Viewpoint

I can only add to the obvious comments in many respects in that it is ridiculous to blame John Ferguson. His treatment by Maple Leaf management has been beneath contempt and I suspect will be grounds for a future law suit. They have taken away his ability to do his job and Mr. Peddie has also made himself look ridiculous and also without any power when he indicates that the board would have to rule on any changes to things like to the coach or Matt Sundin. The whole situation is pathetic. I have been in management for many years at senior levels and this type of behaviour is uncalled for in any circumstance. I applaud Mr. Fergurson for not letting them force his hand. He will be the ultimate winner for showing so much class. Fans should not look to not attending games as a way to damage the organization as the seats are basically sold out. There would be some loss from concessions but the real way to attack the problem is to approach the TV advertisers and say you want to see other teams games or you will stop using their products. If enough of you take up this challenge you will get action. Stop buying Leaf sweaters and other items and write in to advertisers on their web sites and you will get action after a while. Waiting for the the board has not worked other than to make a lot of money for the teachers pension fund and empty the fans pockets.

The real villain in Peddie.

ESPN voted him one of the worst sports executives and they had literally hundreds to choose from!!

That guy is so incompetent it is criminal. He must have pictures to have avoided the ax this long.

He hired one tomato can after another for the Raptors until Colangelo became available. But my sister could have made that decision with her eyes closed.

Why in the world would he hire a rookie GM for the richest and one of the most storied franchises in hockey? To save money?? PULLEEES!!!

FIRE PEDDIE!

Dig up Punch and Harold...this is the best entertainment around.You Leaf fans continue to crack me up...please don't stop.

The only time something will change is when Hamilton gets a NHL team. With Canada's largest metro population and NO competition, the management does not have to have a winning, title-contending team. For all the people here bashing JFJ, you should look in the mirror. YOU, the fans, are the problem here. When you are willing to fill the ACC each and every game to watch a team under perform and under achieve, what do you expect? Pay for crap and you will get crap. If the NHL would put a team in Hamilton, I would bet my life that the Leafs would win the cup in under 5 years - they would have no choice.

And to whomever suggested that Ken Holland should be approached for the top job, I would like to know what the hell you are smoking. His team has won the President's Trophy 3 out of the last 4 years. He has been there for 3 Stanley Cups and it looks like he will be there for a 4th. Toronto could not pry him from Detroit, and Toronto definately does not deserve him. JFJ is not a bad GM, but when your hands are tied with regards to players and coaches, what really can you do?

Toronto, in it's current incarnation, does not deserve to make it to the playoffs. Start with the board, and as for the fans, stop settling for crap. If you keep buying the tickets, the Leafs will continue to suck. What message are the fans sending MLSE if they are willing to shell out $100+ to watch mediocre hockey? Why, crap sells of course. Give MLSE a reason to change things, such as a half-empty arena. The team would change in an instant if that was the case.

Prediction. Ferguson gets fired. Fletcher is hired. at trading deadline, Fletcher trades 2008 1st round pick to LA for Rob Blake. Leafs don't make playoffs and finish last in the league. Kings enjoy top overall pick!

Story of the leafs in the 90s. Quit living in the past. Forget about Fletcher and Quinn. Leafs need new people, young blood, new ideas. Finish last the next 2 years and get the 1st picks. As a Habs fan and Leaf hater, I shouldn't be saying this; I love seeing the Leafs in misery but this soap opera is getting old and boring. Rebuild already!!

It serves all you Leafs fans right to watch your team continue to struggle.
"Center of the hockey world" my ass.
The Leafs last won a cup when the league had 6 teams. Ancient history that you all love to bring up as meaningful, as the reason why you for some reason deserve to win it again.
What a bunch of malarkey!
No GM or coach in Toronto will ever be the right guy for the job, or be given time to do the job correctly, as the press and the "fans" will be all over them for anything and everything they don't think is done correctly.
No one outside of Toronto, save those who used to live there, care about the Leafs winning. In fact, they're happy to see them lose, and to listen to the "fans" whine and complain and recount past glories that most of them aren't even old enough to remember.

JFG is a terrible GM....agreed, now that we got that out of the way. But bringing in Cliff Fletcher, just seems like an easy way out of this situation. A while ago there was a demand for the head of Richard Peddie, the corporate goon who has sucked every last penny out of us leaf fans. But he managed to turn the tables, by leaving JFG out to dry, and let the media deal with his carcas. We have all forgotten the real problem...... Peddie knew Bowman was a threat, he knew he would limit his input on the organization, thats why he never called him back. Its a disgrace that were all eating away at JFJ, while that corporate shark is allowed to continue his canabolism of Leaf nation. Cliff Fletcher was scowled out of leafs nation almost a decade ago.... why bring him back? what is with this organization and bringing back personal that are way past there prime? Cliff had his chance.... he blew it, end of chapter. We now have the oppourtunity to start a new era and were dropping the ball.....common now. Josh Glover.

The way in which the leafs owners manage this club is dysfunctional. Can anyone tell me the last time "A board" built a winner?

I've also listened to the argument that as long as the leafs are making money why would they make any changes. It would appear as though leaf players have taken their lead, why try to win when you'll get paid anyway.
What a great message to send to the players.

In this part of the country more and more fans are hitching their wagon to the Penguins, with all their young talent they seem light years ahead of the leafs.

Sundin deserves a Stanley Cup so I hope the leafs trade him to a contender ala Bourque in Boston.

Mr. Rogers...You are the only person I have EVER heard make the ultimate statement of blame which carries the most weight. I couldn't agree more with you. For how many years, and how many regimes, has Leafs nation tollerated a complete and utter garbage product, ludicrous management, and abusive ownership. The only people to blame are the fans. They continue to support this b/s. Of course, how can one get upset or lay blame on people who obviously show no signs of intelligence when the do support this ongoing cancer.

The excuse of not spending the money is long gone with the intro of the salary cap too, so everyone....let that argument go!!!

As for the behaviour of Peddie and the owner ship? Ferguson should quit and go on every tv interview he can find and start shooting back...They fully deserve that and more!!!

Leaf fans...You should be calling for Peddie's head and the board members heads at the games for now on.

John Ferguson has done nothing. Leaf fans are forced to pay ticket prices that do not reflect a fair price both for the current product or the league. Anyone who has bought a leafs ticket since Ferguson has taken over should demand some of their money back.

I think I'm actually done as a Leafs fan. I've been deluding myself all this time that the current ownership cares at all about the history or legacy of this team. They bicker and dicker and blame everyone around them, but ultimately, they are more worried about their own egos and pocketbooks than about the talent or the fans. This team is not the Toronto Maple Leafs anymore. It just isn't.

Until the organization starts to show some actual respect for its fans (rather than take advantage of their undying loyalty to make a quick buck) I'm going over to the dark side.

I was a lifelong Leafs fan, but let me tell you, the Senators respect their city, respect their fans, respect their players, and they play a beautiful, classy game.

It's come down to a single question -- do I like hockey, or do I like the Leafs? These two things aren't the same thing anymore.

MLSE has forgotten the "S" part, and has turned the "ML" part into an empty brand name. Until the organization starts playing the game again, I'm gone. Until those jackals put the "Maple Leafs" part back into "Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment," I'm an Ottawa Senators fan.

Take that MLSE.

As I told my Co-works a year ago, in the first year of the salary cap Toronto saved 25 million dollars and the Leafs had the nerve to raise ticket prices. Remember pension funds are suppose to make money. Not pay for Stanley cups.

I would just like to say to all those who criticize the Maple Leafs and the management and chant things like "Fire Ferguson" - Good For you! Maybe someone will hear us and actually do something to bring a Cup here to Toronto in my life time. Otherwise we will have a new generation of Canadian Ottawa Senator fans! ick.

P.S. Play Belak - Sit Tucker, Trade Sundin, Raycroft on Waivers, White to the Marlies, and get a better doctor for Carlo.

MLSE is a corporation beholden to its shareholders, not just the retired teachers but everyone who owns stock in the company. Shareholders elect the board, the board elects company officials, and the point of it all is to make money. Hockey operations is a division of the overall company, which, despite abject failure on the ice, reaps huge profits.

Obviously, the problem with the Leafs concerns the President and the board of directors. They are good at making money, but stupid at making hockey decisions. That pleases the shareholders and annoys fans. But make no mistake annoyed fans count for very little in this universe.

Unless something meaningful happens at the level of corporate structure nothing will change. The Raptors got the needed changes, but they are a feldgling division of MLSE and the possibility is real that if they fail on the court they fail as a business. The Leafs are an institution, such that an NHL without them (despite their modern status as perennial losers) is unimaginable. At the same time, because they're going nowhere and indeed remain profitable, it seems likely the eternal source of bad hockey decisions will remain in place too.

Being a Flames fan, and becoming quite sick and tired of our national sports medias obsession with the Leafs, I don't really care whether or not the Leafs are winning or losing. What bugs me even more though is the totally classless manner in which the organization is handling the situation. From what I can see from a distance, the problems run much deeper than coaches, players and the GM in that organization!

If you really want to emasculate Ferguson then write an article about how he has been emasulated and then post it for millions to read. Nice one.

You can't blame the fans for supporting the Leafs. Walking away would not solve anything. You can't blame ownership for not commiting money to the organisation. The Leafs salary budget is among the highest in the league. They are committed to paying the price in terms of money to get a good team. You can however blame ownership for their undying support of Richard P when it comes to allowing him to have control of the Leafs. Dick has made a lot of money for ownership over the years so there is an alliance to him. The question the owners must face immediately is how far they willing to alienate fans because of this alliance. Richard P may be able to make money in real estate etc for his owners but his inflated ego on having control over the Leafs is the one problem that must be faced or the Leafs will toil in mediocrity forever....he has shown to have no skills whatsoever when it comes to the business of building a hockey team.....Hey Raptor fans....count your blessings.

Mike Rogers makes a good point about the fans continuing to support the team. However HNIC can be blamed for this as well, because I often have no choice but to watch the Leafs, whether I like it or not. EVERY Saturday night the Leafs are on the early game (at least here in the west-central region), regardless of whether the Habs or Sens are playing that night. We are forced to watch a mediocre Leafs time to generate revenue. Last Saturday was the first time in a long time that the Leafs did not play the early HNIC game...because they were on the late game from San Jose instead.

The Leafs' board of governors have figured out what Harold Ballard knew in the '80s: that you don't need a good team to fill the seats and make tonnes of money.

It is mainly the teachers of Ontario that are to blame as they are the ones profiting from the unconditional loyalty from the best fans in professional sport. It is the teachers that should be letting their pension managers know that they are fans too and to let JFJ and Paul Maurice do their job which is securing a Stanley Cup win for us, the customer. The sooner the board stops running the team, the better.

I feel bad for the Leafs right now. Wait? No I don't, they keep treating their fans bad. GO HABS GO!

Cliff Fletcher is a bad choice, he wasn't a great GM when he was with the leafs. He traded away the future every year for a bunch of over the hill veterans to try to get farther in the playoffs. Historically it just doesn't work. Toronto needs good hockey people throughout the organization, not just at GM, and that starts with the scouts. The team needs to suck it up for a couple of years so they can get some quality draft picks. As for the team under-achieving, well maybe Blake is but he has cancer. The rest of the team with the exception of Sundin just isn't that good. The problem is the media every year exaggerates how good the players really are to the point where the fans believe they have a legitimate shot at the Cup. Well people it just ain't so. Stop drinking the Kool-aid and face reality.

Reading all these comments reminds me of the early '80s where the exact same discussions where had about another John Ferguson, namely, John Ferguson Sr.

the ownership structure of MLSE is dysfunctional for sure, they have no business running a hockey team, and their treatment of JFJ in general during his tenure has been pretty poor.

but unless richard peddie is publishing this stuff himself, the one's to blame for the 'public emasculation' this past week is the media whores in this town who publish every rumour or leaked phone call, or who just flat out speculate when there's no actual facts to report on. trying to be discreet in this town is an impossibility.

There can be no question in anyone’s mind that John Ferguson Jr. is being unfairly treated by his bosses. The ongoing public discussion that Peddie and the Leaf’s board have had to replace JF Jr. is an embarrassment and as another commentator wrote is “a warning to prospective candidates to stay clear of this reprehensible lack of respect for employees, players and fans.”

No one can argue that the terrible record of the Leafs is JF Jr.’s fault alone. Blame should be directed to management. It is obvious that management has tied Jf Jr.’s hands in what he can or cannot do. Leaf’s. Management, more specifically the Teachers' Pension Administrators are only interested in the huge profits the Leafs make for the Teachers. So long as the fans continue to purchase tickets, management has no reason to support the tough decisions a GM must make to have a Stanley Cup contender. The next GM is going to be in the same boat.

It is also obvious that Pat Quinn did a terrible job and accomplished during his tenure as coach. He left a mess for Paul Maurice who is a good coach with a un-motivated team.

What JF Jr. should be remembered for is his honesty and hard since taking over this job and the professional manner he handled himself throughout this long ordeal with his bosses.

It's wrong to drag JFJ through the mud but it's the league's coaches that get the worst treatment year after year, and they don't get to hide in the press box.

See if Bryan Colangelo has a brother who played hockey!!

Similar to others, I have to lay the blame for this farce on MLSE. The way they operate shows their utter contempt for Leaf fans. At least Harold Ballard used to come on the TV from time to time and show some interest in his Blue and White army of supporters while sparring with the late Dick Beddoes and Dave Hodge.

It all boils down to the $$$$$$$$......period. Yeah! I know the other teams are also in it for the money.....but at least they try to get winners from time to time. Chicago is the only original 6 team left that has not won a cup since 1967. Think of it! The Rangers, Habs, Bruins and Wings have all won Cups since then. Those teams have rebuilt their organizations and systems from the ground up on numerous occasions and have something to show for it. And Chicago actually made it to the finals on a couple of occasions.....close but no cigars. We've seen a generation grow up that has no idea what it looks like to have a Leaf Captain raise the silverware at centre ice after winning game 4 of the Stanley Cup final. And even this Habs fan has to say that is a sad thing. And think about other Canadian teams that weren't even in existance back in 67. The Flames and Oilers have won cups, the relocated Nordiques have won cups in Denver and Vancouver and Ottawa have made it to the finals.

As long as Leaf fans keep pumping $$$$$$$ into the coffers of MLSE, there is no need for the management to put their money where their mouth is. They'll laugh all the way to the bank, if they can carry that much money and not get hernias in the process.

Fletcher is the wrong guy for the job with the salary cap in place. he was okay when he could spend as much money as was available. However, with the salary cap it is a whole new hockey game. Bowman is the only real option The MLSE should be considering. They must give him full authority to wheel and deal to get back some of the promissing draft picks given away by JFJ. Please bring in Bowman.

The Leafs were dreadful long before the Teachers' Pension Plan got involved, so let's not lay the problem at that particular doorstep. Hiring Fletcher is dipping once more into the past. What is needed is a totally new face, with a tried and tested record of success. Bowman would have been the man, but I think they may have blown that one.

Why does everyone keep saying that Paul Maurice is a good coach? What has he really done in the NHL? Just because he gets stuck with garbage drafts like Stajan and Steen, doesn't mean that he's not partially responsible for the team's demise. People protect Maurice like he won a Stanley Cup! It is not all John Ferguson's fault.

Fourth option: if firing is the choice, then give him the contract extension first because he has earned the cash??????

Ummmmm......Perhaps you've banged your head and can no longer think rationally? Ferguson did a bad job and should be fired without compensation. He should in fact pay back some of the money he was paid.

As your writing - being on par with JFJ's GM'ing - you owe me $50 for having to read your bs.

The Toronto Media frenzy will run anyone out of town, no players want to be there for long. No prospect since Wendel Clark has really paid off for the team, because no flower is aloud to grow in Leafland. Like the seasons the Leafs come and go and simply fall every year.

MLSE - Dysfunctional....
What a disgrace the way they've treated JFJ. They have no idea what they are doing.

BTW - Thanks, Mr Melnyk for keeping the Senators in Ottawa, at least its a well-run Organization. Something MLSE could learn from.

The Maple Leaf organization is showing a lack of class in how it is handling the Ferguson situation. He is not the only one to blame for the current state of the leafs. The players are ultimately responsible. On some nights they look like they don't care.

So much caterwalling over the politics of hockey. It is all in the end like anything else, power, money, greed. Get the 'Trumpster' in there he too would fire everyone but turn the organization into an even bigger entertainment ruse. Scott, Ferguson is a big boy don't worry he can take all that is give to him. No pity needed.

How much dumber can these guys get?
It's so obvious that they are a bunch of overpaid idiots with a reactive not proactive way of doing things. It's for the money and the ego not for the passion, history and common goal of winning. Richard P. included.
This team does well financially on two things: History is one. The other, unfortunately, is Bay Street showoff fat cats interested only in being ‘seen’ at an expensive venue. They could care less if the team wins. Point being, this is not a financially successful team because management are sooo amazing at what they do. Let’s all be real about it. What awesome things have they done besides raising prices and bad hiring?
Dare I say the dumbest side of it all is that they could have the best of both worlds like Detroit. I'm so jealous of that organization it hurts. They're always good, always have great players, prospecting and management. It's based on passion and the fans get that. They pay to show up because the team does. Management included. These are hockey people who care about their hockey jobs and they are afforded the respect to do it. The rest falls into place.
My point? Scrape off the crap and get simple. Hire good people then leave them alone and let them do their job. Let them be proactive (always thinking one step ahead) instead of reactive (always a step behind). JFJ is just the latest example of the reactive MLSE mentality.
Right now it seems the common goal is undefined beyond firing JFJ and replacing him. That seems REALLY stupid for the richest team with the worst management structure and a terrible record...oh yeah, and all that money tied up in goalies and defense.
Everyone needs to go, not just JFJ. His removal is a band-aid at best. And yes, his treatment is even worse. Who knows what he's had to deal with through all his decisions if this is how MLSE continues to reactively handle things.
The hockey team sucks because the management team sucks. Notice team is the common thread, not JFJ.

Everyone single person in management needs to be fired and this should have happened 7 or 8 years ago. I feel bad for all you Leafs fans. Go Habs Go!!!

Hire Fletcher and offer to retain Ferguson in a hockey capacity in keeping with his expertise.

JFJ's sin was to grab an opportunity to run the leafs at a time when he did not have the experience in dealing with the sharks (both hockey and business).

He is clearly a stand-up guy who, if nothing else deserves to be allowed to refurbish his career on the Buds payroll.

Everybody remembers how Doug Riseborough got "emasculated" in Calgary followinng the trading of Doug Gilmour. DR now is a respected GM in Minnesota. JFJ's hockey crimes don't even come close to Riseborough's.

Given his willingness to stand up to the hits for the team's poor showing, I say the Leafs should show JFJ the same amount of class and offer to retain him. He deserves that much.

I don't know what all the fuss is about, bringing the cup to Toronto. Who cares, pay your $15 and you can see it across the street and maybe actually enjoy yourself?
But, please stop wasting your money and putting more of it in the pockets of the country club owners and players that are the TML organization.
As long as the teahers own em, and the cup is one block down, we are never going to win it.
Maybe we can get them to make a target shooting game at the hall of fame with Peddie's face on the target and we can wear a JFJ mask while shooting.

Its too bad but the Battle of Ontario now exists soley in the city of Toronto. MLSE ??? haha what a joke, is there room for 20 captains on the ice ? how about 30 coaches behind the bench, what about 50 GM's in the pressbox ?? Our ONE owner and ONE president in Ottawa are not only world class gentlemen, but they are hockey-savvy business men who have been able to employ great hockey minds, and homegrown heros to turn a medicore Canadian Market to a stanly cup contender in a matter of a couple of years, oh yeah but most importantly, they choose to listen to the fans that buy their tickets. Good Luck Leafs, you're going to need it

It's exactly thinking like this that has kept the Leafs perennial non-contenders. Where I come from you earn your keep by performing. The NHL old boys club only goes so far as which old boy can actually live up to his reputation. Let's be honest if John Ferguson Jr. has in Scott Morrison's estimation, been emasculated, it hasn't been undeservedly. The only problem as I see it is why Richard Peddie comes out unscathed in this whole debacle. A fish stinks from the head down, so start there.

Success in hockey is supposed to be cyclical. Hockey dynasties come and go, but some teams (i.e. Detroit) seem to be very good for extended periods of time. Why? Because the successful teams put in place a player development plan and structure to regenerate a talented core and fill in with useful pieces. Isn’t the term “rebuilding” just an indication that you are replenishing the core of your team to ensure success? If you can regenerate your talent pool without hitting rock bottom for a lottery pick, even better. In Toronto, we have come to expect a team that is middle of the pack at best. Mediocre enough for some success and not bad enough to hit rock bottom. This is the Toronto hockey limbo that teases us every few years with some playoff success.

It starts at the top. It is not until Toronto has an ownership structure that adds winning as a core objective, that the centre of the hockey universe will put in place a knowledgeable hockey man at the top, and put in place an effective player development plan and the supporting structure to make it happen. The Teachers Pension Plan must say goodbye to this cash cow for the sake of every Leaf fan.

Who cares? It's the Leafs.

They way that the MLSE yahoos have dragged JFJ through the mud, they will be lucky to be able to hire any GM worth his salt.

As a non-leaf fan I have watched as the TMLs have hopelessly circled the bowl for the last few years. Their current situation is no surprise. THere needs to be a major shakeup in who runs this hapless organization, and as long as it is run by pension fund managers and the team is making money then we are unlikely to see a change in how things are done.

I agree entirely with the comments in this article. The current treatment of Ferguson is wrong. Fire him or keep him. One or the other.

The entire Board of directors and CEO Richard Peddie are complete assholes. They are the ones that should be replaced

Two things:

1. I agree with most that TML problems lie in upper than GM management. If these people were so business-smart, they would have long ago named a GM and left him alone to run the team as long as finances AND on-ice performance stayed at an acceptable level. Even in TO, great performance = greater money (remember, we are talking about so-called businessmen here).

2. I find quite ironic that such comments about how wrong "public emasculation" is comes from the media, who is probably the number one feeder on these things. If it is so wrong, don't add fuel to it and/or give it more legitimacy by covering it in your stories.

Who really gives a " rat's ass " about the Leafs, Ferguson, Maurice or Petty ( ooooops Peddie ). The franchise has reeked of failure for decades and will continue to do so. So sad that we are subjected to this drivel on television ad finitum. For my $money$ give me amateur hockey ( both Mens and Womens ). At least an honest effort to play the game is given every night.

The Ballard days are starting to look good. Corporate "morans" that think they know hockey!

Heheheheh.....I'm enjoying this little show. Flecther has already indicated that TML will not get into the playoffs!

I am tired of sports organizations laying the blame on coaches and management whenever a team does poorly.

What about the highly payed players? They are referred to as "professionals" and as such should be playing to their individual capacity at all times. When there are a string of losses in a sport, it has little to do with the coaches and managers but is directly attributable to a lack of effort from the players. Lay the blame where it belongs.

Prediction. Ferguson gets fired. Fletcher is hired. at trading deadline, fletcher trades 2008 1st round pick to LA for Rob Blake. Leafs don't make playoffs and finish last in the league. Kings enjoy top pick!

The public humiliation of the Leafs organization while interesting should be viewed introspectively. The fault lies with the fans. Basically, they are morons.

One or two wins will not address the issue of the team as it currently stands. It is about time the Leafs rebuild. The team as it stands now is not competitive, which is painfully obvious. There is minimal to no young talent that can be viewed as the foundation for growth in coming years. Trade the assets that are currently held and start rebuilding for the future. However, the current GM has proven that he is unable to make these trades. Why should he be treated with kid gloves; he is an adult and has been hired to perform certain duties in the best interest of the hocke club. If anyone in the work force of any corporation is not performing s/he is fired and a replacement is brought in that can perform. However, that being said, JFJ is not the only one that should be held accountable. The Head Office of MLSE has become too complacent and refuses to make changes when they are called upon to do so. Time to wake up and stop the bleeding. Leaf fans deserve a winning team and the lack of direction and planning currently shown by this group is disheartening. PLEASE make the necessary changes and give us Leaf fans what we deserve.

Hey Scott:

Can you answer a question for me?

I think we all understand that the problem with the Leafs extend much further then JFJ or Paul Maurice (even if he as lost the 'Room'). There is the dynamics of MLSE and the Boarch, the Teachers and the Bottom-Line.

One name that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up through all of this is though is Richard Peddie! Why is it that this guy keeps on getting a free pass? I understand that he is an excellent businessman in tending to the Teachers Return on Investment, but why have his Powers over the Hockey Operation and the Maple Leafs not been questioned? How is it that the media does not put him up on the steak to be held accountable?

Draft schmaft. Fletcher is one of the reasons why there is no core in the leafs. Luongo could have been here but no. Give Maurice the coach and GM job and fire Peddie and Ferguson!

I feel terrible for Ferguson. Here's what I'd do if I were him. Meet with other NHL GM's behind closed doors over the next few days and trade away the team for nothing-totally ruin the Leafs. If I'm going down, I'm taking the team with me. I'd never get another job in the NHL again, but it sure would be fun.

You have to love our passion for the great game of hockey. This issue(s) with the Leafs is getting more press, more debate and opinons that any of the previous Federal elections that I can remember, perhaps because hockey is a far better topic than our politics. Wait until the Buds win two or three more games, everyone will be back on the bandwagon, they will be considered real contenders for Lord Stanley's mug, and all will be right with the universe. As a HABS fan, I hope they make it, I will have the extreme pleasure of watching Montreal beat them out in the playoffs.

Ok first off who ever wrote the comment under the name harold ballard, you are an idiot. secondly, changes need to either start at the top mlse needs to move tanumbaum(spelling) and pettie out of hockey operations(move them to the mail room or something)or give the next GM total control of hockey decisions ie coaches, scouts and trades.Do not trade Mats but do not build the team around him.trade away or waive certain high priced low productive players(mostly D).And also give maurice and chance and also give him something to work with.

just my 2 cents worth

I have now stopped watching the leafs entirley.It was just way to painful to watch the leafs lose over and over again .I think it's time to pull the team out send them on vaction and come back next year.Also I truly believe that no one will make a difference everyone just talks and talks we should do this and do that well you know what nothing will help unless somebody out there knows how to fix the problem and so far for the last 4 decades no one has figured it out so we continue on this destructive path.What a godamed shame

Was there a single Leaf fan out there who wasn't disappointed when JFJ was chosen to run this team? This always was going nowhere. The ownership of this team doesn't care about winning. Period. Ballard was the same. Steve Stavro was a breath of fresh air in Toronto but the corporates now rule. I was five years old when the Leafs won their last Stanley Cup and I can't see any light at the end of the tunnel right now. For the first time in my life I am genuinely losing interest in this team and this is the team I cried as a child for when they lost in the playoffs. The Leafs are part of me but I feel that the flame is dying because I just can't stand losing any more. Why can Carolina win the Cup and Tampa Bay and Anaheim? What is wrong here? We are the centre of the hockey world despite all the terrible years we have had since 1967. I am at a loss here.

Fans and media are quick to villify John Ferguson Jr., and the coach, and the players. But the real problem with the Leafs is the ownership.
The only quick fix is to fire every single person who is in anyway associated with the Leafs-side of MSLE (excluding players, the coaches, and supporting staff) and move the whole thing to Winnipeg. Or, move them as far as possible from Peddie and those other self-important, half-witted yahoos.

Time for new ownership is the real answer. When you have a management setup like they have now, nothing gets done. Until the Leafs are owned/managed by someone who truely wants a winner in Toronto, its the status quo...yes,I'm a Leafs fan & remember them winning the cup in 67...the time has come to finally make big changes from the top down.

I think the Toronto Make Beliefs should make JFJ GM for life since their fans will fill the stands no matter how awful they are.That way I can continue to use Leaf fans as virtual ATM machines as they continue to believe they'll be 82-0 if only they can lure Tie Domi out of retirement.

'Emasculation' has to be the biggest word I've ever read on the CBC website... and it's being used in an article about hockey to boot! I wonder how many readers had to go out and find a definition?

What is Pat Quinn up to these days? Why is there not any interest in calling him back? He is one of the best there is.

I agree with Julian in Alberta, John Ferguson is a better man than MSLE deserves. I've been a Leafs fan for 50 years. Ferguson is the first Leafs GM I've seen that has NOT traded the young Leafs players away. And, they're good hockey players. Ferguson's kept all the young players as the core of the team. What Toronto doesn't have to make that team "gel" is a coach. Paul Maurice should've have been fired after last season. He's a screamer. During last Saturday's game against the Sharks with less than 2 minutes to go, Leafs down 3-2, on a timeout at the Leafs bench you can see Maurice leaning over Leafs' players on the bench YELLING at the players standing on the ice. Yet, you can see none of the players are listening to Maurice. MSLE management really screwed up they should have let Ferguson do his GM job unhindered. Eventually, Ferguson is going to move on and I'll bet he'll produce some great Stanley Cup teams in the future, with the right organization that will allow him to do his job.

Here's what the leafsneed to do in order:
1. Fire Richard Peddie. (He`s the Antichrist in Leafs Nation)
2. Fire JFJ (put the poor man out of his misery and let him find a job with a club that will support him)
3. Fire Paul Maurice (he`s a good coach and can find a job elsewhere in no time)
4. Hire an experienced and proven GM on a Bryan Colangelo type deal (with iron clad provisions that there will be no meddling from management in hockey operations)
5. Dismantle the team and begin rebuilding. If you have to take a 7th round pick to dump Raycroft, do it.

This is the only way the Leafs can have any sort of shot of being a winner in the next decade since the next 2 or 3 years are pretty much shot at this point.

Also, may I suggest a Sundin to Vancouver for Cory Schneider, Alex Edler and draft picks deal. If the Nux pick up Sundin don`t you think his good buddy Peter Forsberg would end up on a line with Sundin and Naslund in Van City.

He should just step down. Even though he sucks, he doesn't deserve that kind of treatment from people. Peddie goes around talking crap about him and he takes. Seriously, JFJ, if you are reading this just step down and save yourself the unwanted humiliation.

Who cares? It's not like winning is going to sell more tickets.

Get rid of Ferguson, and who cares what Morrison thinks anyhow.Fergie made this mess, no one else.Someone hired this idiot to do a job, and he didn;t.He sucks at what he does.so he deserves what is coming.Don;t let him do anymore "tinkering around",he would screw that up to.Anyone else gets the same treatment, only in Toronto its multiplied cause its hockey city here.Fletcher, no, Bowman, no, Neal Smith, no.Doug Armstrong,maybe.We need youth and a young mind goes a long way baby

peddie is the problem. he doesn't know sports and shouldn't have the power to hire or fire anyone. he is a fool to the fullest extent when it comes to running a sports team.

Problem in Toronto in that no matter how poorly the Leafs perform, there are still dedicated fans who support the team and pour in millions of dollars to the organization. STOP THAT. The more you support the team when they are down, the more management/owners will not see why it is necessary to make any changes to improve the team. Stop supporting the Leafs if you want change! Wait until owners respond by hiring the right people, and spending the money.

Wow, I can't believe they haven't just fired JFJ already. That being said, as a Canucks fan its funny to see the continued failure of the Leafs organization. Ha ha!

Its not JFJ's fault that the Board gives him NO power to make his own choices. They are a bunch of cowards hiding behind a person, who they say they stand BESIDE. JFJ and all the coaching staff should go to a deserving team somewhere else in the NHL. I think they have done the best they could , being stood over by people like Mr. Peddie who "didn't understand how important a GM was to a team in hockey". JFJ and Paul M. don't feel bad if they tell you to walk. You'll do better not being directed by SWINE anyways!

There's a certain irony in decrying the emasculation of JFJ and then suggesting Fletcher should have his job.

"Now, the wizards who run the joint will argue he is under contract, being paid and is supposed to do his job. All the rest is speculation and such, beyond their control. Whatever."

Interesting.

I don't think firing the GM or any other front office staff will make the Leafs a better team. It all has to do with attitude. A team like the Leafs would not be supported in any other city. I think the fans are the ones to blame. If viewership of all medias covering the Leafs were to see a drop and the advertisers saw that, then there would be change in attitude, because all the owners of the Leafs care about is revenue. Hit them in the pocket book and the team will get better. It is up to the fans to stop supporting them, not by just not going to the games, but by not calling in talk shows, watching on TV and listening on the radio. Its the only way.

I don't know why everyone is so down on Ferguson. After all, aren't the Leafs making loads of money? So what's the problem? Does anyone think they're in business to win hockey games, or to make money?

The fact that the Leafs have no class should also be no surprise to anyone. How long ago was it that the Leafs showed any class at all? I can't remember it, and I can remember the last time they won the only meaningful game in hockey, the one that gets you the Stanley Cup!

Come on everyone. The Leafs will win a couple of games, toss Ferguson out the door, and raise their prices. And everyone in Leaf's Nation will be happy again.

History really does repeat itself.

I feel the players underachieving is to blame for the state they are in these days not the man who assembled them. There is more than enough talent on the Leafs roster to get them into the playoffs, however for whatever reason they dont look like they will be there come April. Personally I feel that the players themselves are to blame as they are not coming close to playing up to their potential. While Sundin is obviously fullfilling his obligations one man does not a team make. If not for the fact that Ferguson's hands seem to be tied when it comes to player or coach movement, perhaps he could have rectified this situation long ago. However as long as ownership continues to meddle and cause distractions that at this point clearly are not needed he is in a losing battle that he most certainly will lose. If the axe does fall and Ferg. is let go,I hope he considers it a blessing in disguise and moves his talents out of the microscope that is Toronto. That way when he is gone and the same pattern persists as it most definetely will as long as a Toronto GM has to answer to so many chiefs his reputation can be salvaged. Toronto is going nowhere as long as the board of directors tries to run this team and run their coaches and GM's through the meat grinder in front of the entire world. Shame on Petty for the circus he has created I couldn't imagine the pressure his players,and management must feel on a daily basis which is obviously affecting their performance on the ice. Perhaps if the team had recieved the top grade goaltending they so desperately need and players such as Blake,Tucker.Ponikarovsky..etc lived up to their contracts and ability Ferguson would be heralded as the second coming of Fletcher instead of looking over his shoulder to see if Fletcher WAS coming. Blame the players not the man who put these underachievers in the dressing room. Shameful is the only word to describe these scapegoat tactics. Thank you.

It's time to make some critical decisions for the Maple Leafs. Let's be realistic here. What has Ferguson done for this organization lately??. Nothing. He fired Pat Quin and now he is follow his foot steps. What has Ferguson accomplished?. Nothing. Let's kiss another hockey season goodbye.
I was only 5 years old when Leafs won a Stanley Cup. This was 40 years ago. Leafs fans deserve to see some good competition on and off ice. We want quick actions, young blood and good results. Enough excuses. We finally deserve to see good hockey night in Toronto.

It matters not who has the title of GM, or coach for that matter, of the Leafs. Management, more specifically the Teachers' Pension Administrators have an obligation to ONE group - the Teachers. With the huge profit made off the Leafs, what reason do they have to ice a Stanley Cup contender? None. Sorry Leaf fans, but the light at the end of this tunnel is an on-coming train.

I agree Scott that Fergie, for all his apparent gaffs as a GM, should be treated better by his superiors. They are showing themselves to be smug tyrants and pathological ignoramuses.

It is they who have fiddled while Rome goes up in flames. Fire the lot of them why not. The rot starts at the very top in T.O.

They have betrayed, and mocked, the fans of the blue and white by incompetent hiring and failing to spend to get the best.

Instead of asking for help they have muttered amongst themselves and shut their their wax-clogged ears the crys of folks who care deeply about the on ice product.

By allowing, even fanning, speculation about coaching and GM changes and then doing nothing they are, as you put it, being cruel and short-sighted.

Persisting in their delusional ways may just scare off any of the only true hockey minds that could realistically begin the reconstruction of a franchise in tatters.

Here is what I have to say about Toronto and its track record ---> LOL

I lost faith in JFJ when he traded 1st round draft picks for over the hill rentals. And who would you rather have right now Brad Boyes or Owen Nolan? And frankly making the trade for Toskala BEFORE knowing would be available with your first round pick just smacks of incompetence.

But yes Leaf management is rediculous, they should fire JFJ and hire his replacement and give his replacement a long term contract so he (or she) will have the guts to build a team for the future instead of going for mediocrity now.

Ferguson is being treated unfairly, for sure. This is par for the course for an organization with nothing but a "fabled" history and some slavishly devoted zombies for fans.

Pat Quinn left the Leafs in such a mess anyway, it's hardly Ferguson's fault. But I am sure the Leafs will call Quinn next.

I think that John Ferguson Jr. - the man - is often forgotten in the rabid panic of the Leafs' faithful (or more often faithless), not to mention the often simply idiotic submissions from those who just like the kick the team when it's down.

Whether or not he has done the job well is open to debate, and will likely not be known for some time, as coaches work for today and GM's work for tomorrow. However, JFJ has tried to hold his head high throughout this long, slow dance with his bosses. Since his arrival in Toronto, I've been impressed with his apparent honesty, grace and even occasional humour. The man has got to be dying a thousand deaths, and yet (outwardly) he rarely shows it.

When I was a kid, I hated the Montreal Canadiens, but I've since mellowed considerably and rarely become that petty anymore. Looking back, I realize that John Ferguson Sr. was a tough, hardworking guy that never took an easy stride. My kind of guy, as I get older.

With that in mind, I hope that JFJ recognizes that, given the grace he has shown lately, at least his old man would be very proud of him. Some days, that's as good as it gets.

I'm not a Leafs fan (Bruins actually), but I also feel bad for Paul Maurice. He's a good coach that has been thrown to the wolves with an under-achieving team and a seriously messed up management and I can see him being a casualty of this mess too. This team needs an overhaul from top to bottom, including a number of players that aren't performing up to snuff. I also don't undertand why people want to get rid of Sundin. Presently, he's the only one that is producing. Take a look at the scoring race, he's the only one in the top 20. Start by getting a new defence corp and follow it quickly with new goaltending (thanks for Tuukka Rask by the way). Get someone that can play with Sundin because Blake has been a disappointment. Darcy hasn't exactly been stellar either. What this team really needs is for the rabid fan to boycott a couple games or so. Only then will the management stand up and take notice because right now they are making money hand over fist with one of the worst teams in the NHL.

What Cliff Fletcher accomplished while serving the Phoenix Coyotes was nothing more than a poorly executed "Old Boys Approach" that did nothing for the franchise. He was latterly not rehired.
What Toronto needs to do is, give Ferguson the authority to make the changes so desperately apparent and move forward with the sale of the team to a knowledgeable businesman instead of a Teacher's Pension Fund.
All of a sudden "Hockey Night in Canada" just isn't the same.

I was never in favour of JFJ, I dislike many of his moves and his lack of experience, however, he is a human being and deserves respect. I find myself liking and respecting JFJ because he has shown that he has a hell of lot more character and class than the clowns that make up the senior management of the Maple Leafs. He has shown strength and fortitude. JFJ deserves to be relieved of his position but there should be a very large payout. the shabby manner that Peddie and the board have handled this situation is an embarrassment to all leaf fans and should be a warning to prospective candidates to stay clear of this reprehensible lack of respect for employees, players and fans.

Mike Meyers must be crying in his beer. When Scottie Bowman was awarded a star on the Walk of Fame in 2003, Mike Meyers begged Scottie Bowman to come to Toronto and help the Leafs win the Stanley Cup. I couldn't believe it when I saw Bowman on TV the other night hinting that he would have accepted an offer this past summer. Please bring Bowman to Toronto to help the Leafs win the Stanley Cup!!

Hiring Fletcher or anybody else at this point is nuts.

There's nothing he can do this late in the season, and if he's only got a contract until July, the next guy can undo whatever he does manage to accomplish.

Plus, the main requirement for this job should not be that you're currently unemployed.

The only sane course is to let The Fergie and Mo Show finish out the season, conduct a real job hunt and give the new guy a long-term contract and a mandate to run the whole shebang.

Of course, MLSE has not shown an ounce of sanity for the last decade so don't hold your breath.

Bowman! Bowman! Bowman!

The issue is with MLSE . They are
sitting on their thumbs .I never thought JFjr
was the man, but way too cruel to be putting
him thru this. Fletcher is not the guy either.
No point in using retreads. Bowman probably was the guy to pull it together . To the Leaf nation , do not get encouraged by a win or 2.
This team does not have it,and unless changes
happen, more of the same next year. Makes you wonder what things would be like had change
happened this time last year...

Ferguson is being badly treated, true. But it's only a symptom of the real problem with the Leafs -- bad management from the top down.

While the senior management of the Leafs may be business-smart, their acumen doesn't extend to the ice. The result? Quality candidates like Scotty Bowman won't touch the job. Top hockey people know the board's meddling would deep-six any efforts to improve the team.

Unless Leafs management shapes up, their reign of error will continue into the tenure of the next GM, and the next one, and the next one after that.

The Leafs have never recovered from the Ballard years. What they should have done was horded draft picks, and made intelligent trades for draft picks, and, as hard as it is to believe, rebuilt the organization from the ground up, starting with scouts and trainers. This should have happened when Ballard finally ceased to be the owner of the team he destroyed.

What we got instead, and what has been happening ever since, is young, promising players, and valuable draft picks traded for the occasional decent veteran, but more often for players that are still solid, but well past their prime, and expensive to boot, but never for anyone that would actually give the Leafs a chance to do something other than stumble along just above the 500 mark.

The Leafs are basically in the same position they were in when Ballard owned them now. They have one very good player, and the rest range from pathetic to mediocre. Salming was that player back then and Sundin is that player now. One very good player, and not a snowballs chance in Hades of doing anything other than maybe making the playoffs and fizzling out in the first few rounds.

And now it appears they can't even do that. This team is everything I despise in a professional sports team, old and thoroughly mediocre with nothing but more of the same looming on the horizon, and the last I knew, they had traded all of their first and second round draft picks for the next century in their desperate bid to maintain their ancient mediocrity.

People, stop wasting your money on this team and maybe the management will finally get the message. Go spend your money and your loyalty on a team worth supporting, like the Ottawa Senators, or the Calgary Flames, or the Vancouver Canucks, or the Pitsburgh Penguins, or even the Detroit Redwings. The Leafs have been nothing but a disappointment for the past forty years, and appear to be destined to be the same for the next forty years...

I don't feel sorry for anyone who takes the GM's job with the Leafs and does not have his contract state he has control over who coaches, makes trades etc etc etc - anything less is foolishness - to allow a board of business people ( hockey morons ) to make these types of decisions is just plain stupid and anyone who would take the job and agree to them deserves what he gets

ONLY IN TORONTO IS CRUCIFIXTION AN ALL - YEAR ROUND, SANCTIONED SPORT . GOOD THAT JOHN FERGUSON DOES NOT LOWER HIMSELF TO THIS LEVEL . PLAYERS NEED TO LOOK IN THE MIRROR ...BUT NOT BEFORE THEY SCURRY TO THE BANK WITH THEIR OVER-PAID SALARIES ... THEY OBVIOUSLY ARE EXPERIENCING A MILD DEPRESSION BROUGHT ON ...BY ONLY THEMSELVES .

Who cares? Really.
The Leafs and the NHL are a pale imitation of the days at the Gardens, when the _entire_ city cared about the team, and you could still get a grey or standing room ticket on occasion. A small percentage of the city now follows the team. Tickets are a corporate tax write-off that everyone else pays to support. Ironic.
This is all over the CBC since it makes piles of money of HNIC, but the Raptors are a far more interesting story, and Toronto FC connect far better with attending fans, assuming you only want to discuss MLSE properties.
The people who run the Leafs are just so uninteresting. When I was a kid, King Clancy would always be at the game, shaking hands and meeting the fans. Larger than life, I'll never forget meeting him like that. Pension plan administrators? Not so much.

Why not bring me back? I'll fire them all. Then hire Punch Imlach (we're having a great time up here but are a little bored) and the Stanley Cup will be in Toronto. By the way Horton still can't figure out why he's still so popular but as a coffee and donut tycoon.

I'm not sure Fletcher is the right guy to reconstruct the Leafs, presuming the knucklehead ownership and management were to give him the opportunity.

While Fletcher has a record of achievement as a hockey executive, remember that all his accomplishments occurred before the NHL imposed the salary cap. Fletcher spent big to build competitive teams, and his wheeling and dealing was not inhibited by salary-cap constraints. There's no reason to think he'd be able to construct a young team from the ground up.

the bloody Canadian continent is obsessed with the TO leafs. There are just as many Idiots chasing Brittney Spears around as fools commenting about the Leafs.
LEAVE THEM ALONE AND THEY WILL GET BETTER.
GO leafs GO
bring back Bower and Shack and Stanley and Armstrong....but not Imlach ugh

I moved to bc 20 years ago from ontario and i"m still very much a leaf fan. I said to a fellow leaf fan the other day and I quote " If the leafs ever win the stanley cup before I die then I"ll die a happy man !! Well I"m currently 50 years old, so I guess I"d better hope to live a very long,long life !!

Like some of the comments mentioned here, the common thread to me is the greed of the owners. Primarily the teachers. After all, are they not the organization within this joke that did not want Gretzky? However, the biggest problem are us the fans that continually support this team. If we could acquire the self discipline and stop buying merchandise and going to games etc. maybe then they will wake up and finally do something.

My favourite Fergie moment by far was when the CBC cameras caught him a few weeks back sweating black -- literally. Must have been that shoe polish he puts in his hair. It was dripping down his forehead. I thought at first it was blood, but then I remembered that true Leaf fans bleed blue and white, and those drips were definitely black. Sad but true. He then made an impromptu visit to the Leafs' dressing room. I remember it was commented upon at the time how unusual it was for him to do that (to go to the dressing room during a game), but the real reason was that he had to take a shower to wash the shoe polish out of his hair. True story. I'm not sure if that has anything to do with emasculation, but there you go. Fergie gets paid more than enough to compensate for anything I or anyone else may say about him. He's a public figure; he knows the game: his job is to suck it up, all the way to the bank.

Fletcher is not the guy. I still remember when he traded Larry Murphy to Detroit for nothing (NOTHING) in return.. When asked why , he said that it was because that's the way the NHL is today (or words to that effect). Bowman is the man ... he's smarter and nobody will sell him a bill of goods.

What is almost never said out loud about NHL hockey..not hockey, Canada's national passion, but NHL hockey...is that it is, has always been and probably always will be first and foremost...a sideshow, a carnival, a form of entertainment, and most importantly a money making venture for the odd and colourful men who have owned, promoted and run the NHL and its' franchises over the past century.

In the case of the Toronto Maple Leafs, no other NHL team is as big a money-making "attraction". Corporate Canada is headquartered within stumbling distance of the ACC, thereby ensuring the seats will always be filled...so at the end of the day, whether the Leafs win or lose truly is irrelevant, as the decades of profitable losing have so clearly underscored. (pun intended)

With that as the backdrop, John Ferguson Junior is simply another in the long line of good people who have fallen or been pushed on their swords...not for the team or the love of the game, but out of a desire by the owners to make sure the plebes who love the Leafs but cannot afford tickets are appeased.

The danger for Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment is that Toronto Maple Leafs fans could one day realize that their beloved 'Buds are in fact the Bearded Lady on the ACC's Midway and take their cash out the Great Egress.

Until the Leafs stop making pornographic wads of money, I sincerely doubt you'll see a winning Leafs team...the owners have no reason to ice a real team...just a popular one.

i feel for john ferguson, he's having to deal with people who know everything about business but absolutely nothing about the game of hockey. Any manager who takes over from him will have to have outright control of the day to day operations of the leafs.

As much as I agree with your article there is one matter that you failed to mention and that is, the Leaf organization does not or ever will want to see the Stanley Cup in Toronto.It is common knowledge that the organization is already making tons of money off of Leaf fans and if they ever won the cup they would have to pay out all that extra money and don't forget the higher salaries they'd have to pay out to the players who were on the team who won the cup the next hockey season.Toronto suffers from devoted fan syndrome which allows the big boys to rake in all that money no matter if they make the playoffs or not.

So if Fletcher gets hired by the Leaf's, his 1.5 years left on his Phoenix contract is null?

Interesting. Did not realize that if I am reading that correctly.

All these years I thought Keenan was still get paid by 3 or so teams at a time.

Last September, as reported by several in the media, Peddie was quoted as stating Ferguson asked Peddie not to hire Scotty Bowman. With the cap spent, Ferguson’s reasoning was that little more could be accomplished by Scotty for this season. Ferguson requested that he be judged on the roster he put together last summer by the won-loss results it produced. As many should know, deliberations for many on that won-loss record probably ended last Saturday.

Ferguson understands as well as anyone that due to this recent conclusion, MLSE needs a little time to get an interim replacement lined up before the final judgement is rendered. It’s remarkable to me how many in the media overlook all of that. Whether one agrees with their actions or not, MLSE respected their General Manager’s wishes, backed him and gave his roster a chance until the outcome left little doubt.

Now suddenly, MLSE have done Ferguson wrong when the results of his roster have only recently been concluded by many? Pretty tough for MLSE to get fully prepared in advance given all their candidates will get debriefed on HNIC in between periods.

MLSE have to react in a few moments to appease a thoughtless media so that the guy the media crucified for years is only left swinging in the breeze for a few more brief moments? And so that the media can move on to ripping the next sucker wrongly picked in a media pressured rush to judgement that will undoubtedly be shreddedd by that same media?

Who is doing the “dysfunctional” reasoning on this issue? Ah yes, I forgot. The hypocrites that rip MLSE for making a buck have to bump ratings and sales.

Scott, have you forgotten, "draft shmaft" where Fletcher traded away all of our draft picks..Fletcher was horrible as a GM at the end of his tenure here in Toronto

Well said Scott,
John Ferguson is a better man then Toronto deserves. I would have quit weeks ago, what is the point of having the job if all you are allowed to do is buy a bag of pucks for the next practise. The MLSE managment group have become an embarassement to the entire sports world. How are they going to hire anyone of quality if they refuse to give the GM any real power.

I simply don't get the reasoning behind bringing Fletcher back. He didn't bring Toronto a Cup before ... He won't bring Toronto a Cup now!

I can't believe the Board did not jump at the chance of bringing Scotty Bowman on board. He's a winner and he knows how to build a Championship team and has done so on multiple occasions in different markets!

This is what Toronto needs and it's about time the Board get serious about building a Championship team. The Board obviously does not know how to build one and has failed year after year. Give Leafs fans something to be proud of! Hire a winner damn it and get out of his way!

In every organization someone must be the fall guy when things go bad. John Ferguson is working in a very different landscape from when Cliff Fletcher was GM. The problem is Peddie and the disfunctional board. Hire Scotty Bowman, give JFJ an extension and let the hockey people take care of the business. The scouting staff and the coach should be allowed to replaced by JFJ if that is what he wants. Peddie's insecurity has been a factor in the Leaf's problems.