So to this group, many of them just passing through, many of them unaware of the weight that crest once carried, he offers a simple message.

“This is really special to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Before almost every game I tell our team that. There's a thousand people here tonight who might be seeing their only Leaf game. Let's have them leave the rink saying that my team played their heart out.”

— The Globe and Mail's Stephen Brunt on Ron Wilson

This story ran in Friday's paper, but it's definitely worth a read — and especially so if you're a Maple Leafs fan. Brunt writes about the essence of who Ron Wilson is, which is really what all great sportswriting should aim to do.

I wrote a bit about Wilson when it looked like he was on the outs in San Jose, and at the time, it was easy to see how his background played a role in his success as a coach. He's definitely an interesting personality to have in this market, especially with the team in a rebuilding year, and it'll be worth watching to see if Wilson's the one to take this team from bottom feeder back into contention.

As much success as he had had, what Wilson's never done is coach a Stanley Cup winner. If he gets even remotely close to that here in Toronto, he'll be the most popular man in town.