Hockey played an outsized role in Mark Carney's election campaign. In an attempt to connect with everyday Canadians, he made references to the sport, repeatedly cited the impact his time between the pipes had on his life, and even skated with the Edmonton Oilers.Born in 1965, Carney grew up in a golden age of hockey. His early memories undoubtedly included some of the greatest names in the game — both on the ice and behind the bench. Among those who was a constant on the hockey scene through Carney's childhood and brief college playing career was Don Cherry, who cemented his legacy as coach of the Boston Bruins before moving up to the broadcast booth.If there was a Mt. Rushmore-style monument honouring the greats of hockey in Canada, Cherry would be right up there with Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr. One would be hard-pressed to find a Canadian — of a certain age — who doesn't have fond memories of watching "Grapes" on Hockey Night in Canada sound off on his cause du jour, mispronounce names, and bring colour to the game..Cherry is honest, some would say to a fault. He says the things others are thinking, and does so in a way that is both refreshing and entertaining. Over the decades, however, CBC executives' tolerance for his tendency to push the envelope grew thin, and then one day, he went — in their minds — one step too far.Yes, I'm talking about the "you people" incident..Don Cherry rejects Ron MacLean's claim he made 'you people' remark with goal of getting fired ."I live in Mississauga," Cherry said on a November 9, 2019 broadcast. "Very few people wear the poppy. downtown Toronto, forget it. Nobody wears the poppy ... Now you go to the small cities. You people ... that come here, whatever it is — you love our way of life, you love our milk and honey — at least you can pay a couple bucks for a poppy or something like that. These guys paid for your way of life that you enjoy in Canada. These guys paid the biggest price for that."For that, he was fired, a storied career ended over a few words..The decision to can the legend divided public opinion, but even those who felt what he said was out of line could not, and cannot, deny the impact Cherry has had on the game, and on Canadians.Every year, a select number of people are recognized for their contributions to this great land via the Order of Canada. There are few who personify the Order's motto — "they desire a better country" — than Cherry, who has remained unwavering in his Canadian pride, and unafraid to point out when we fail to live up to our potential.If Carney truly wants to show us that he's a fan of Canada's game, and a champion of free speech, perhaps nothing would do the trick quite like trying to get Cherry on next year's list of Order inductees. While the prime minister cannot personally appoint recipients, he, like all other Canadian citizens, can nominate potential candidates to the advisory council.Coming out publicly as Team Cherry would do more for Carney than any ice-level photo-op or cliche reminiscence ever could.
