Toronto Transit uniform flap reaffirms Canadiens rivalry

When it comes to the rivalry between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens, there is no offseason or out of bounds. That’s why when Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) workers were presented the plans new Habs-colored uniforms, the reaction was predictable – no sir, they did not like them.

And not only did the TTC works dislike them, some workers say they aren’t wearing them. The plan was for the TTC to introduce the red and blue striped golf shirts and red caps as the official uniform next year.

Next season will be big for the Maple Leaf-Habs rivalry as well. With the conference realignment, the Leafs and Canadiens will play out of the Atlantic Division, meaning the rivals will square off five times in the regular season. Toronto visits the Bell Centre Tuesday Oct. 1 to open the regular season. Right now the Toronto Maple Leafs are set at +375 to win the Atlantic Division, while the Canadiens are priced at +425 on the Sports Interaction odds board. Montreal is at +1700 to win the Stanley Cup while Toronto checks in at +1800.

Just a month away from the opening of National Hockey League training camps, TTC workers haven’t forgotten their allegiances to the blue and white of the Maple Leafs.

“Born-and-bred Torontonians, we’ve got to support our team,” TTC union rep Bob Kinnear told the National Post Monday. “If you’re in Manchester, you don’t wear the colours of Liverpool.”

Now, it seems as though a compromise is in the works despite the fact that the TTC’s main colour scheme has always been predominantly red. Plus, while they might be easily overlooked during the past couple of years, nobody got bent out of shape when Toronto FC chose red uniforms.  Basically, this whole argument boils down to the fact that Leafs fans are desperate for the hockey season to start, and considering the pitfalls of TFC and the Toronto Blue Jays, they can hardly be blamed.

“Of course, you’re never going to get 100% buy-in on this kind of change… I appreciate the city loves the Leafs, but red has always been part of the TTC, so I suspect that red will remain a dominant colour in whatever the final design looks like,” TTC spokesperson Brad Ross told the Post via email. “And for the record: the TTC will always support the Leafs!”