Ron Hawkins sings of "a wounded soldier from the bad old days," in his song Peace and Quiet, which Tim Thompson wove together with archived footage to create his acclaimed ode to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
That lyric rings true when examining the tenure of former captain Rick Vaive.
A prolific scorer, he was named team captain at the age of 22 and netted three-consecutive 50-goal seasons while enduring a circus-like atmosphere and futility during the Harold Ballard era.
At his peak between 1980-87, he achieved great personal success on the ice, but it also marked a time when the franchise’s legacy to past glory was fully severed. It was a paradoxical experience as a professional in a life that through various contributing circumstances, “left him on the edge of the limelight.”
Catch 22 is the title of his memoir which he wrote with journalist Scott Morrison and it was released on Nov. 17. Here is Vaive, in his own words.
SportsLit (Season 8, Episode 7) - Mary Ormsby (Journalist / Author) - World’s Fastest Man*: The Life of Ben Johnson
SportsLit (Season 8, Episode 6) - Ken Dryden (Hockey Hall of Fame Goalie 1983 / Author) - The Class
SportsLit (Season 8, Episode 5) - Keith O'Brien (New York Times Best Selling Author) - Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball
SportsLit (Season 8, Episode 4) - Jack McCallum (Sports Illustrated) - The Real Hoosiers
SportsLit (Season 8, Episode 3) - Morgan Campbell (CBC Sports Sr. Contributor) - My Fighting Family: Borders and Bloodlines and the Battles That Made Us"
SportsLit (Season 8, Episode 2) - Jacob Pomrenke (SABR) - Joe Jackson vs. Chicago American League Baseball Club
SportsLit (Season 8, Episode 1) - Erik Kramer (Former NFL Quarterback) w/ William Croyle - The Ultimate Comeback
SportsLit (Season 7, Episode 8) - Rich Cohen (Rolling Stone, Co-creator - HBOs Vinyl) - When the Game Was War: The NBA’s Greatest Season
SportsLit (Season 7, Episode 7) - Ted Nolan (NHL Coach of the Year - 1997) with Meg Masters - Life in Two Worlds
SportsLit (Season 7, Episode 6) - Doug MacLean with Scott Morrison - Draft Day
SportsLit (Season 7, Episode 5) - Jonathon Jackson - The Making of Slap Shot (Revised 46th Anniversary Edition)
SportsLit (Season 7, Episode 4) - Donovan Bailey (World and Olympic 100 metre gold medallist) - Undisputed: A Champions Life
SportsLit (Season 7, Episode 3) - Dave Hill (Comedian/Musician/Writer) -The Awesome Game - One Man’s Incredible, Globe-Crushing Hockey Odyssey
SportsLit (Season 7, Episode 2) - Justin Davis (NHL Draft choice & Memorial Cup champion) - Conflicted Scars: An Average Player’s Journey to the NHL
SportsLit (Season 7, Episode 1) - John Gibbons (Blue Jays Manager - ’04-’08 / ’13-’18) - Gibby: Tales of a Baseball Lifer
SportsLit (Season 6, Episode 14) - Suzanne (Suzy) Wrack (The Guardian) - A Woman’s Game
SportsLit (Season 6, Episode 13) - Dwayne De Rosario (2011 MLS MVP) & Brendan Dunlop (Broadcaster) - DeRo - My Life
SportsLit (Season 6, Episode 12) - Steve Simmons (Toronto Sun Columnist) - A Lucky Life
SportsLit (Season 6, Episode 11) - John Shannon (Hockey Night in Canada / Analyst and Insider) -Evolve or Die
SportsLit (Season 6, Episode 10) - Bryan Trottier (Hockey Hall of Fame - 1997) - All Roads Home
Join Podbean Ads Marketplace and connect with engaged listeners.
Advertise Today
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Coach Carvalho Podcast
From Corner2Corner
Golf Podcast: next on the tee
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The MeatEater Podcast