Canadians are passionate about hockey, but two men from New Brunswick have taken their love of the game to the next level.
Dieppe resident Ricky Horvath and Moncton resident Hank Mugford share an obsession for hockey, and a close friendship that transcends the colour of their jerseys; they root for different teams.
“My mother and father were big Leafs fans,” said Mugford, whose basement is filled to the rafters with about $30,000 worth of Toronto Maple Leafs memorabilia.
Horvath’s lower level, though, is filled with roughly $40,000 in Montreal Canadiens collectables.
“Everything that I do, I talk, sleep, eat is Montreal,” he said.
The two met as collectors and have had their share of faceoffs over the years.
“There is some rivalry because it is in us, we are both competitive people,” said Horvath, adding it is a friendly rivalry rooted in mutual respect for each other’s teams.
Their friendship has developed into an unbreakable bond.
“We travel together to hockey games, we go to hockey games together, we have been to Team Canada (games),” Mudford said.
He added Horvath “will come over when the Leafs are playing … and we will switch back and forth.”
Horvath said “it is a healthy rivalry, but it is more of a great friendship.”
That friendship has been especially precious this past year. Mugford suffered from two heart attacks, battled colon cancer and almost lost his eyesight in one eye due to a detached retina.
Hockey and his buddy helped get him through the slumps, he said.
“The friendship will always be there,” he said.
While Horvath stops short of cheering for Hank’s Leafs, he supports his friend and is even willing to take one for the team.
“I told him this is his year, his Leafs are going to do well and he is going to get healthy,” he said. “They might not win the (Stanley) Cup but they are getting past that damn first round.”
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