::: the Curse of Dave Keon..::

THE CURSE of DAVE KEON is why the Toronto Maple Leafs WILL NEVER win another Stanley Cup.

INSET CLOSE-UP: There’s “Davey” smilin’, and laughin’, lookin’ out onto the streets of Toronto from the Hockey Hall of Fame.

It's important to note that the "curse" was never pronounced onto the Toronto Maple Leafs by Dave Keon himself, but was incurred by the TLM organization through their scandalous and callous treatment of the star.

HAROLD BALLARD, then the owner of the Leafs, publicly criticized Dave's leadership in the 74/75 season and vowed never again to agree to Keon's no-trade clause. When Keon's contract came up for renewal at year's end, Ballard made it clear Keon was done as a Leaf. Ballard, who controlled Keon's NHL rights, told Keon to try to sign with another NHL team, but then set Keon's compensation price so high that no other team would sign him. Keon then jumped to the WHA to escape the wrath of Ballard.

You simply can’t mistreat a class act, like DAVE KEON gloriously was back in the day, and expect to move forward as an individual, or as an organization without incurring some sort of penalty. Offense demands recompense.

Toronto won 4 Stanley Cups because of this guy!

The LEAFS ORGANIZATION needs to satisfy, and apologize for Keon’s 1975 trade and for their shameful public and covert treatment of the Leaf's brightest star.

Dave NEVER WANTED to leave Toronto and he never should have been traded. He was always a Leaf in his heart.

Recently, sports writers and hockey fans were polled and only one question was asked.

WHO was the best Toronto Maple Leaf of all time?

The result floored even the author… who then turned the question into a book.

Dave Keon.

He was and will always be the quintessential Leaf.

SOME people think Dave "should get over it". Nope.

He's bitter because he was denied and publicly shamed. And if he had received a formal and public apology NOW from TLM… he might… MIGHT… be able to let it go…

When, or if, the Toronto Maple Leafs ever respect themselves as an organization… they'll stop with the half-way measures like those earlier this year, and give Keon what he wants.

FOR STARTERS retire NUMBER 14.

At least the Hockey Hall of Fame got it right–

I'm with ya Davey… when you left, I never watched another Leaf game again.

Long live THE CURSE!!!