Seven
      Year
      itch
     
     
      why
      the
      Montreal
     
     
      Canadiens
      are
     
     
      destined
      for
      the
     
     
      cup
      and
      one
      man’s
     
     
      sad
      expression
      of
     
     
      devotion
     
     
      by
      Craig
      Patterson
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      beginning
     
     
      of
      hockey
      season
      is
     
     
      definitely
      the
      third
     
     
      most
      exciting
      time
      of
     
     
      the
      year.
      It
      is
      a
      time
      of
     
     
      hope
      and
      anticipation,
     
     
      a
      time
      of
      increased
     
     
      beer
      drinking
      and
     
     
      sheer
      giddiness.
      More
     
     
      importantly
      it
      is
      a
      time
     
     
      to
      start
      afresh,
      to
     
     
      forget
      about
      disap-
     
     
      pointments
      and
      injus-
     
     
      tices
      of
      seasons
      past.
     
     
      Most
      importantly,
      for
     
     
      all
      those
      pure
      of
      heart
     
     
      like
      myself,
      it
      is
      a
      time
     
     
      to
      believe
      that
      our
     
     
      beloved
      Montreal
     
     
      Canadiens
      may
      once
     
     
      again
      overcome
      the
     
     
      Byzantine
      system
      of
     
     
      conspiracies
      that
      exist
     
     
      against
      them
      in
      order
     
     
      to
      collect
      what
      is
      truly
     
     
      ours.
     
    

    
     
      I
      must
      state
      that
      I
      was
     
     
      born
      one
      of
      the
      lucky
     
     
      ones,
      given
      a
      special
     
     
      gift
      at
      birth.
      Someone,
     
     
      somewhere
      saw
      fit
      to
     
     
      make
      me
      Montreal
     
     
      Canadiens
      fan,
      for
     
     
      which
      I
      will
      always
      be
     
     
      eternally
      grateful.
     
     
      Especially
      because
      I
     
    
   
   
    
     
      s
      :
     
    
   
   
    
     
      edited
      by
      mare
      macdonald
     
    
   
   
    
     
      could
      have
      been
     
     
      cursed
      a
      Bruins
      fan.
     
     
      This
      has,
      of
      course,
     
     
      given
      me
      countless
     
     
      hours
      unequivocal
      joy
     
     
      as
      I
      have
      followed
      the
     
     
      world’s
      finest
      hockey
     
     
      organization
      and
     
     
      winner
      of
      24
      Stanley
     
     
      Cups.
      It
      has
      also
      made
     
     
      me
      in
      effect
      somewhat
     
     
      of
      a
      soothsayer.
      Un-
     
     
      fortunately
      for
      all
     
     
      hockey
      fans,
      over
      the
     
     
      course
      of
      the
      last
      two
     
     
      decades,
      the
      NHL
      has
     
     
      descended
      to
      the
      level
     
     
      of
      heavyweight
      box-
     
     
      ing.
      In
      short,
      it
      is
      a
     
     
      league
      marred
      by
     
     
      corruption,
      payoffs,
     
     
      and
      game
      rigging.
     
     
      What
      is
      more
      unfortu-
     
     
      nate
      is
      that
      this
      has
     
     
      only
      been
      seen
      by
      a
     
     
      small
      percentage
      of
     
     
      hockey
      watchers,
     
     
      Montreal
      Canadiens’
     
     
      fans.
      Unbeknownst
      to
     
     
      most,
      a
      cabal
      was
     
     
      formed
      in
      the
      late
     
     
      seventies
      with
      the
     
     
      expressed
      purpose
      of
     
     
      breaking
      the
      Montreal
     
     
      Canadiens
      dominance
     
     
      of
      hockey.
      It
      was
     
     
      started
      by
      a
      core
      group
     
     
      of
      owners
      and
      run
      by
     
     
      shadowy
      figures
      who
     
     
      make
      their
      living
     
     
      operating
      behind
      the
     
     
      scenes.
      Once
      organ-
     
     
      ized
      and
      with
      funding
     
     
      in
      place,
      the
      first
      move
     
     
      of
      the
      conspiracy
      was
     
     
      put
      in
      motion
      shortly
     
     
      after
      the
      Canadiens
     
     
      captured
      their
      22nd
     
     
      Stanley
      Cup
      in
      1979.
     
     
      Prior
      to
      the
      draft,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Canadiens’
      manage-
     
     
      ment
      was
      given
      falsi-
     
     
      fied
      medical
      reports
     
     
      which
      grossly
      over-
     
     
      stated
      the
      extent
      of
     
     
      Denis
      Savard’s
      knee
     
     
      injury.
      Unable
      to
     
     
      confirm
      these
      reports
     
     
      because
      of
      the
      “wall
      of
     
     
      silence”
      that
      soon
     
     
      went
      up,
      the
     
     
      Canadiens
      were
      forced
     
    
   
   
    
     
      to
      draft
      Doug
     
     
      Wickenheiser
      with
      the
     
     
      Ist
      overall
      selection
     
     
      instead
      of
      Savard.
     
    

    
     
      Of
      course
      the
      con-
     
     
      spirators
      knew
      that
     
     
      this
      would
      not
      be
     
     
      enough
      to
      impair
      the
     
     
      Bleu,
      Blanc
      et
      Rouge.
     
     
      Given
      the
      sharp
      minds
     
     
      in
      charge
      of
      scouting,
     
     
      witness
      the
      drafting
      of
     
     
      Mats
      Naslund
      (finest
     
     
      Swede
      ever),
      Chris
     
     
      Chelios
      and
      Patrick
     
     
      Roy
      in
      the
      mid
      rounds
     
     
      in
      the
      subsequent
     
     
      years,
      success
      would
     
     
      not
      be
      far
      off
      again.
     
     
      The
      conspirators
      knew
     
     
      the
      plot
      had
      to
      be
     
    
   
   
    
     
      extended
      to
      the
      far-
     
     
      thest
      corners
      of
      the
     
     
      NHL.
      I
      am
      now
      of
     
     
      course
      talking
      about
     
     
      player’s
      contracts
      that
     
     
      extend
      bonuses
      for
     
     
      scoring
      against
      the
     
     
      Canadiens
      or
      injuring
     
     
      any
      Montreal
      player.
      I
     
     
      am
      talking
      about
      NHL
     
     
      referees
      who
      face
     
     
      termination
      unless
     
     
      making
      a
      certain
     
     
      number
      of
      bogus
      calls
     
     
      against
      the
      Canadiens
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      every
      year.
      And
      I
      am
     
     
      talking
      about
      cooks
      at
     
     
      restaurants
      who
      are
     
     
      paid
      to
      make
      sure
      a
     
     
      Montreal
      player
      leaves
     
     
      their
      restaurant
      with
     
     
      food
      poisoning.
     
    

    
     
      The
      cabal
      has
      also
     
     
      been
      successful
      in
     
     
      brainwashing
      the
      mass
     
     
      of
      hockey
      fans
      in
      this
     
     
      country.
      As
      a
     
     
      Canadiens
      fan,
      I
      am
      of
     
     
      course
      immune
      to
      the
     
     
      propaganda
      published
     
     
      in
      newspapers
      and
      the
     
     
      subliminal
      messages
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      being
      sent
      out
      through
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Don
      Cherry’s
      suits;
     
     
      messages
      intended
      to
     
     
      create
      a
      culture
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      hatred
      against
      my
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘team.
      That
      is
      why
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      only
      unbiased
      hockey
     
     
      fan
      is
      a
      Canadieris’
     
     
      fan,
      everyone
      else
      is
     
     
      blinded
      by
      their
      big-
     
     
      otry.
      The
      rest
      of
      you
     
     
      may
      never
      come
      to
     
     
      realize
      what
      is
      being
     
     
      perpetrated
      in
      the
     
     
      NHL.
      Hopefully
      by
     
     
      reading
      this
      you
      will
     
     
      be
      awakened
      some
     
     
      what
      to
      what
      is
      going
     
     
      on
      around
      us.
     
     
      Unfortu-
     
     
      nately
      this
     
     
      conspiracy
     
     
      against
      the
     
     
      Canadiens
     
     
      has
      been
     
     
      somewhat
     
     
      successful.
     
     
      To
      the
      gen-
     
     
      eral
      hockey
     
     
      fan
      the
     
     
      Canadiens
     
     
      appear
      to
      be
     
     
      just
      one
      of
     
     
      the
      countless
     
     
      teams
      of
     
     
      mediocrity
      in
     
     
      the
      NHL.
      This
      how-
     
     
      ever
      is
      not
      the
      case.
      It
     
     
      takes
      a
      very
      special
     
     
      team
      to
      overcome
     
     
      what
      les
      Habitants
      -
     
     
      face
      in
      order
      just
      to
     
     
      finish
      around
      .500.
     
     
      Yet
      the
      shadowy
     
     
      figures
      who
      control
     
     
      this
      plot
      have
      not
      been
     
     
      able
      to
      completely
     
     
      break
      the
      Canadiens.
     
     
      They
      don’t
      understand
     
     
      that
      the
      Canadiens
      -
     
     
      transcend
      not
      just
      the
     
     
      NHL,
      but
      hockey
     
     
      itself.
      It
      is
      the
      team
      of
     
     
      a
      higher
      power.
      In
     
     
      league
      of
      impartiality,
     
     
      the
      Bleu,
      Blanc
      et
     
     
      Rouge
      would
      un-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      doubtedly
      thrive
      once
     
     
      again.
      Under
      the
     
     
      current
      circumstances
     
     
      it
      takes
      a
      special
     
     
      moment
      in
      time
      for
     
     
      the
      Canadiens
      to
      rise
     
     
      up
      to
      past
      glory.
      This
     
     
      time
      happens
      every
     
     
      seven
      years.
     
    

    
     
      For
      it
      is
      every
      seven
     
     
      years
      that
      the
      planets
     
     
      align
      themselves
      in
      a
     
     
      certain,
      special
      way.
     
     
      This
      alignment
      opens
     
     
      up
      cosmic
      forces
      in
     
     
      the
      universe
      which
     
     
      allows
      les
      Habitants
      to
     
     
      rise
      above
      the
      dregs
      of
     
     
      the
      NHL
      and
      beat
     
     
      back
      those
      who
      look
     
     
      to
      keep
      them
      down.
     
     
      You
      can
      see
      it
      in
      the
     
     
      divine
      playoff
      per-
     
     
      formances
      turned
      in
     
     
      by
      Patrick
      Roy,
     
     
      Claude
      Lemieux
      and
     
     
      Mats
      Naslund
      in
      1986
     
     
      and
      by
      Kirk
      Muller,
     
     
      Vincent
      Damphousse,
     
     
      and
      Patrick
      Roy
      again
     
     
      in
      1993.
      During
      these
     
     
      times,
      the
      boys
      are
     
     
      able
      to
      overcome
     
     
      every
      cheap
      shot
      and
     
     
      bunk
      call
      sent
      at
      them
     
     
      and
      are
      able
      to
      reclaim
     
     
      their
      trophy.
      It
      also
     
     
      during
      these
      times
      that
     
     
      I
      get
      a
      tingly
      feeling
     
     
      inside
      that
      tells
      me
     
     
      good
      shall
      conquer
     
     
      evil,
      a
      feeling
      I
      am
     
     
      experiencing
      right
     
     
      now.
      That
      is
      why
      this
     
     
      year’s
      Stanley
      Cup
     
     
      winner
      is
      inevitable.
     
     
      That
      is
      why
      the
     
     
      Canedians
      will
      win
      the
     
     
      cup
      in
      four
      games
      over
     
     
      whoever
      in
      the
      final
     
     
      and
      Trevor
      Linden
     
     
      will
      claim
      the
      Conn
     
     
      Smythe.
      END