Maple Leafs, Canadiens, Senators to host tribute to fallen soldiers

The Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators - bitter rivals historically, and on a day-to-day basis - will cooperate on Saturday night for the sake of honoring the memories of fallen soldiers Cpl. Nathan Cirillo and warrant officer Patrice Vincent.

The tribute will be staged simultaneously and coordinated between the three Eastern Canadian cities, all of which are hosting games with a 7 p.m. ET puck-drop.

The tribute will be aired on Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada, and the NHL Network in the United States.

The history of hockey in Canada, and of these franchises in particular, is intertwined closely with the history of the Canadian military. For example, here's legendary former Maple Leafs owner Conn Smythe explaining why he chose the Maple Leaf as the new name for the former Toronto St. Pats:

The Maple Leaf to us, was the badge of courage, the badge that meant home. It was the badge that reminded us all of our exploits and the different difficulties we got into and the different accomplishments we made. It was a badge that meant more to us than any other badge that we could think of ... so we chose it ... hoping that the possession of this badge would mean something to the team that wore it and when they skated out on the ice with this badge on their chest... they would wear it with honour and pride and courage, the way it had been worn by the soldiers of the first Great War in the Canadian Army.

The Canadiens, meanwhile, draw their home-opening torch ceremony directly from a line from John McRae's famous poem "In Flanders Fields": "to you from failing hands we throw the torch, be yours to hold it high."

So this is a natural fit, and a touching show of community. Expect a public, loud and prideful show of patriotism Saturday night.