Finally, Don Cherry admitted he likes European players.
"I love Def Leppard! I love Def Leppard!" he said of the U.K. band that rocked the Fox Theatre before and after Thursday night's game for the NHL's special opening night show.
Hopefully he missed Def Leppard's postgame set, wow making gold when Darren McCarty delivered the Stanley Cup onstage on the back of a chopper.
Mac handed the Cup to lead singer Joe Elliott, who promptly put Lord Stanley's gift on its place of honor on the stage -- upside down.
Grapes might get the idea the Cup doesn't mean as much to Europeans, after all.
A few more outtakes from the opening night game between the Red Wings and Toronto on CBC and Versus:
? Who needs Sidney Crosby? Another new face, etc., of the NHL, is Carrie Milbank, who handled hostessing duties for the festivities at the Fox. She's a former Houston Texans
cheerleader who works for NHL.com's "The Hockey Show."
? "Hockey Night in Canada" play-by-play man Jim Hughson, maple story mesos after a Maple Leaf tumbled to the boards: "They decided there's no whistles this year?"
? Hughson again, since the season actually started with weekend games in Europe, noted "the first official North American face-washes" occurred in a first-period scrum.
? CBC's second-period intermission Thursday was devoted to announcing the two finalists for the new "Hockey Night in Canada" theme music. Fan voting will pick the winner, which will be announced Saturday night.
? Versus' Doc Emrick, early in the third period: "Not a very responsive crowd here. I guess the Leafs have checked them as well."
