In sitting down to write about the SASS hockey team, I am reminded of an anecdote. Last year, early into the hockey season, the coaching staff for SASS was sitting around with Don Cherry in our conference room. Cigarette smoke hung low over the plush leather seats and mirror-like marble table. Two years of history hung ominously above us in the form of the SASS logo forever etched into the mahogany mantelpiece. We were at the height of novice hockey, the height of house league, and the pressure was on. The press was outside waiting for our decision ... would we trade our star player for no more than 30 million dollars and some pizza from La Vita et Bella?

"Well," said Don, "You just have to ask yourself whether you can win without him."
Dave looked at me. I looked at Eric. Eric looked at Vicki. We knew what we had to do.
"Don," we said in concert, "what are you talking about?"

We didn't win. But we came in second. Among four teams.
We sure got our pizza.
Kids like pizza, but you can't trade them for 30 mil.

-The Coaching Staff for The Toronto Maple Leafs and Coronation SASS Novice Hockey