tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-247468742012-01-17T02:15:45.232-05:00A life-long Toronto Maple Leafs fan comments on the team, the media and the exasperation...MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.comBlogger4131100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-62421445471022526522011-12-14T10:17:00.013-05:002011-12-22T09:09:29.024-05:00

Here's a look at the books I read in 2011. It's my lowest total in years, but the Palin Diaries and the Fukuyama each seemed like they were 1,000+ pages long. Great books, but tough to lug around on subways and from deck chair to deck chair at the cottage...As usual, I've divide the list into three categories - my favourite reads, the books I'm glad I read and the ones that weren't for me. The

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-73910069058243085942011-12-09T10:06:00.004-05:002011-12-09T12:09:54.892-05:00

The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) selling their 80% stake of MLSE is certainly interesting, but it doesn’t strike me as much of a game changer in terms of on-ice product. That said, there are a few parts of this sale that I’m eager to find out about.1. Larry TanenbaumTanenbaum increases his ownership stake to 25% and, as I understand it, remains Chairman of the MSLE Board. I don’t know if

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-51232052027437661342011-11-12T09:29:00.008-05:002011-11-13T09:53:44.771-05:00

As much as it pains me to say, my son is not much of a hockey guy.He tried summer ball hockey, but hated the equipment and we pulled him out after his second season. He loves to skate, but doesn't want anything to do with pucks and sticks out on the ice.He enjoys the occasional game of mini-sticks and sometimes he'll take shots out in the driveway, but he won't watch hockey on TV and he's not too

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-6140296567285417032011-11-05T19:57:00.013-04:002011-11-07T11:55:59.329-05:00

Roy MacGregor filed nearly 1,000 words in the Globe and Mail on the sad state of story telling in sports ("The Thumbing Down of Sportswriting"). I want to ignore it, but no matter how hard I try, I just can't.I loved MacGregor's book The Last Season. He was very nice to me the one time I met him. I've heard great things about him from friends and colleagues, but this story, this 1,000 words of

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-66622331772940269452011-11-02T00:24:00.003-04:002011-11-02T15:01:43.011-04:00

1. When I first started this blog, I often wrote entries pointing out errors, faulty thinking and other various shortcomings from the media who covered the Leafs. Four years later, these entries are far and few between. Not because the media has improved -1,000 monkeys at 1,000 typewriters could not keep up with the flow of crap generated by professionals sportswriters – rather, I no longer read

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-87963251153125657552011-10-22T11:20:00.005-04:002011-10-22T11:51:20.876-04:00

There's been a bit of gurgling lately over the fact that, for the first time ever, the Leafs don't have a player from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) on their roster.I don't see why this matters. John Gardner, president of the Greater Toronto Hockey League, isn't happy about it. He tells the Toronto Star he's bothered that the Leafs don't have great players from the GTA, such as Jeff Skinner,

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-79475805169916461272011-10-06T11:01:00.004-04:002011-10-06T11:11:56.347-04:00

Last night I caught a tweet by Toronto sports journalist Michael Grange (on twitter the eponymous @michaelgrange). He asked when was the last time the Leafs had a Toronto-born superstar on their roster.To be honest, I thought it was a bit of a leading question and responded by asking when was the last time any NHL club had a Toronto-born star (then I wondered what the answer to that question is).

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-26672690652828307032011-07-18T18:24:00.006-04:002011-07-18T21:06:25.067-04:00

One of the sports topics that interest me is the origin of fandom. How do people become fans of certain sports and particular teams?Geography is usually the easiest answer, but it so rarely tells the whole story. I was born in Toronto and, with the exception of a few years in my early 20s spent bouncing around Canada in various schools and jobs, I have lived in Toronto my whole life. Yet the

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-24372327896541329432011-06-02T23:36:00.006-04:002011-06-03T09:42:24.800-04:00

*or why I’m not cheering for the Vancouver Canucks in the Stanley Cup Finals.I don’t know that there’s anything more subjective than cheering for a professional sports team. In fact, I can’t think of many things with a less objective sense of right and wrong. (That said, if you’re cheering for one or more of the Heat, Lakers, Cowboys, Yankees, or Canadiens and you don’t call any of those metro

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-23157288734488063372011-05-12T14:01:00.003-04:002011-05-13T17:18:52.172-04:00

When I was a child, the radio was always on in my house. It was the first thing I heard in the morning, it greeted me when I came home for lunch, and it was the soundtrack to our oft-warring family dinners.Despite its ubiquity, I don’t remember much of the content that spilled out of the AM dial with one exception: on weekend evenings, CFRB had an elderly English woman read the results of the

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-15119858083038415012011-03-15T15:22:00.004-04:002011-03-15T23:55:53.395-04:00

There were a lot of reasons the Leafs weren’t going to make the playoffs this year.Some might cite their no-show against Tampa or pissed-away points against the likes of the New York Islanders. But the primary reason this Leafs are on the outside looking in is that ugly losing skid back in November (well, that, and sub .900 goaltending they had for much of the season).The late arrival of goalie

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-35990140722066518322011-03-15T15:00:00.002-04:002011-03-15T15:33:43.235-04:00

I don’t often agree with Leafs GM Brian Burke.I find his stance on head shots deplorable, the majority of his UFA signings questionable, and his bluster tiresome.The one area I do agree with him: the NHL should not limit the number of post-deadline player call-ups to four.Sadly, with their loss to Tampa Bay, the Leafs’ season has all but come to an end. The Leafs have to win 10 of their next 12

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-66914122638430699772011-02-18T13:36:00.004-05:002011-02-18T13:42:19.549-05:00

Tomas Kaberle joined the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1998. He arrived as an unheralded and largely unknown 20 year old prospect drafted in the 8th round, 206th overall.It was assumed he would start the year in the minors, but he skated his way onto that Pat Quinn led team and was a mainstay on the Leafs blue line for 13 years. (So much for Pat Quinn not playing or developing youngsters).The kid with

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-70438805356494591672011-02-14T23:38:00.007-05:002011-02-15T12:20:55.222-05:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs traded 24 year old Kris Versteeg to the Philadelphia Flyers for a 1st and a 3rd round draft pick in 2011.I don’t like the deal for two simple reasons:The Flyers get the known quantity and the Leafs presume all the risk (the party that takes on the risk should get more of the reward); andIt’s highly unlikely that the Leafs will be able to find a player of Versteeg’s ability

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-40464102095193544452011-02-13T09:08:00.006-05:002011-02-13T14:55:50.412-05:00

Anyone who wanders into Major League Baseball can't help but notice the stark contrast between the field of play and the uneasy space just off it, where the executives and the scouts make their livings. The game itself is a ruthless competition. Unless you're very good, you don't survive in it. But in the space just off the field of play there really is no level of incompetence that won't be

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-75260264294685277872011-02-09T20:47:00.008-05:002011-02-10T07:49:45.504-05:00

Three quick thoughts about the Toronto Maple Leafs acquiring Joffrey Lupul:Burke's trades continue to come as complete surprises;The key to the trade might just be the prospect, not the player; andThe Leafs take on more salary, cap and term than they ship out.The first is noteworthy only in that for a long time the ACC/MLSE was leakier than a goaltending tandem of Andrew Raycroft and Vesa

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-21403651402717751792011-01-26T07:55:00.004-05:002011-01-26T11:38:36.041-05:00

I didn't watch much of the Leafs' tilt against Tampa Bay last night as I was out playing a game of my own (a goaltending duel that ended in a 8-8 final).The Leafs were down 2-0 when I left the house and, by the looks of their rather flat play, I was doubtful they'd storm back. My Leaf fandom has pretty much come to this: don't let the loss be a total blow-out.And so the Leafs go into the All Star

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-35709695586134182212011-01-16T15:03:00.005-05:002011-01-16T15:19:43.376-05:00

A few weeks ago I wrote a post looking at Colby Armstrong’s no good horrible year.In the 22 games prior to that post, Armstrong had 3G 2A and was having a miserable season by any (and every) measure. In the six games since I wrote that post, Armstrong has 2G 4A, has chipped in with a shootout goal and played some pretty good hockey. (I've jokingly been referring to this turnaround as being “

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-17512877059840729732011-01-03T23:23:00.008-05:002011-01-05T09:42:34.168-05:00

Colby Armstrong yaps. He agitates. Some claim he's a hitter, but he's just 6th among forwards on his own team in hits per game.He can supposedly play in all situations but doesn't: he is 10th among Leaf forwards in Power Play TOI per game; 5th among forwards in short-handed TOI per game.Acquired to play on the 3rd line, Leafs GM Brian Burke said Armstrong's best feature was his ability to

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-70526138608395646692011-01-03T21:57:00.004-05:002011-01-04T09:46:04.117-05:00

I didn't read much this year.Maybe it was discovering the HBO series The Wire and watching seasons 1 to 3 in the month of November, maybe it was the Sunday nights spent watching the Walking Dead, or maybe I'm just getting lazier.I read 45 books this year (43 actually, I haven't finished Miller's City of the Century and I only read a big chunk of Orwell's Collected Essays - the thing is about the

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-52906179771220008672010-12-19T14:53:00.004-05:002010-12-20T07:59:52.091-05:00

Former Cox Bloc writer Godd Till has an interesting post up over at Pension Plan Puppets, where they're doing a Leaf-centric 12 days of Christmas (I wrote day 5, which can be read here).Till's wish for day 6 is that the Leafs put-up six consecutive years of consistent play, complete with post-season appearances. His post reminded me of how long it's been since the Leafs played a game that

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-39454300816761141452010-12-17T15:13:00.003-05:002010-12-17T15:17:25.459-05:00

Originally posted at Pension Plan Puppets...Jonas Siegel has a great entry up today at his Eat. Leafs. Sports. Blog where he lists 10 games this season where the Leafs gave up a cluster of goals in a very short time. For those of you scoring at home, the Leafs have been torched for multiple goals in three minutes or less in 30% of their games this season. Seems like an outrageously high number to

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-57218439478078135422010-12-13T09:25:00.009-05:002010-12-13T22:12:28.249-05:00

There are a lot of kids hockey books out there.There are a few that I love (Mike Leonetti's My Leafs Sweater, The Magic Hockey Skates) a few that I tolerate (my son's love for Roch Carrier's The Hockey Sweater is troubling) and a few more that I want to use as kindling (the Leafs can't even win the *&$@! Stanley Cup in the Casey at the Bat knock-off Clancy with the Puck. If I wrote kids' books,

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-30649047462007633542010-12-03T12:40:00.004-05:002010-12-03T17:01:30.089-05:00

As a kid, three things terrified me more than any other: quicksand, Bigfoot from the Six Million Dollar Man, and bottomless pits.When Catwoman fell into that bottomless pit on the old Batman shows I was horrified. First off, what a waste of Julie Newmar (seriously) and secondly – a bottomless pit? Really? Falling forever, right through the planet? That is some worrisome stuff to a nine year old (

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-12928335223590809002010-11-12T20:37:00.009-05:002010-11-13T09:59:58.328-05:00

The Leafs don’t have a lot of prospects in the system. Trading away eight of your 10 first round draft picks in a decade can sneak up on you like that.Forward Nazem Kadri is the closest thing the Leafs have to a blue chip talent.You’d think when prospects are this scarce their optimal development would be an organizational priority.But you’d be wrong.Nazem Kadri gets his second taste of NHL

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-91424353179829487372010-11-12T12:35:00.004-05:002010-11-12T12:40:20.434-05:00

“If you want to take the bows when the team is winning, then you better take the heat when it’s not winning. It is ultimately my responsibility. I drive the bus, I decide who gets on the bus, I decide who gets off the bus. If the bus is stuck in the ditch, then ultimately that’s my responsibility."Leafs GM & President Brian BurkeI'll play along...Before the bus left the station, it was pointed

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-44758896111942636842010-11-09T20:31:00.006-05:002010-11-10T00:26:50.259-05:00

Most people pegged the Leafs to be 12th in the East and they're certainly playing down to expectations.That said, the two biggest and most common question before the Leafs' season started - is Bozak ready to be a #1C and who is going to score for this team - have turned out to have rather ugly answers so far (No; nobody).It's hard to believe that the Leafs scored more goals (16) in their first

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-60007061147281635092010-11-07T15:57:00.008-05:002010-11-08T08:06:22.889-05:00

I'm not smart enough to know if Ron Wilson is the "problem" in Leaf land. Actually, I'm not sure that there is a so-called problem.One look at the Leafs' roster and it's pretty clear that goals are going to be tough to come by this year. This is a roster whose first-line centre went un-drafted and has all of 50 NHL games experience.With so little offensive punch there's no margin for error on the

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-41080745779049830812010-11-02T10:14:00.004-04:002010-11-02T14:17:02.547-04:00

When I wrote about the Leafs social media strategy for the Maple Leafs Annual I focused almost exclusively on their use of twitter, facebook and their proprietary on-line site "LeafsSpace." I didn't look at their actual on-line content.MLSE, more specifically the Leafs' web-presence, does a few things very well. The Game in Six is one of my favourite features and I love that they put up video of

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-72268076555937390682010-11-01T12:11:00.003-04:002010-11-01T14:22:13.990-04:00

When Cliff Fletcher first joined the Leafs (Gah, nearly 20 years ago!) he often spoke about evaluating a team's performance every 10 games. I imagine it was a large enough sample to see some trends and a short-enough time frame that GMs and coaches could make the requisite changes.On the eve of the 2010-11 NHL season, I posted a series of questions about the state of the Leafs line-up. In the

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-57825403130250993392010-10-27T10:04:00.004-04:002010-10-27T10:13:59.955-04:00

Every few weeks I do a podcast where I talk all things Leafs with the fine fellows of Leaf blog Pension Plan Puppets.In Episode 12, Chemmy, PPP and I discuss:The Leafs six games in;The Brett Lebda/ Carl Gunnarsson shuffle;Sports journalism - why so much Hyperbole;Bruce Dowbiggin, Damien Cox and Puck Daddy Radio;The fate of the Ottawa Senators (will Kovalev score 35 pts this year?); andHow many

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-44374579109688205632010-10-17T11:46:00.003-04:002010-10-17T11:57:16.118-04:00

On the morning of October 17, Clarke MacArthur was the #1 topic on Twitter in Canada. For Leaf fans, and those perplexed as to why MacArthur was in their twitter feed, I've put together a quick reference chart to track MacArthur on Twitter through to January 2011.Find all the best pubs for watching Leaf games at YellowPages.ca

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-56778277217927504712010-10-08T13:31:00.004-04:002010-10-08T13:52:31.103-04:00

Each new hockey season supposedly brings with it plenty of hope for the faithful. After the debacle that was the first 10 games of the 2009-10 Leaf season, I'll happily forego hope and settle for relief.It was great to see the Leafs get their first win right out of the gate. I never would have guessed that Tim Brent would be the first Leaf to light the lamp. Here's a quick look at who scored the

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-29329994349007492632010-10-07T08:00:00.000-04:002010-10-07T08:06:44.571-04:00

As the Leafs get ready to start their 2010-11 season at home against the dreaded Montreal Canadiens, the team has more question marks than Frank Gorshin’s Riddler suit.Have the Leafs finally fixed their goaltending situation?The team has suffered from horrific goaltending since the lockout, but Burke may have finally found a tandem in Gustavsson and Giguere that can provide some stability between

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-29129376140588959072010-10-04T10:02:00.007-04:002010-10-04T17:09:58.110-04:00

The Vancouver Canucks cut put centre Brendan Morrison on waivers today. As the 29th best team in the NHL last season, the Leafs have a very good shot at winning a claim, should they put one in. making him a UFA.I don't normally weigh in on short-term roster moves or hypothetical personnel decisions, but the Leafs are awfully thin at centre and while they're not swimming in cap space, they do have

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-76705529726845241172010-10-01T14:19:00.008-04:002010-10-01T15:14:34.851-04:00

I was never much of a Darcy Tucker fan.He was a small man who played a big man’s game. He threw big hits, would fight just about anyone and excelled at the cross-crease tap in on the power play. While that may have brought him the adoration of many Leafs fans, he was also a pylon on the defensive side of the puck and had a terrible propensity for taking dumb penalties.Say what you will about +/-

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-81690868526557822202010-09-28T19:44:00.004-04:002010-09-28T19:57:22.264-04:00

Inspired by a comment by clrkaitken at uber Leafs blog Pension Plan Puppets, I decided to take another shot at a Venn diagram. This one contemplates just who phones radio shows like Leafs Talk.Find all the best pubs for watching Leaf games at YellowPages.ca

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-82306680988191864952010-09-27T13:13:00.010-04:002010-09-27T23:32:34.837-04:00

If Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Nazem Kadri doesn't start the year in the NHL he certainly won't be the only first round pick from 2009 playing in the minors. Scott Glennie, taken 8th overall, has already been demoted by the Dallas Stars and I'm sure when final training camp cuts are made across the NHL, there will be many other 2009 first round draft picks whose only glimpse of NHL action will

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-51269968614916658212010-09-17T08:37:00.004-04:002010-09-17T08:55:17.129-04:00

Damien Cox has an interesting take on Ron Wilson's upcoming season with the Leafs. He raises some good points about this being Wilson's first season where major changes at the GM or player personnel levels aren't expected.In amongst these salient points, Cox weaves in this tasty bit of Leaf gossip:Most of the moves that have been made [Wilson] endorsed, particularly those that sent

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-62040591773657267362010-09-15T22:34:00.005-04:002010-09-16T07:56:31.814-04:00

The Leafs have invited 60+ players to this year's training camp. That's about 40 more players than they have room for.Of the seven d-spots on the roster, at least five are already locked down:1. Phaneuf2. Komisarek3. Beauchmin4. Kaberle5. SchennThat leaves three bubble guys(Gunnarsson, Lebda and Finger) in the hunt to be the sixth d-man and 7thD/press-box boy. The other 14 candidates will head to

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-42842127388654923112010-09-08T12:20:00.001-04:002010-09-09T12:25:26.249-04:00

Doug Gilmour did it. So did Felix Potvin. Bryan Berard and Dimitri Yushkevich did it at the same time.When Keith Tkachuk did it, Cam Neely went to the media to question Tkachuk's values.Petr Nedved once did it for nearly 18 months straight and Alexi Yashin did it so frequently fans, GMs and team-mates were more than a little sore.But nobody seems to be doing it much anymore.For much of the 1990s,

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-52352262916782499342010-08-28T12:15:00.003-04:002010-08-28T12:21:51.592-04:00

This article was originally posted at Pension Plan Puppets.For those of you interested in media relations and the inner-workings of media access and credentialing, Greg Wyshynski has put up a must read post, that reveals, among other things, that certain NHL teams want to control who has access to their locker room when they're on the road. I can't say I blame them. I also wouldn't be surprised

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-10745449830026373652010-08-17T10:47:00.006-04:002010-08-19T20:33:10.617-04:00

For the second year in a row Alec Brownscombe of Maple Leafs Hot Stove was kind enough to ask me to contribute to the 2010-11 Toronto Maple Leafs Annual.My piece is on the Leafs and social media, other contributors include Chemmy and PPP from Pension Plan Puppets; Sean from Down Goes Brown; Ed from Heroes in Rehab and many other great writers.Toronto Maple Leafs Annual is now shipping. You can

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-81170291341933728672010-06-25T22:40:00.003-04:002010-06-25T23:05:50.426-04:00

I love the NHL draft. This may seem to be a bit of a dis-connect being a Leaf fan and all. The Leafs are not exactly a franchise known for keeping their picks, using their picks wisely, or developing the kids they do manage to grab. This is a team, after all, that once used all of their first round picks to draft three Belleville Bulls.Each year, in the days leading up to the draft, TSN's Bob

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-85929110696966008212010-06-21T20:07:00.005-04:002010-06-22T00:57:54.282-04:00

Long serving Toronto Maple Leaf Tomas Kaberle's no-trade clause has an interesting wrinkle - it includes a short window each summer where the Leafs can trade him without his approval. This window opens on July 1 and runs to mid-August [or earlier/ later depending on the source]. It's very likely that Kaberle will be moved when his trade window opens, consider:What little organizational depth the

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-11215395245785737942010-06-19T10:23:00.003-04:002010-06-19T21:39:04.926-04:00

Richard Loat, of the very cleverly named Canucks Hockey Blog, is doing a cross-Canada road trip this summer and he's planning on playing a little ball hockey against local fans and bloggers to raise donations and contributions for local food banks.A Toronto Ball hockey game is scheduled for 3PM on Thursday, July 1st (Canada Day) at Withrow Park. Richard is looking for players for the Toronto

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-17435724217837722502010-06-14T11:15:00.012-04:002010-06-15T08:20:37.931-04:00

Darryl Sittler, Rick Vaive, Wendel Clark, Doug Gilmour, Mats Sundin and Dion Phaneuf.One of these things is not like the other.On Monday, June 14th Dion Phaneuf was announced as the newest captain of my beloved Toronto Maple Leafs. To mark the occasion, Phaneuf read from prepared remarks with all the earnestness and awkwardness of a grade four student's first speech arts class.I think Phaneuf is

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-75850235143028193262010-06-12T13:53:00.007-04:002010-06-13T23:17:27.059-04:00

The catalyst for starting this blog over four years ago was an asinine article by Theresa Tedesco in the National Post. I was fed up with what passed for sports journalism in Toronto and took to blogger.com to vent. For years there was easy content to be had in questioning the work of what Cox Bloc so aptly came to call the mittenstringers.A few years ago, I stopped writing about these half-wit

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-56119190578387445062010-06-10T00:26:00.009-04:002010-06-10T09:20:59.435-04:00

Why does someone, in the midst of your worst suffering, decide the time has come to drive home, disguised in the form of character analysis, all the contempt they have been harboring for you all these years? What in your suffering makes their superiority so fulsome, so capacious, makes the expression of it so enjoyable?Philip Roth, American PastoralA strange thing happened when the Chicago

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-23221631682950975272010-06-06T20:35:00.008-04:002010-06-07T21:25:29.275-04:00

According to TSN, at least two teams have expressed an interest in acquiring Toronto Maple Leaf Tomas Kaberle and upwards of five teams may be in the hunt.In discussing the potential return, Leafs GM Brian Burke told the Toronto Star, "We need to add a winger that can score, preferably with some size. And we need some secondary toughness. So those would be the areas we would try to address."Given

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-49838794817657846642010-06-03T22:45:00.003-04:002010-06-04T20:25:40.829-04:00

There's a series of tremendous interviews with L.A. Kings GM Dean Lombardi up over at LA Kings Insider that are well worth the read, especially for those of you who are interested in NHL cap and developmental issues.A few of the money quotes:On Prospects:“...the other problem with [LA Kings prospect Brayden] Schenn is that we’ve got that junior quandary. It’s the Moller thing, except it’s a

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-19908451094447684382010-05-31T21:42:00.011-04:002010-06-01T23:41:15.992-04:00

I've been reading a lot of books on behavioural economics and decision making lately. Can't say I'm any smarter as a result, fact is I'm often rather confused when any math symbols pop up, but there certainly have been numerous studies, anecdotes and learnings that will come in useful as idle chatter at my next cocktail party*.As I'm sure many of you do, when I'm reading a book on game theory,

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-31750697963870914882010-05-24T15:12:00.005-04:002010-05-26T17:55:41.162-04:00

Nikolai Kulemin is a Restricted Free Agent (RFA) whose contract is up for renewal. There has been a great deal of speculation as to what it might take, in terms of dollar and term, to get Kulemin back on the Leafs.Last season, Kulemin carried a cap hit of $1.48M with a salary of $850,000. Under the CBA, he automatically qualifies for a 10% raise, meaning the minimum salary he can earn is $935,000

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-12976012781279622022010-05-15T15:20:00.002-04:002010-05-15T15:28:36.715-04:00

About 10 days ago, I was very fortunate and got to accompany Globe and Mail photographer Fred Lum inside Maple Leaf Gardens.Fred's photos are now up at the Globe and Mail and they're worth a look.The stairs going up to Harold Ballard's former bunker in the North end of MLG. The new steel beam work can be seen in the upper left corner of the shot.

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-25229336880861448562010-04-15T23:33:00.003-04:002010-04-16T09:57:06.800-04:00

1. I cannot begin to measure how much I hate it when the home team loses the first game of the series someone in the media goes on and on about the so-called loss of home ice advantage (Glen Healy, I'm looking at you).You know what? If the home team wins another game, they’ve got home ice advantage right back, yet none of the commentators ever seem to go on about that.2. What is the nonsense

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-7711164963134895662010-04-12T22:57:00.001-04:002010-04-13T10:15:20.383-04:00

I’m not going to offer a formal season in review. If you’re a fan of the Leafs you’ve certainly suffered enough and you already know how this season played out.I’m also not going to offer a prescription as to how the Leafs might turn things around next year. Yes, trades will be made, but no one predicted Kubina for Exelby, the Phaneuf or the Gigeure deal and odds are no one will get the next one

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-56295590985483464312010-03-29T12:59:00.002-04:002010-03-29T13:06:39.460-04:00

A few weeks ago, Chemmy and PPP from uber Leaf Blog Pension Plan Puppets were kind enough to ask me to join them in a weekly podcast where we talk hockey, whether or not we'd sleep with Queen Elizabeth and how our favourite Colombian soccer teams are doing.We've got three up and posted so far. If anyone wants to hear me stutter, stammer and basically not say all that much, you can access the

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-65059710376489860962010-03-25T23:18:00.007-04:002010-03-26T07:33:39.922-04:00

In the nine months since the Pittsburgh Penguins hoisted the Stanley Cup, Brian Burke has shipped out 12 Toronto Maple Leafs. That's over half the Leafs roster in a single season.Incredibly, just two of those 12 former-Leafs are on teams that are heading to the post-season:1. Jason Blake, Anaheim2. Joey MacDonald, Anaheim3. Pavel Kubina, Atlanta4. Anton Stralman, Columbus5. Jiri Tlusty, Carolina6

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-69714574878422417942010-03-23T00:30:00.002-04:002010-03-23T01:27:24.104-04:00

The first time I saw the Maple Leafs play live was in April 1977. They tied the Sabres 1-1. I sat in the greens near centre ice. My father wore a tie.It was the first time I’d been in Maple Leaf Gardens and my dad must have taken me down early as we had enough time to wander around the ground level to look at all the old photos of the Leafs. Teeder Kennedy and the Queen. George Armstrong

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-91804590181014357582010-03-10T00:09:00.003-05:002010-03-10T00:13:47.156-05:00

I’m not a fan of the Olympics.It’s not that the IOC is a litigious, corrupt, and venal organization, nor is it the fact that so many of the events aren’t even sports (why aren't darts, shuffle board or ballroom dance IOC sanctioned?).Who am I kidding? It’s all of these things.I thoroughly enjoyed the men’s hockey. I watched just about every match and sincerely hope the pros are back in the winter

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-48830170088705456102010-03-04T00:29:00.003-05:002010-03-04T00:39:23.977-05:00

Ponikarovsky is a Penguin, Stempniak is a Coyote, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are overwhelmingly Brian Burke’s.As of the trade deadline, 70% of the current Toronto Maple Leafs roster has been acquired by Burke. That’s a huge amount of turnover in about 18 months. To put it in perspective, after five years on the job, JFJ was responsible for acquiring 60% of the Leafs roster. Pat Quinn’s peak was

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-55413153382337971612010-01-31T20:57:00.005-05:002010-02-01T09:09:47.222-05:00

On Sunday, Leafs GM Brian Burke pulled off two trades:Vesa Toskala and Jason Blake to Anaheim for J.S. Giguere.Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman, Jamal Mayers and Ian White for Dion Phaneuf, Frederik Sjostrom and prospect Keith Aulie.At this point, I've got way more questions than answers...AnaheimGiguere for Blake and Toskala is like a twonie for two loonies.I’m glad Toskala and Blake are gone, but I’m

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-85172089680761549802010-01-20T19:14:00.004-05:002010-01-21T01:13:44.091-05:00

With 11 pending UFAs and RFAs on the Leafs' roster (one or two of who might actually be tradeable) there are a few key dates Leaf fans should keep an eye on.January 1, 2010 (yeah I know it was three weeks ago):As of January 1, NHL teams can begin negotiating new deals ("extensions") for players on one-year contracts. Leaf players in this category include Gustavsson, MacDonald and Wallin.I know I

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-61443874519640910342010-01-19T09:17:00.008-05:002010-01-19T23:33:05.357-05:00

When rumours first surfaced that the Leafs were interested in Phil Kessel there seemed to be three big concerns: Would the Leafs overpay (Kaberle and Kadri);Was Kessel's above average goal production the result of playing with Marc Savard; andWas his shooting percentage sustainable?I'll leave the matter of value and overpayment for another day (my thoughts on this are pretty well documented

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-64372835102653720492010-01-18T14:31:00.003-05:002010-01-18T14:36:43.869-05:00

Brian Burke says a lot of things.He’d pull the trigger on Kessel again.Ron Wilson’s job is safe.“Our goal is to make the playoffs; that's our intention. We think this team is good enough.”I don’t know if I believe a word of it.There are four simple words that Burke might want to take under consideration moving forward: under promise, over deliver.Not only are those four words a pretty good maxim,

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-18102259100201710742009-12-28T00:29:00.002-05:002009-12-28T16:47:40.162-05:00

I hope my regular readers (both of you) will forgive me as this is not a hockey post - although if you look closely you will find two, maybe three, books about hockey. This is a post about reading.Inspired by my pal Peter Simpson and his annual book entry at The Big Beat, I decided to keep track of all the books I read (or tried to read) in 2009.Here they are: forty-seven non-fiction and five

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-29302798220647813132009-12-16T09:53:00.007-05:002010-02-12T11:35:19.018-05:00

With Christmas all but upon us, I thought I'd put up a quick list of gift suggestions for the hockey fan in your life.It's not all about me today, this isn't altruism to get in Santa's good books. I fear if I don't post this at least one poor Leaf fan is going to end up with that middling book Leafs Abomination under their tree.Sports BooksKing of Russia, by Dave KingThis book, co-written by the

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-48772276148285242772009-12-15T20:18:00.005-05:002009-12-16T09:44:27.203-05:00

Matt Stajan is having a career year playing on a line with Phil Kessel.Stajan's emergence comes at an interesting time. As a pending UFA in a contract year one has to wonder if the Leafs can afford to keep him or, given his chemistry with Kessel, can they afford to let him go?One unintended consequence of landing Kessel could very well be Stajan getting priced out of the Leafs'

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-64244058674045323422009-12-15T13:02:00.002-05:002009-12-15T13:07:03.731-05:00

The best thing to happen to the Toronto Maple Leafs this season might just be a knee injury to John Mitchell.Since Mitchell was placed on Long Term Injury Reserve the Leafs are 8-3. Let me be clear: I know the winning streak has a lot to do with stable goaltending, a relatively soft schedule, and better compliance with Coach Wilson’s forechecking system.That said, taking Mitchell out of the

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-21617311582184099462009-11-20T11:33:00.002-05:002009-11-20T11:37:21.333-05:00

This entry was cross-posted at PPPThis morning (November 21), an anonymous commenter ovasked how exactly the Leafs arrived in their current mess.There’s not a single cause or easy explantion.This franchise has gone through three, maybe even four, different phases since 2000, however; with the exception of one small window, all of these phases have focused on the short-term, sacrificing picks and

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-17788273198060841582009-11-19T22:39:00.004-05:002009-11-20T00:10:48.289-05:00

Brian Burke has been preaching accountability and threatening to waive and trade players for nearly three months now.To date, his threats have been emptier than the lower bowl at a Coyotes game and bring to mind a parent counting out-loud to a misbehaving toddler (although in fairnes, most kids usually respond by the time a parent gets to three).Let's face it, Burke really doesn't have much in

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-65919091704747202672009-11-17T22:28:00.007-05:002009-11-18T08:18:59.653-05:00

When Thales was asked what is most universal, he answered, Hope, for hope stays with those who have nothing else - Epictetus, Fragments.I'm beginning to think Thales didn't know what it is to be a Leafs fan.Earlier this year, before a single game had been played, a good friend of mine told me that this would be the worst Leaf season since the lockout. The team was largely without talent up front

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-39630919274461913562009-11-16T09:55:00.004-05:002009-11-16T10:50:23.567-05:00

Phil Kessel has looked impressive so far, but with the season nearing the quarter mark and the Leafs on pace for their worst point total since the mid-1980s one has to ask - was this the right time for Burke to pull the trigger?Phil Kessel is undoubtedly an offensive threat with a wrist shot reminiscent of Wendel Clark's. Unlike Wendel, he's also impressed at the other end of the ice,

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-58202562795582531882009-11-05T17:45:00.005-05:002009-11-06T10:24:41.501-05:00

Much has been made by the media of MLSE arranging H1N1 vaccinations for players from the Leafs, Raptors, and Marlies (the Toronto Star went so far as to claim it sparked a "fury" but all signs point to "not so much" on that call).The City of Toronto Public Health Unit has been clear in stating that H1N1 vaccines are currently restricted to special populations (children under 5, those under 65

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-28348547293338820872009-11-04T19:39:00.005-05:002009-11-05T09:45:57.400-05:00

I’m trying to think of bright spots from the Leafs 2008-09 season and not many are coming to mind.Big comeback wins over the Rangers and Flyers, the emergence of Ian White, a first round pick that softened the blow from each loss, all the pre-trade deadline day chatter (back when fans thought Leaf players were actually worth something) and the sweet feeling when coaches were fired after losses to

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-75699672894526342962009-11-03T09:47:00.004-05:002009-11-03T10:12:01.948-05:00

Every hockey trade needs a bit of distance to be properly evaluated. I thought the Leafs had erred when they acquired Dimitri Yushkevich for a first round pick way back in 1995. The pick turned out to be a bust and Yushkevich became one of my all time favourite Leafs.Tonight Phil Kessel is scheduled to make his Leaf debut. I don't know the last time a player arrived with such heavy expectations -

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-47980083846258381472009-10-17T12:02:00.011-04:002009-11-02T12:36:19.744-05:00

I play shinny early Saturday mornings. Good bunch of older guys. The ice is full of their young kids skating laps while we assemble our gear and try to remember to put our jerseys on before our helmets (it's not as easy as it sounds at 6:30 AM).Each week we look at who showed up, try to pair guys off according to their skill level and then red and yellow pinnies are passed out. We chase the puck

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-48481950306313923642009-10-13T22:54:00.003-04:002009-10-13T23:48:38.743-04:00

I missed the Leafs game against Colorado as I was busy losing a hockey game of my own.The winning (losing?) goal in my 2-1 game was scored from out near the red line. It beat our goalie clean from 60 feet out. I've always dreamed of playing for the Leafs and for one magical night I got to know just how it feels to see a hard fought game lost on a routine shot.Continuing with the personal take,

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-10176541353647739982009-10-12T22:00:00.004-04:002009-10-12T22:41:16.460-04:00

After playing three hundred and four minutes and forty seven seconds of hockey this young season, the Leafs have held a lead for all of six minutes and forty seconds. That's about 2% of total time on ice.The Leafs trailed Montreal for 7:12, Washington for 58:43, Ottawa for 33:15, Pittsburgh for 56:40 and the New York Rangers for 57:26. All told, the Leafs have been in the hole for 213:16 of this

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-7143611513640467372009-10-11T00:34:00.004-04:002009-10-11T09:50:18.236-04:00

Before Leaf fans start to panic, one has to wonder what the best case scenario was for this young season. Looking at the strength of competion, I'd say the best this team could have hoped for was to be 2-2-0 in their first four.The Leafs played well and deserved to win game one against Montreal. It took two bizarre calls and some bad officiating to lose the game against the Sens. Losses to

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-10964860345483821442009-10-05T21:25:00.006-04:002009-10-05T22:34:11.030-04:00

Even though the Leafs are just two games into the season the team is dealing with a so-called goaltending "controversy."Fresh from off-season hip-surgery, Toskala has looked decidedly sub-par in pre-season and regular season action. He's surrendered 14 goals in his last seven periods of play and was pulled after giving up three goals on just eight shots against Washington, including whiffing on a

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-9216846285547202002009-10-03T22:19:00.003-04:002009-10-03T22:33:52.825-04:00

When the Leafs lost the opening game of the 2006 season 4-1 to the Ottawa Senators the reaction from the media was swift.Game 2 of that long-ago season was decreed a "must-win" for the Leafs.Must-win.In October.It always seems peculiar to me that the majority of so-called hockey experts have picked the Leafs to finish in the lower tranche of Eastern Division for years, yet lead the panicky charge

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-87694245233863343132009-09-23T00:58:00.005-04:002009-09-23T10:35:21.854-04:00

What we should talk about when we talk about pre-season:Which prospects get a look early and, ultimately, get into more games.How prospects play and perform as the pre-season progresses and the competition gets tougher.What’s the waiver status on the bubble guys, who’s got manageable cap hits and who’s possible trade bait?Who needs a second look, who’s in decline and who can the team hide put on

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-5463873066624605392009-09-21T19:43:00.005-04:002009-09-22T11:00:25.621-04:00

The Globe and the Sun are reporting that the Leafs have made another round of cuts at training camp, paring the roster down to 34 33 players.Forwards1. Allison, Jason2. Blake, JasonBoyce, Darryl3. Bozak, Tyler4. Brent, TimChampagne, JoelDevane, JamieDeveaux, AndreFoster, AlexGiliati, Stefano5. Grabovski, MikhailGreenop, Richard6. Hagman, NiklasHamilton, Ryan7. Hanson, Christian8. Kadri, Nazem9.

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-5480333623303784282009-09-18T22:19:00.004-04:002009-09-18T23:23:37.601-04:00

The Leafs acquired Phil Kessel from the Boston Bruins for two first round picks, a second round pick and a reported five year $27.2 million deal that carries a $5.2M cap hit.Kessel is coming off shoulder surgery and will be out until November, possibly December.By the numbers, Kessel has put up:70GP 11-18-29pts82GP 19-18-3770GP 36-24-60That's a very nice progression with all signs pointing in the

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-66809253055810585672009-09-13T19:12:00.007-04:002009-09-14T07:37:08.590-04:00

One of my favourite sites in the Barilkosphere was Cox Bloc - don't look for them, they're not there anymore. When Godd and Till called it quits last June, I thought it was a real loss for Leaf fans.When they came calling on me a few weeks later and asked if I wanted to start a new blog with them that would examine those places where sports, business, pop-culture and bad satire intersected, I

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-39613818792436712212009-09-11T22:07:00.003-04:002009-09-11T22:20:28.518-04:00

There seems to be a commonly held perception that Brian Burke and the Toronto Maple Leafs hold the leverage in the on-going saga of Phil Kessel. I’m not so sure.Kessel, a restricted free agent (RFA), is looking for a multi-year deal north of $4 million annually while the Bruins have just $2M in cap room to spare.It sounds like the perfect scenario for the Leafs. They tender an RFA contract

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-51429809027712802872009-09-03T00:36:00.007-04:002009-09-03T07:26:02.716-04:00

I don’t think the much discussed (and increasingly tiresome) term “truculence” will be the big issue for the 2009-2010 Maple Leafs. I think the Penalty Kill (discussed earlier here) and waiver rules are likely to have a far bigger impact on this team than their new found ferocity.Why waivers? Well, as much as I mocked the notion of significant competition in Leafs camp, the Leafs have enough 4th

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-40353507009348101232009-09-01T14:21:00.004-04:002009-09-01T21:28:34.663-04:00

One of the most common Leaf storylines this summer is the "more competition in Leafs camp" angle (Well,other than at least half-a-dozen or so ridiculous trade rumours - Brayden Schenn to the Leafs? Canuck please.)With 23 roster spots to fill and maybe 28 NHL-ready bodies the Leafs have, if not a modicum of depth, at least some options at each position.Let's put it this way: there may be

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-66299610959115184532009-08-30T13:40:00.003-04:002009-08-30T13:59:08.461-04:00

Walter Sobchak:You want a toe? I can get you a toe, believe me. There are ways, Dude. You don't wanna know about it, believe me. The Dude: Yeah, but Walter... Walter Sobchak: Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with nail polish. These fucking amateurs...When I first started this blog, I used to post quite regularly on issues I had with the media and sports coverage. I don't

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-75224036028946171762009-08-07T16:05:00.002-04:002009-08-07T16:37:24.808-04:00

Good news for those of you who are tired of reading my leaf-centric writing for free on this blog (or tired of paying to read my non-leaf corporate writing in such trade magazines as Liv, Hospital News, and Commercial Shipping Monthly).Alec Brownscombe and the fine folks at Maple Street Press have brought together some of the best hockey bloggers out there to contribute to the “Maple Leafs Annual

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-86211048677077539662009-07-28T09:50:00.005-04:002009-07-28T11:22:59.753-04:00

To Calgary: Colin Stuart, Anton Stralman, 2012 7th round pickTo Toronto: Wayne Primeau, 2011 2nd round pick.What this deal is all aboutAcquiring yet another less-talented sibling.I predict Nicolas Cage will star in a movie as a Leafs' GM who finds a secret book. The book dictates that the Leaf franchise cannot go more than five years without having a lesser-talented sibling of another NHLer on

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-84501943965477320762009-07-24T13:27:00.009-04:002009-07-24T21:03:20.247-04:00

With not much going on with my beloved Toronto Maple Leafs, I thought I'd make a decision tree for some of Toronto's sports reporters who might be looking for easy story ideas. Unfortunately, this came out a little blurry - you can click on the image for a bigger, clearer, look.

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-38439481370379513242009-07-22T18:02:00.003-04:002009-07-22T18:41:05.108-04:00

One of the more interesting books I read this year is Smith Magazine's Not Quite What I was Planning. The magazine asked people to submit a six word memoir and collected some of the best in a book. These memoirs demonstrate just how powerful six well chosen words can be.A small sample:"I still make coffee for two.""Found true love, married someone else""Adopted? Are you fucking shitting me?""

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-34728935737965210232009-07-20T11:26:00.003-04:002009-07-20T14:12:32.891-04:00

Given last year’s posts around the ‘Net on the future of the Leafs fan-base and the challenges of marketing an, ahem, less than successful franchise I thought it was fascinating to note the Leafs’ media partners for this season’s free exhibition game.The Back StoryThe dominant narrative structure out there, if it’s to be believed, suggests that the Leafs’ long-term fan support is threatened by

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-31149793429723045062009-07-10T23:38:00.003-04:002009-07-11T00:09:15.287-04:00

In 1986, the Detroit Red Wings were so bad they might as well have played in boots.Coach Harry Neale got the team off to a 8-23-4 record before being fired. His replacement Brad Park was even worse, going 9-34-2 the rest of the way.At the end of the '86 season, Red Wings GM Jim Devellano knew he had to make a change behind the bench and offered the coaching job to Jacques Demers.There was one

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-30738043163768746392009-07-03T00:23:00.007-04:002009-07-03T00:40:19.013-04:00

In his recent make-over of the Leafs, Burke picked up three players who combined for 434 penalty minutes last season.To put that total in perspective, the entire Carolina Hurricanes roster put up just 786 PiMs and the Red Wings just 810.The Orr, Exelby, Komisarek trifecta had exactly half of the PiMs taken by the third least penalized club in the NHL the Minnesota Wild.If the Leafs and their new

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-50949989002585338422009-07-01T23:03:00.006-04:002009-07-02T00:34:33.748-04:00

So this is what Brian Burke meant when he said "truculent."On the first day of NHL free agency the Leafs acquired heavyweight RW Colton Orr (4 years/ $1M per) and D Mike Komisarek (5 years/ $4.25M per).The Leafs also traded D Pavel Kubina to Atlanta along with AHLer Tim Stapleton for D Garnet Exelby and AHLer Mark Stuart. The deal freed up $3M in cap space for the Leafs.The RosterThe Leafs may

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-86613198408417856772009-06-29T21:59:00.008-04:002009-06-30T00:27:16.176-04:00

One day to go until NHL free agency season opens. One day until we find out which NHL GMs are crazy with the cash.I'd like to think that this year's free agency period will reveal a more rational market but I'm sure Sather will prove me wrong with an eleventy-billion dollar offer to Cammalleri only to be outdone by a lifetime contract for Gaborik from Charles Wang.There are a few big name players

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24746874.post-79016251777912042412009-06-27T00:17:00.005-04:002009-06-27T09:16:56.570-04:00

The BroadcastWas there a single pick the experts didn't like tonight? Every pick was smart, every player was talented and every team was getting just what they needed.Maybe I'm cynical or maybe I've just been following the Leafs and the draft for too long, but on draft day the equivalencies thrown around are a bit rich. Each kid is suddenly a composite of Lemieux, Lecavalier and Trottier. Each

MF37http://www.blogger.com/profile/10238252282255067686noreply@blogger.com1