet it’s almost as if they picked up right where Darcy Tucker and the gang left off.

For those six nights this season, the final one having happened Tuesday night in Ottawa, the Leafs have a meaningful game no matter what. Whether it’s in Toronto or Ottawa, an overabundance of Leaf jerseys are worn with pride and the decibel level is raised a bit higher than for any other foe.

When there’s a scrum around the net, everyone stands up and you can just feel the energy in the building—even if you’re watching on TV, because you’re standing up too.

When Daniel Alfredsson gets a hold of the puck you instinctively join in with the chorus of boos. Even if you’re on your couch at home.

You swear at Chris Neal when he starts yapping at one of the Leaf players. You feel the need to remind all those in the room of the various times Chris Phillips has made a terrible mistake in a game. You curse the Sens mascot, for no reason at all.  

Nobody questions the excitement. Nobody says it’s just another game.

The players are always ready for these games, and there’s hardly need for any smelling salt prior to stepping on the ice. If you’re not jacked up for one of these games, you don’t belong out there.

The Battle of Ontario sure does live up to its name, especially this season as a group of kids rejuvenated an entire Nation, if only for six nights.

And as that season winds down towards yet another early ending, it’s a shame the Leafs don’t get to play their provincial rivals again.

In times like these any other game just doesn’t feel the same.

The Battle of Ontario. A breath of fresh air indeed.

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It’s common when interviewing for a new job to be asked a question that can say a lot about who a person is and where he or she wants to be in the future: “Where do you see yourself in five years?”

A tough question, to be sure, but as the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, it’s a question Brian Burke probably has a lengthy answer for. He certainly has a vision of where he’d like to see his team in such time.

Whether he could form a reasonably realistic response out of it is another thing.

But there is no question that a GM has a plan for the future—that’s why they spend countless hours talking with scouts and others, who spend even more countless hours figuring out who would be best to draft in the upcoming year.

The future is bright when you plan for it now.

The difference for the Leafs from many other teams is that much of what their future holds is playing a full-time role on the team right now—especially up-front.

There’s no question about Phil Kessel and what he’s going to be worth to the club in the coming years—although many will question whether the trade that included two first-round picks was too much for just as long.

Although many players appearing in their first season in the league are older than Kessel, it is clear that they have some catching up to do if they’re going to crack the lineup next season.

Maybe the most NHL-ready-looking rookie for the Leafs thus far has been Tyler Bozak— who has been thrust into the starting center role on a line with Kessel, and he has done a respectable job. His face-off efficiency is on the rise every game—and Ron Wilson has been able to count on him to win key face-offs in both zones.

His speed is another aspect of his game that has been a pleasant surprise so far. With the 13 points in 21 games that he has tallied, there is no question that a spot on the roster next season is his for the taking—probably not as a first-line center, but one of the top three, for sure.

Another guy who has shown his impressive skill level while only appearing in 24 games this season is Viktor Stalberg. His minutes have been limited on some nights—when he is used on the fourth line—but there is no question that the Swede is one of the fastest skaters in the NHL, never mind just the Leafs.

He has become known for his quickness breaking in toward the net off the wing and has had no trouble crashing the net with determination in hopes of creating a chance.

With just three goals and five points, he hasn’t put up the type of numbers that a player of his kind would like to—but there is no doubting the potential he has shown if given more time to mature and grow as a forward in the NHL. He may have played his way into the lineup for next season as well, especially with his play of late.

Luca Caputi, the newest member of the team coming over in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins, has already shown his skill in just four games with the team. The hometown kid has shown he can play a gritty, in-your-face-type game while being a menace in front of the net. He’s only 21 years old, but he has a goal and an assist so far in blue and white.

It’s not only up-front that the team looks to have some potential brewing—because the arrival of defenseman Carl Gunnarsson to the Leafs lineup has been nothing but positive. Sure, he’s had his tough nights—as any rookie defender would—but the 23-year-old has been extremely confident and shown great poise while dealing with injury and the rigors of an NHL season.

As for the goaltending situation, Jonas Gustavsson has looked good of late, but the glaring aspect of his game that needs work is rebounding. There have been various occasions when his rebound control issues have cost the team a goal. If he can improve in that area—as well as his stick handling—it will only mean great things to come for the Leafs in the future.

Even though the playoffs are well out of reach at this point for a Leaf team that has had one of the most disappointing seasons in recent memory, there is no question that the young players getting a chance to play with the big club will only benefit from the experience.

Starting next season, it will be interesting to see how many of them—if not all—make the team and how they can contribute to a club that’s hopefully in a playoff race.

It’s a tough call to make right now, but by the looks of things so far, it will be a bright future in Toronto—unlike the disappointment from so many up-and-coming players in the past.

With these players and the additions of others, the NHL’s youngest team should be able to steadily improve. And when asked where the team will be in five years, Leaf fans should only reply with a smile in anticipation.

Although, they’re hoping it’s more like two.

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Twenty-one-year-old 6’3”, 200-pound Luca Caputi, born in Toronto, Ontario, will have his life-long dream realized tonight as he takes to the ice at the ACC for the first time wearing the blue and white. 

Caputi has mentioned to reporters while growing up in Toronto and playing with the Mississauga IceDogs, now the Niagara IceDogs that he had hopes of playing for the Maple Leafs, which is now reality.

Caputi was drafted in 2007 in the fourth round 111th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins, though he was projected as a higher pick. In 2007 with Niagara he had his best year in junior, tallying 51 goals 60 assists for 111 points.

Having the opportunity to play for the team he grew up watching has got to be exhilarating, and his adrenaline-driven play I’m sure at this point has been encouraging for Leafs Nation. Tonight’s game against Boston will be another test for the youngest team in the league and another opportunity to vie for roster spots next year.

After taking a shoulder to the head from Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke, Boston’s Marc Savard will not play in Toronto tonight and the time line for his return to the lineup is questionable. Savard’s absence from the lineup for Boston certainly benefits Toronto as he is always dangerous.

I will be at the game tonight and will be looking for a section of Caputi fans who I am sure have been hounding Luca for tickets since his trade. Perhaps I can get an interview from a family member and get some inside information for all the BR readers.

Toronto should try to continue the success they had against Ottawa in their shootout win and hopefully limit some of the mistakes that contributed to their loss in Philadelphia which was due to a short mental lapse late in the second period.

Caputi wearing No. 33 and the rest of young buds should be fired up for this one, as games between two of the original six teams, Toronto and Boston, have always been a war.

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I was born in Toronto in 1970 and the first glimpse I had of this game was on a Saturday night sometime during the winter of 1973.

At once I was mesmerized, and since I was quite a rambunctious child, I’m sure just my captivation by something that kept me still thrilled my mother immensely.

If I were to tell you I remembered which team we were playing or who any of the players on the ice were, I’d be lying.

But I knew I had found something special.  It was called hockey, and my city’s team was called the Maple Leafs.

I bled blue and white from then on.

They had won the Stanley Cup just a few years previous, though little did I know how long that drought would last.

I was young and had started playing the game, but I wasn’t allowed to stay up and watch the whole Leafs game.  I think I was five or six when I figured it out.

I had to watch it all, to the end.  There was no other option in my mind as my addiction to the sport grew, but how?

My first con: I asked my mother while watching the end of the first period, “Could I watch the whole game if I let you eat the rest of my dinner?”

Now don’t get me wrong, I was lucky there was always enough food on the table. But I had, at my young age, learned to put two and two together.  So with my love of hockey and my mother’s love of food, I made my play.

I think my mother let me watch the rest of the game just because of how funny my proposition was, and of course, I parlayed that one offering into a lifelong religious routine from that immediate point on.

In grade one, hockey cards were everywhere, before and after school in the hallways and at recess, playing knock-downs and topsy’s and trading them. They were only 25 cents a pack and you got 10 cards plus a stick of stale gum that was crunchy; it was great!

My grandmother Nellie Taylor would give me a dollar to buy hockey cards if I gave her a kiss, as most grandparents would back then.

I would run to the store to get those cards with that glossy picture, the team’s logo, the player’s name, and his number on the front. It had that little story about the player on the back, how long he’d been in the league, which way he shoots, the position he played, and his statistics from the past year.

Trading those hockey cards, playing the game, and watching those games, instilled in me a love for that game, one that if ever I’m old and senile and can remember only one thing, it will be hockey.

There was a player that came into the league in the late 70s by the name of Wayne Gretzky, The Great One.  He and a bunch of other young players grew and dominated together on the Edmonton Oilers.

Every year after which, while watching my Leafs, I hoped for a young team and I waited for a player to come up through the ranks and onto my team.

A young star that would develop into half the player that Gretzky was, but alas, it wasn’t to be.

Year after year, Toronto’s general managers would trade away the youth on the team for a veteran or a bag of pucks or something.

That player would go to another team, some would do well and some wouldn’t.  But the ones that did do well, I always wished were on my team still…my Leafs.

As I grew up, I began to understand and now continue to learn about the inner workings of the game.

I’ve heard many general managers over the years say they were going to build from youth.

The city gets frustrated, the pressure gets to them and they crack, making yet again the blunder of impatience.

Finally, Toronto’s GM Brian Burke has stuck with what he said he would do, and as God as my witness, I am more excited about watching this team as it grows than any other Toronto has put on the ice throughout my life.

These growing pains are going to hurt, but the average age of the roster that played on March 7, 2010 against Philadelphia was 26.2 years old, and was officially at that point the youngest team in the league.

My dream of seeing young skilled players gel and grow as a group into perhaps a dynasty now has sparks of hope.

I will bleed blue and white from many wounds over the next couple years, but that blood, I hope, won’t flow in vane anymore.

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