The Acura Legend & Acura RL Forum - View Single Post

Neil4Speed · 03-11-09, 12:34 PM

This one is interesting, one of my favorite players (who recently retired) Gary Roberts had a Acura Legend

Maurizio Lobalsamo. Toronto Star. Toronto, Ont.: Nov 15, 2000. pg. 18

Leafs like big, roomy vehicles ; Toronto's pro hockey players like their SUVs, but some have other plans; [Ontario Edition]

It smelled worse than garbage day on Spadina Avenue, but to me, nothing could be so sweet. I was in the Home Team's dressing room after a morning practice at the Air Canada Centre talking cars with Toronto's beloved Maple Leafs.

You might think the young and athletic Leafs drive sleek performance cars. Think again; most of the half dozen or so players I spoke with prefer the comfort and roominess of a trendy SUV.

Gary Valk is a great guy to talk cars with. His father has had a mechanic shop in Edmonton for the last 30 years. Gary grew up around cars.

"My first car was a '67 Camaro," recounts the right winger, as he unlaces his skates. "It had a V6 in it, so we tore it all apart and put in a 350 . . . slicks on the back, headers, all souped up.

"We used to go drag racing with it in the north end of Edmonton."

As Valk grew older his tastes changed. "As soon as I got traded to Anaheim I bought a Beemer convertible, but I had to get rid of it; I have a child now." Now, Valk drives a family-friendly Jeep Cherokee.

But he remembers previously owning vehicles better suited to the singles' lifestyle- a Mazda RX7 Turbo and a Toyota Supra.

He does not own as many cars as he'd like, mainly due to lack of garage space, but would like to buy an older car for fun. "My dad got me going on those old Fiat Spiders and MGAs. As soon as I get settled down somewhere, I'd like to get a toy like that."

I ask what he keeps in his glove compartment. "A lot of diapers and baby wipes."

"And they aren't for his kids!" yells an unidentified leaf assistant from across the room, to laughter.

Gary Roberts used to drive a 1997 Mercedes S500, but the Canadian border authorities would not let him bring it into Canada without expensive alterations.

"It was going to cost between $4,000 and $5,000 to have it changed . . . so I ended up selling it to my ex-team mate Sean Hill in St. Louis."

Roberts' previous vehicles have included a BMW convertible, Dodge Ram V10 4x4, 5-L Mustang and a '66 Corvette. Now he drives a Chevy Tahoe. His favourite car? His Acura Legend 6-speed coupe.

"It wasn't a real sports car, but it drove like one," says this season's leading Leafs goal scorer.

Wouldn't he like a sports car?

"I drove [Doug] Gilmour's Ferrari and it was pretty amazing."

Roberts prefers the new Porsche 911s. "A buddy of mine has a Porsche dealership in Newmarket; he's been calling bugging me to buy a Porsche- they're pretty nice looking."

"I'm kinda a cottage guy now," concedes Roberts. "I got a cottage and dirt roads, so you will probably see me driving a truck for the next few years . . . maybe I'll have a toy down the road."

I ask him if he likes electronic goodies, such as high-end audio and video equipment, in his car. "I know in the trucks they're all putting the big monitors in, but my daughter is 10 now and we don't go on too many long drives. We're past that stage of trying to keep the kids occupied. But it sure is a good idea nowadays- a great idea."

Roberts prefers a manual gearbox to an automatic, but not in heavy traffic. "Driving down Yonge Street or down Mount Pleasant to come to the rink, I couldn't imagine driving a stick-shift- especially for a guy that likes to drink coffee while he drives."

Alyn McCauley is a car nut. "I'm always buying car magazines," explains the centre. "I just bought the Dupont Registry (a magazine on luxury living); there's a lot of nice cars in there."

He drives a purple 1998 Volvo C70 Coupe, but he tells me his dream car is a Lamborghini Diablo.

I ask him if he will ever buy one.

"Like to," he chuckles, "maybe one that's 10 years used.

"One car I'd like to get is the [Nissan] 300 ZX . . . Twin Turbo," he confesses. "I'm not a big fan of doing a lot to the car," he says. He prefers to keep his vehicles in stock form.

Standing 6'4" barefoot, Cory Cross is the tallest of Leafs. He drove a 1999 BMW 528 back in Florida when he played for Tampa. He drives a Cadillac Escalade now.

"I need a big vehicle to be comfortable," says the towering defenseman, as he smiles down at 5'10" me.

When he was living in the U.S., Dimitri Khristich piloted a dark green 1995 Mercedes 320 convertible. These days, he drives a Jeep Wrangler soft-top.

"I bought it for fun and I kinda like it," explains the left winger as he removes his equipment.

I catch Brian McCabe as he leaves the dressing room. He owns a GMC Yukon.

My time running out, I realize I have to snag the big C. Readers will want to know. I ask him about his wheels.

As befits the captain of the good ship Maple Leaf, Mats Sundin, it turns out, drives a Navigator.