Mats Sundin Returns to Toronto….

How awesome was that! I am not talking about the goal or the fact that Mats Sundin beat his old team. I am talking about how the place erupted with cheer before, during, and especially after Sundin won the game for the Vancouver Canucks. Toronto fans just went up about 29,493,248,432 points in my book. The amount of respect that is given to Mats Sundin is impressive.

I have been to Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins games recently where every time Chris Drury, Daniel Briere, or Jaromor Jagr touched the puck, the fans would boo them mercilessly. I never understood why. Are the fans just bitter because these players left? Are they mad because they feel insulted that the players left on a sour note? Do they just miss the players?

1. Chris Drury - Left Buffalo to for a team that he grew up loving. How can you hate a guy for that?

2. Jaromir Jagr - Left Pittsburgh because he was the best player in the world and Pittsburgh could not afford to pay him. Also there were rumors of the Penguins going bankrupt. Jagr may have left on a bad note, but you can’t blame a guy for wanted a well deserved raise.

3. Daniel Briere – Buffalo did not even give him an offer to come back. How can you hate a guy for leaving a team that did not want him?

These are the only players I have seen first hand that get booed when they return to their former teams arena.

I expected Mats Sundin to get booed like there was no tomorrow, but no, Toronto had more than enough class to welcome him back and even cheer when he just defeated their team.

Hats of to Maple Leaf fans.

Also here is the video of the standing ovation Sundin as given during a commercial break: