*Editor’s note: This column contains strong language.*
For many Canadians, Don Cherry is hockey. That’s not an accident: for over 30 years, Cherry has shaped the way we think about the NHL. Lest we forget, Cherry was once named the 7th greatest Canadian of all-time by his compatriots. No other hockey personality finished higher than Grapes (Gretzky was 10th). Don Cherry is important to hockey discourse, no matter how outdated some of his ideas may seem.
Cherry also symbolizes a certain way of thinking about hockey (and about being Canadian, and being a man, and lots of other things that necessitate more attention from someone more qualified than myself).