In my defence, when I booked the flights, it was October and things looked a whole lot better, back in the days when we never lost, rather than those where we never win.

Anyway, I'm visiting Toronto next month from the 18th to 27th of February. I think that this would be a fine opportunity for at least one night involving a game and heavy drinking. Actually, since I have very little planned so far, I'm open to suggestions that don't necessarily involve either.

Games what the Leafs play while I am in Toronto -

Feb 19th v Ottawa

Feb 22nd v NYI

Feb 27th @ Montreal

Feb 26th v Pittsburgh

Dates the Marlies play (note: I have no idea how to get to the Ricoh.) - 18th, 19th, 21st, 23rd, 26th.

The 5th round of the FA Cup falls on the weekend of the 19th and 20th if anyone's interested (unlikely for PPP, since Liverpool are ‘playing' Manchester United in the third round this weekend).

I'm reachable at @ArticleOne1979 on twitter and articleone1979 at googlemail dot com

See you soon.

Editor's Note: Our dapper Scottish correspondent article1 graces us with his final update on the Ice Hockey's Homecoming Tournament game. A special thanks to him for keeping us aprised of the baby Leafs travails overseas.

In between watching YouTube clips of that save, I found time to head down to Murrayfield and take in the last game of the Marlies trip across the pond. Unfortunately, they were beaten pretty comfortably by the Hamilton Bulldogs.

I like Reimer's mask. I hoped it was a Marlies version of The Monster's, but the other side is a mirror image of this. Reimer did pretty well, considering. He couldn't really do much about the goals he gave up and wasn't given the best support by the guys in front of him.

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Editor's Note: Our sauntering Scottish correspondent article1 returns with more pictures and a recap of the Toronto Marlies encounter with the Edinburgh Capitals. 

I think this is what most people expected. The Marlies were obviously a better team from the moment they stepped on the ice for the warm-up. Both the Marlies and the Bulldogs were clearly bigger, stronger and better skaters than the two British teams they played against this afternoon. The Diet Habs won 7-0 against the Belfast Giants, meaning they'll be playing the Marlies again tomorrow after they put 6 past the Edinburgh Capitals.

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Editor's Note: Our roving Scottish correspondent article1 was at the Marlies-Bulldogs game in Scotland and gives us a first-hand account of the game.

Reimer was far and away The Marlies' best player. Good awareness of where the puck was, made a couple of nice kick saves and looked solid in the butterfly. He couldn't do anything about the goal he gave up. I dunno about his ability at the NHL level, but he looked capable of doing a job at the Ricoh.

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2. The Tampa Bay Lightning will win the draft lottery and get the first overall pick in the 2009 draft this June. However, Ontario Hockey League phenom John Tavares, providing flashbacks of Eric Lindros, will refuse to wear the Lightning jersey after being taken with the first pick, scared to suffer the kind of misery that has fallen on Steven Stamkos this season. Even the offer of a bit part in "Saw V" from Bolts owner and Hollywood movie producer Oren Koules won't be enough to bridge the gap. Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke will steal the day by acquiring the rights to Tavares before the end of the night in a blockbuster deal that sends Luke Schenn and Toronto's first picks in 2009 and 2010 to Tampa. 

 -Pierre LeBrun, ESPN

Okay, Mats, I'll come clean. I love you and at some indefinite point in the future, I will get over this.

Right now, I think you're a bawbag.

Maybe you were hurt that the club tried to move you, that they made it clear it was time to move on. We know how you felt. We've all been dumped. I can understand. We wanted a more realistic outlook from you, but got an emotional response instead.

It's unfortunate, but it doesn't upset me.

It's not the money, either. I've never understood why fans get upset when players take more cash to play somewhere else. After all, a professional sportsman is one bad challenge away from running a pub for the rest of his life. Even after the money you made in Toronto set you up for life, I can still understand you taking the offer from Vancouver. At the end of the day, it's still just a job. God knows, if someone came and offered me more money to do the exact same job for them, I'd be off. I think most people would. Even at your age and with your bank balance.

I completely understand if you were just dazzled by zeros.

So that doesn't upset me either.

Hell, if you've had a bad run on PokerStars, it makes even more sense to me.

What annoys me, is the talk.

"I have never believed in the concept of a rental player. It is my belief that winning the Stanley Cup is the greatest thing you can achieve in hockey but for me, in order to appreciate it you have to have been part of the entire journey and that means October through June. I hope everyone will understand and respect my decision."

That was you, back in February, explaining why you didn't wat to be traded. And, again, I was fine with it. Even though it was obvious you had no long-term future here, you had your reasons and I respected them. Team sport is such a mercenary business that any stand of principle should be applauded.

How do I feel now? I'm unamused.

October through June.

We're less than a week from Christmas. By the time you're fit to play, the Canucks will have played half their season. If you really hurry, you might even get a few All-Star votes.

Money, the chance to win, you miss the lifestyle and cameraderie. Whatever your motives for coming back, it's okay, these things happen and I can move on. But either you lied to us back in February or you're lying to yourself now. Whichever it is, I'm hurt, disappointed and annoyed with you.

What matters to me is that you broke your word.