Short Description

There are Leafs fans — and there’s the Ultimate Leafs Fan. No one had the time, money, or energy to follow their favorite team to every game of the season until Mike Wilson took a journey most fans can only dream about. These are the humorous, historical, and heart-wrenching stories of Leafs Nation.

Sales and Market Bullets

• Mike and his partner, Debra, are well known in the hockey community. Their 1,000-square-foot basement once looked like the Hockey Hall of Fame and hosted a lifetime’s collection of hockey artifacts. Over the years, Wilson used his unique collection to raise $2 million for various charities and many of his items are now housed in the Museum of History in Ottawa.


• The Ultimate Road Trip was covered extensively by the Toronto Sun, CHCH, Sportsnet, Newswire, CTV, Toronto Star, National Post, and various regional newspapers across Canada.


• The Toronto Maple Leafs boast the most fans of any team in the NHL, and they can be found in virtually any stadium hosting NHL games.

Audience

• Toronto Maple Leafs Fans


• Holiday gift buyers

Born and raised in Toronto, Mike Wilson began his love affair with the Leafs at age six with a Carl Brewer game-used stick. He grew this into the largest privately held collection of Leaf memorabilia. He still lives in Toronto. Lance Hornby has been covering the Maple Leafs and the NHL for the Toronto Sun and Postmedia since 1986. The Toronto native has written, edited, and contributed to a number of hockey books and has traveled throughout North America, Europe, and Asia covering the game. He lives in Toronto, Ontario.

“As someone who played for the Leafs, who spent the season always on the go, home and road, seeing all our fans, I was amazed at Mike Wilson’s journey. If you like hockey and travel, you’ll love this book by ‘The Ultimate Leafs Fan.’” — Rick Vaive, Leafs captain and three-time 50-goal scorer

“‘The Ultimate Leafs Fan’ took to the road with his beloved team and found out it wasn’t all fun and games. There is certainly some work to it!” — Joe Bowen, “Voice of the Leafs”

“I’d love to think Mike just wanted to feel what it was like to be a team broadcaster, but his journey was fuelled by passion alone. I see many Leafs fans on the road in every city, but it seemed fitting to see ‘The Ultimate Leafs Fan’ in all of them, even for one season.” — Jim Ralph, Leafs radio analyst

“While certainly Maple Leaf fans will love this book, hockey fans of any team will enjoy reading about one fan who was able to complete an incredible hockey journey.” — The Guy Who Reviews Sports Books blog

“Getting the personal stories of Toronto fans who help fill all 30 visiting rinks, plus ex-Leaf NHLers, VIPS and bits on each town’s hockey and sports history sites made his seven-month trek worth every stop.” — The Chronicle Herald