Robert L note: This is an update of a post from December 24, 2008. Seeing as the Canadiens will be wearing the above jersey this evening against the Lightning, Tuesday against Calgary, I thought I'd give this post a little refresh. Enjoy!

Long before Canada adopted the maple leaf for the flag of the country, it had adorned the jersey's of the Montreal Canadiens (1910-1913) and the Toronto Maple Leafs (1927 - present).

Looking at photo's of the Canadiens retro jerseys that they will don on several occasions this season, I got to thinking that if hockey teams going back 100 years saw fit to identify themselves as Canadian through the maple leaf, then when, I wondered, did Canada first begin to adopt the symbol as an insignia of national identity.

What I discovered was quite intersting, if not downright funny. At a website called Flags of the World, the Canadian flag is discussed at great length, and the origin of the maple leaf as a symbol for Canada is further explained.

It might not be all that funny if you happen to be a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, but I thought the part about beavers was especially enlightening.

On 21 August, 1860, the Prince of Wales was visiting Canada (Ontario and Quebec, at that time) - the first real royal visit. People lined the streets of Toronto to see him - those of English origin wore a rose, the Scots wore a thistle, but what were the Canadian born to wear? Canada's emblem had long been the beaver. Twenty six years earlier the St. Jean Baptiste Society in Quebec had adopted the maple leaf as its symbol (apparently the first time the maple leaf was used as a symbol), and it was decreed that for the prince's visit the Canadians should wear a maple leaf. The idea took root.

In 1867 as Canada was becoming a country, a call was put out to write a patriotic song. Whatever song was chosen has since been lost to history, but the second place winner was Alexander Muir who wrote "The Maple Leaf for Ever", a song which became very popular, although today is downplayed a lot as it is not inclusive of the French Canadians.

In World War 1, Lester Pearson noted that almost every battalion from Canada included the maple leaf in its insignia, and vowed he would campaign to put it on the flag, and of course 50 years later as prime minister of Canada he was part of the 33 day debate that resulted in the maple leaf as the Canadian flag.