Cold War between Dave Keon, Toronto Maple Leafs finally thawing

Never let it be said that Dave Keon does not know how to hold a grudge. A member of four Toronto Maple Leafs Stanley Cup championship teams and a former Leafs captain, Keon saw his Toronto career come to a bitter end in the 1970s when then-owner Harold Ballard refused to give Keon a fair contract despite Keon's 16-year history with the team. 

Ballard blasted Keon's leadership and essentially blocked Keon from signing with any other NHL team at the time, which meant Keon had to switch over to the World Hockey Association to keep his hockey career alive. After six years in the WHA, a 39-year-old Keon eventually returned to the NHL in 1979 with the Hartford Whalers, but his best years in hockey were in the past. 

Keon has held a grudge against the Leafs organization for decades since, but on Thursday, the Leafs announced Keon would be part of a group of players including Turk Broda and Tim Horton who will be honored with statues in "Legends Row" outside of the Air Canada Centre. There will be a tribute to all three players in a pre-game ceremony before Saturday's game against the Montreal Canadiens, and Keon agreed to attend.

Via the Toronto Maple Leafs website: 

That Keon agreed to the honor is a dramatic change from his attitude in the past, as Keon refused to have anything to do with the Leafs even after Ballard's death in 1990. Keon did not participate in the closing ceremonies of the Leafs' long-time home, Maple Leaf Gardens, in 1999, nor did he agree to a ceremony to honor his number. The only exceptions for Keon were events which honored his teams, as Keon appeared in ceremonies in 2007, 2013 and 2014 to honor the 1967, 1963 and 1964 Cup championship teams, respectively. 

Keon in the past has said the Leafs ownership groups which followed Ballard's reign were no different than Ballard, but it appears a new-look front office of team president Brendan Shanahan and GM Lou Lamoriello helped thaw Keon's heart. 

Although Keon never got along with the Leafs ownership groups, fans have always loved the four-time Stanley Cup championship. He received a standing ovation from the crowd in 2007 during a ceremony honoring the 80-year anniversary of the organization's switch over to the Maple Leafs name.

Now that Keon appears to be willing to put his turbulent history with the team in the past, he will finally receive the honors he has deserved for decades. 

Arielle Aronson writes about the NHL for FOX Sports. You can follow her on Twitter @aharonson28.