Saturday, October 10, 1981
Opening night at Maple Leaf Gardens was always a special evening but this one was even more memorable as it was also the 50 th anniversary of the historic building. My dad and I sat in the end gold seats, Box 38, Row C Seats 1 and 2, 3 rows up from ice level. I was ten years old, and this was my first ever Leaf game. One of my more prominent memories of the night happened before the game even started. The 48 th Highlanders Pipe and Drum Band marched across the ice playing as they had since the Gardens had opened in 1931. Major Conn Smythe, the architect of the Leafs in those days and builder of this grand yellow bricked edifice had served in the Great War. Having The Highlanders open each Maple Leaf season was one of his ways of bringing to the ordinary masses the majesty and honour of serving for one’s country. This being the 50 th season opener at the Gardens, the feeling of ceremony and tradition was extra thick in the air. As any ten-year old would do in my situation I stood wi