Tom Fitzgerald reveals Maple Leafs snubbed him and his teammate over Silver Stick

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Aug 10, 2023 14:17 GMT

In a recent episode of the hockey podcast "Spittin' Chiclets," former Toronto Maple Leafs player Tom Fitzgerald explained how the team unexpectedly snubbed him and his teammate during an NHL tradition.

Podcast host Paul Bissonnette asked Fitzgerald how he felt when he received the Silver Stick for playing 1000 games.

"Thousand games man, you're one of the you know a few people on this planet who is fortunate to play a thousand games in the national hockey league. You did so with the Toronto Maple Leafs like I'm sure it was a world one experience you get the silver stick."

Fitzgerald revealed that he did not receive the coveted silver stick.

"For the record, I didn't actually get a silver stick."

When the hosts debated about who else had suffered a similar fate, Fitzgerald said:

"I could tell you the other guy who didn't get it was Gary Roberts because Gary and I played our 1000th game as teammates on the same night."

In professional sports, reaching certain milestones are celebrated as symbols of dedication and longevity.

Awarding a silver stick to players who reach the 1000-game mark has been part of the NHL's fabric for years.