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Maple Leafs Annual Available Here

The magazine will hits news stands September 8th. It will also be available at all 'evil' Indigo Chapters stores in Canada as well as wherever magazines are sold in the greater Toronto area, including 'super evil' Wal-Mart, grocery stores, drug stores, and other places with space to fill. Apparently the the only place in the GTA where it isn’t available is the Toronto airport probably because it's in Mississauga and not Toronto.

You've been crossing off the days since we announced that Maple Street Press was not only publishing a Maple Leafs Annual but that they'd allowed Chemmy and I to contribute articles. The magazine has come together under the aegis of Alec Brownscombe of Maple Leafs Hot Stove. Rather than taking the meagre Leafian offerings of traditional yearbooks Leaf fans have the chance to buy a magazine of the fans, by the fans, and for the fans. What fans? Well, the lineup features all of the people that you normally read on a daily basis:

• EYEBLEAF!!!1
• James Mirtle
• Me
• Chemmy
• Down Goes Brown
• Bitter Leaf
• Kim Jorn and Godd Till Of No Fixed Blog
• Junior
• Dirk Hoag
• The MLHS Group of Writers
• And people I am sure that I have forgotten

The only difference is that you'll see them stretch themselves and you'll have to pay to find out if they succeeded. Having had the luck of receiving For my money I'd say that that have exceeded themselves. The magazine is a 128 glossy, ad-free pages focused on all things Maple Leafs from a brilliant 2008-2009 review, a genius look at this coming season, illuminating player profiles with innovative graphics, Insightful articles, and lots of pretty pictures. Just like MSP promises this is a magazine written for the hardcore Leafs fan.

I hope I'm not underselling it. Oh yeah, you even get to learn everyone's real name and there's even one big surprise among those. You'll never see it coming.

On the other end of the specialisation spectrum lies McKeen's 2009-2010 Hockey Pool Notebook. I've never read this despite Mirtle's constant shilling but Gus Katsaros was kind enough to pass a long a copy. The magazine features a league-wide view on topics like potential Calder candidates, sleeper fantasy picks, and a raft of statistical categories. In addition, each team is treated to a quick recap, predictions for the future, depth charts, full rosters, and player previews and predictions for the likely fantasy picks. It's definitely great for anyone getting into a hockey pool but because of it's statistical focus it's great for any numbers junkies as well.

McKeen's Hockey Pool Yearbook Available Here