Darcy Tucker still gets recognized on the street occasionally.
Often, fans approach him for a photo or an autograph. Conversations often turn to what the 50-year-old is most known for during his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs: being a central figure in the Battle of Ontario.
Tucker was a key player in the intense rivalry that saw Toronto defeat Ottawa four times in the playoffs between 2000 and 2004. Even years later, people are eager to share their memories of those tense matchups.
`Many young adults who were in university across Ontario and Canada watched the games in their dorms or at their local pubs,` Tucker mentioned this week. `Some of them are now doctors and lawyers. It`s pretty special for them to have that core memory.`
`It comes from both sides… from kids who were fans of Ottawa and those who cheered for Toronto.`
A new generation is about to experience this rivalry firsthand.
The Leafs and Senators are set to play Game 1 of their first-round series on Sunday — marking the first playoff meeting between these franchises in over two decades.
This provincial rivalry was once among the most fierce in hockey.
Chris Phillips, a former Senators defenseman who participated in all four series, remembers a vibrant, almost circus-like atmosphere.
`The excitement in the stands, the buzz in the city,` he remembered. `The verbal jabs between the teams, the mayors` playful banter.`
`Everyone was involved. It was incredibly fun.`
However, the outcomes were always in Toronto`s favor. Toronto won their first series in six games, swept Ottawa in 2001, and then secured two seven-game victories in 2002 and 2004.
`It’s a bit nostalgic,` said former Leafs goalie Curtis Joseph, recalling an infamous fall on the ice with referee Mick McGeough in 2000. `We lived and breathed those series and have fantastic memories.`
