Burke Fired

Burke arrived in Toronto announcing he wasn't interested in a five year re-build. It was one of the few, if only, prescient statements he made.

 There would be no pugnacity. No testosterone. No schools named after him.

The team he claimed was good enough to make the playoffs in 2009, finished 8 games under .500 in 29th place.

 The man who claimed he'd never be caught short on goaltending again went four years without league average goaltending.

He was a man who put a series of quixotic personal codes and rules ahead of doing what it took to help the team succeed.  300+ Games with a lousy 129-135-42 record. Six games below .500 in a league where at least 2/3 of teams go .500 every season.

A tenure during which the Leafs were 30th in goals against and 30th on the penalty kill and finished, on average, in 26th place.

 Four years, no playoffs. Four years and no sign of a vision or a plan from Burke.

In the end, he didn't even last as long as the most incompetent of Leafs GMs John Ferguson Junior.

I was interested in a five year re-build, but for now, I'll settle with the good news that Burke is no longer President and GM.

For the first time in quite a while, I'm looking forward to a Leafs season.