As the 3-year anniversary of VLM approaches, a big “thank you” to a lot of thoughtful posters here at VLM….

As the father of five (four living) sons with my wonderful wife (our 34th wedding anniversary today), I have learned over time that you shouldn’t have “favourites” among your own children. This is not to suggest that I have not been asked by some of our children, on occasion (including to this very day), who is indeed the "favourite". (Side note:  it changes day to day...)  I of course sidestep the question, with good reason.  I love them all deeply.

But truthfully, as a parent, you sort of come to see through trial and error, I guess, that constantly "comparing" or raising, say,  the positive attributes of one of your offspring in front of their siblings would only potentially lead to some kind of emotional scarring.  If not quite scarring, in our case at the very least, one of the boys might just, say, beat the crap out of the others (and possibly take a fair amount of pleasure in doing it) so I learned that positive reinforcement was best done privately- and not within earshot of the others.

Avoiding comparisons just makes for a healthier experience all-round, though my now grown sons may remember my parenting skills in this regard quite a bit differently than I do.  But hey, it's not their blog.  Too bad for them.

So I’m perhaps hoisting myself on my own “petard” (I better check and see what that word actually means—I’ve heard the expression countless times and I assume it is a) french in origin and b) a harmless reference, kind of like impaling yourself on your own sword…I hope I’m right!) when I say I want to particularly thank a number of people who make this site so enjoyable for me.  (This is all a long-winded way of suggesting that, by citing specific individuals, I may offend those I don't  mention....)

Why do I do this?  Well, I enjoy positive feedback as much as the next guy and sometimes these kinds of posts trigger that.  I also genuinely appreciate the really outstanding discussions we have here, though I realize this site is somewhat limited because we don’t really have back and forth “conversations” as such.  But people do discuss, debate and respond to one another, and 99% of the time it is thoughtful and respectful dialogue, and that’s very important to me.

I also raise this now because, well, let’s face it, if there were legitimate hockey and/or Maple Leaf news to bat around, we’d be doing that, right?  I usually have no lack of topics to bring forward, but even someone such as myself (who loves to write) has found the last few weeks rather mind-numbing, hockey-wise.  CBA. Empty speculation.  CBA. Empty speculation.  CBA....and the cycle continues. I guess the really good writers rise about that and raise topics and issues no one else is even thinking about.  While I strive to do that, achieving that has been beyond me of late, in the absence of authentic “triggers’ that get my juices going.

Also, in less than a month I’ll (God willing) “celebrate” a birthday and also have three years behind me of hosting the Vintage Leaf Memories site.  For those who are relatively new to VLM, the site began in late September, 2009.  (if there’s no hockey by the end of this September, I may be reduced to posting “the best of…”.  At least I’ll try to convince myself that some of the almost 1,100 columns I’ve done fit into that kind of supposedly select category…)

I haven’t reached that three-year mini-milestone yet, but during this quiet time, hockey-wise,  I wanted to thank a number of people—by actual name (at least what they refer to themselves here as) or moniker—who inspire a desire to continue writing and providing what I hope continues to be a thoughtful forum for Maple Leaf (and overall hockey) dialogue, discussion and tidbits, with a dash of history and a lot of personal memories thrown in, too.

Who are these people?  Well, believe me when I say I appreciate all the posts here, but some of you have taken the time to comment here on a regular or semi-regular basis, and that helps make the site work.  Just like radio talk shows need good callers to make any given "show" at least mildly entertaining and perhaps even relevant, the VLM site is better when more of you not only stop by and visit (which I do appreciate) but also initiate or actually join the discussion.

At the risk of not mentioning some people who deserve a thank you, I’ll name a few of those who spring to mind that I have engaged with here over the past few months (and in some cases, years…).   I know none of you/them “personally”, though I have corresponded by e-mail with a few of you/them.  I have high regard for their contributions here.  I do interact with a few of these individuals on Twitter, as well, and enjoy it thoroughly.

I know I’ve probably lost some people as regular visitors here, but, unfortunately, I guess that happens sometimes when people may not like my opinions on certain subjects. I understand.  I try to present my views genuinely but that won't always be popular.

So, in no particular order, thanks go out to everyone who visits VLM, but especially:

• Ed—A Leaf fans since the 1940s. What memories he has.  He only posts once in a while but it's always great reading.
• Mark Ascione—A fine hockey writer; you can see his stuff primarily via The Hockey Writers site.
• Mills—posts irregularly, but is always thoughtful.
• Gerund O’Malley—Gerund O’ as he is known to me, a long-time and realistic Leaf follower. Wonderful posts here.
• InTimeFor62—Was born just before the Leafs won the Cup in 1962, but only really was “sentient” in hockey terms by 1968, missing the glorious ‘60s championships.  A fine contributor here.
• KiwiLeaf—With a strong New Zealand connection, as his moniker implies.  So he provides a true international perspective.  A Leaf enthusiast only for the last decade, but very insightful.
• DP—Absolutely on top of everything that’s going on in Leafworld.  Shares information and video links here regularly. Always appreciate his posts.
• Jim- Has posted here a fair bit, especially recently and has been a tremendous addition to the VLM discussion. Another treasured contributor.
• Pete Davies- Not frequent but always solid posts from Pete.
• Willbur—Willbur (with two “ll”s) brings a no-holds barred perspective; hopeful Leaf guy but honest and fair.
• The Meatriarchy—Doesn’t post a lot, but always worthwhile.
• SurrealMcCoy—I always enjoy Anthony’s posts and he’s a Twitter friend, too.
• TML__fan—Another thoughtful individual, Don consistently provides an interesting perspective on the issues of the day.
• Alex C—Dentist by day, and a Leaf supporter in Sabre country!  I look forward to his unique every-once-in-a-while posts.
• Seandelville—Sean Pratt is an actor and Leaf fan who makes really solid contributions here and on Twitter.
• Bobby Craig—A superb writer, Bobby C.’s (as I refer to him) meticulous posts here are worth a read (and a re-read) every time.
• CGLN—A long-time Leaf follower, from Finland.  He has a wonderful perspective to share regardless, but his Finnish roots add even more credibility to his commentary.
• Pete Cam—A very long-time Leaf supporter, who remembers the good old Leaf days and always brings interesting ideas to the table when he finds the time to post.
• BMaximus—Another solid poster here.
• JD Ashworth—Doesn’t comment often, but it’s always good stuff.
• RLMcC—A real long-time Leafer, now residing in the U.S., if I’m not mistaken. Absolutely excellent posts each and every time.
• Blue Sasquatch—Beyond the unique monikor, always provides strong posts here.
• cbh747—Brad is another favourite of mine.  He seems to chime in just when I’m looking for something good to respond to.
• Peregrine—Each post is worthwhile.
• Longsuffering Leaf fan—I won’t hear from him for a while, but whenever he surfaces, he always raises great points and drops some relevant (and wonderful) old-time names and memories.
• BlueandWhite—I recall many of his posts fondly.
• Caedmon—I always look forward to Caedmon’s posts.  Clear, solid, really well-written.
• Darryl—Top-notch posts.
• Hogie—It's always refreshing when I hear from Hogie.
• Merreee1—One of the nicest people out there, Mary is a recent Leaf/hockey follower from the U.S., but is a big Leaf supporter
• Curt S—Consistently excellent posts.
• Faeldam—Doesn’t post here often, but a great Leaf observer.  See him on Twitter, too.
• Alex Spicer—Contributes here on occasion and it’s always solid stuff.
• Alexandra—Posts infrequently but right on the money and well-spoken.
• BC Leaf Fan—Thoughtful voice in a sea of Canuck fans out west.
• WendelsMoustache—Love his stuff.
• freshwind- Well-named; always brings a fresh perspective with their posts.
• Skii2Envy—Another superb poster here.  Every comment is well-crafted.
• furcifer-An excellent contributor.
• Elizabeth Brinton is a fine writer living in Idaho.  Only posts only once in a while, but as the grand-daughter of Canadian legend Conn Smythe (who started it all as far as the Maple Leaf legacy is concerned) and the daughter of Stafford, her voice is welcome here any time.

There are other names I can mention, but I realize that first names in isolation may not mean much.  That said, Robert, Adam, Doug, Aaron O., David, Luc, Adrian and Alex all drop by and contribute on occasion.  There are many others, too, who pitch in with great commentary.

In short, everyone has helped make this work, and the individuals I’ve noted above stand out because they have posted here not only often, but for me, also memorably.  One of the things I enjoy most about hosting VLM is the opportunity to interact with those who post here.

There are so many outstanding Maple Leaf and hockey blogs out there, I appreciate those who make VLM a regular stop.  Along those lines, I’ve actually been thinking of getting together in the Toronto area (Real Sports bar, maybe? I don't know much about the Toronto 'night life' these days…) some time this coming season, not necessarily on a game night, just to meet some of the people who live around the GTA and post here or simply enjoy the site.  We could hoist a glass to hockey and the history of the Leafs—and hopefully a great future.

Again, apologies to those who I have (inadvertently) not mentioned today—those I did “forget”, it was absolutely unintentional.

Thanks.  I hope you'll keep visiting.