A Blue and White Delight

Written by: Mike Ulmer, The Toronto Sun - April 17, 2000

The scene is a stage with a huge Toronto Maple Leafs logo as a backdrop. A hockey player saunters up and taps the microphone.
"Hello ... is this thing on?
My name is Darcy Tucker.
Uh, I just want you to know, I'm not a Canadien or a Tampa Bay Lightning. I'm a Toronto Maple Leaf. We, uh, beat Ottawa 5-1 last night."
I don't talk on my cellphone in the dressing room. I don't read the Wall Street Journal. I'm from a little town in Alberta called Endiang and my parents, Florence and Dwight, were farmers.
I don't eat Beavertails, although I drink a mixture of coffee and cola before every game, just to get into the mood. I throw it out if it's not just right and it was right the last two games in a row.
I don't walk out on my contract with a year left. I don't spend my winters practising in Switzerland. I'm married to Shayne Corson's sister.
I believe in family values and my family values hockey. One of the most important lessons in my life came when I was showing up my brother on the pond in Alberta. My mom hit me so hard I thought I was going to land in B.C. I believe you don't retaliate on a forearm shiver when it comes from your mother.
I have a coach who is also a general manager.
Not just a coach. Not a general manager. A coach/general manager.
I speak English and a little French. I liked Montreal when I played there and learned the language a little. I don't believe in complaining about taxes or language or losing when you have the chance to wear the same uniform as Jean Beliveau.
I pronounce it a but in French and a goal in English but I never pronounce it a boot. I got a but last night from going hard to the net. I believe the game's opening goal is important, that's why I'm glad my goal was the first in both our wins.
I believe in winning very much, that's why I'm standing here. When I heard Tampa Bay was going to trade me, I called my agent and told him I wanted to go to Toronto. I don't believe in losing and I was a completely different player as soon as I got on the tarmac here.
I could proudly tattoo my team's emblem on my keister and I'm seriously thinking about it.
I believe in creating friction, not reacting to it. Last night I blocked a shot and broke my stick. So I threw the puck out of my own zone. Then I got hit from behind and Ottawa got a penalty. Mats Sundin, who I also believe in very much, scored a few seconds later.
I believe in diversity on a hockey team. We have two guys named Dmitry, one of whom spells his name Dmitri. We have a Russian named Danny, a Kazakh named Nik, a Czech named Tom and a coach named Alpo. We also have an American named Kevyn. I believe I'm going to ask his parents about that.
I believe that the Moose is a proud and noble animal, that's why I try to play like Mark Messier, whom I watched growing up. We got two stations in Endiang, which is one more than I needed since Hockey Night in Canada was on one.
I believe a helmet is something you reach for after you've been knocked down. I believe a stranger is a player you haven't fought yet.
I believe Toronto is the best place to play hockey in the world. I believe that we are a hockey nation above all and that no one grows up dreaming about playing in the States.
I believe that hockey is the greatest game on earth and that beer ad gives me goosebumps.
My name is Darcy Tucker. I AM A CANADIEN.
I mean, I used to be a Canadien.
"I AM A TORONTO MAPLE LEAF."