From the Pressbox

Fletcher's main job this year will be to try and dump some of the idiotic albatross contracts JFJ gave out, hopefully for draft picks and prospects, so we actually have cap space to improve the team next year.
The ironic thing though... the only GM out there foolish enough to take our expensive garbage, was just fired today.

Your right the corporate side of MLSEL, doesn't even have a clue the impact they'd make if they put together a team much like what Detroit has been over the last decade that was just competitive, going to the Stanley Cup finals every once in awhile.
I think they should spare no one, not Ferguson
nor any of the coaching staff.
Also thinking Cliff Fletcher is the answer is way out of line, he's seen better days, nor Scotty Bowman, he is a coach not GM, I think they need to find someone with a proven track record like Jim Nill or Ken Holland, or Neil Smith or Doug Armstrong, maybe even possibly look at Pierre McGuire or Glen Healy, hey who's to say someone like Scott Morrison or Al Strachan shouldn't be considered.

As a Toronto Maple Leaf fan and a big fan of hockey I have noticed it is easier to put blame on the coaches and GM's and never think of the old saying that you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. The team players have to start taking responsibility. I know the GM has the power to make changes so why hasn't he done so. Waiting for the trade dead line to make a decision just doesn't make sence. Stop waiting and forget about loyalties. The time for a decision is now. Loyalty is not helping the team win games. Get off the high horse, fire who ever needs to be fired, The team has the money, hire who can be hired to benefit the team and get on with it. The fans deserve it.

Stay the course with Ferguson. The Leafs
would be the worst team for awhile but would
be able to rebuild the team through high
draft choices like the Blackhawks. Secondly
trading older players like Sundin would
help put new blood in a very bad team.

Hey Elliot:

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?

Mike of Toronto, Sundin is the only Leaf that is producing and has a respectable position in the scoring race. He's in the top 20 and, frankly, he's got no supporting cast. Oh, and that's from a Bruins fan (by the way, thanks for Tuukka Rask).

I think its time the leafs tried to rebuild rather then continue this continuous streak of trading draft picks away for under-equipped attempts at a cup. Fletcher might be a step up from JFJ but someone with drafting/scouting expertise would be best for this organization. Scotty Bowman would be ideal (I cant believe they ran JFJ instead!!! I understand loyalty, but come on!!!...) as would David Conte (the head scout of the NJD).

This shameful 40 year demise of a proud sports franchise which is bringing a justified uproar from fans can be blamed on poor interfering ownership like Harold Ballard and now Richard Peddie and Larry Tannebaum. And fans should show their disdain and protest.
But let's hope they do not panic on Bay St. and bring in a retired GM like Scotty Bowman or Cliff Fletcher.
The proper way to fix things is hire an experienced GM, with the record of a Bob Gainey and give him full authority to make the changes required even if it doesn't happen until the end of the season.
Poor John Ferguson tried but his lack of experience resulted in him bringing in Blake, Kubina,Gill and Raycroft all of which made a bad situation worse.
Let's do it right and turn around the franchise for the best fans in hockey who have suffered long enough.

Everyone seem to be blaming Fergusson or Maurice, but the true iussue is the the Board. When you allow the baord to have say in the movement of players or the operation of the club you got problems. Fergusson was hired as the guy, and then to publically adnmitted you may have made a mistake. Nice! No matter what happens or who is hired, as long as the Board Chair has the idea he is running the tema, no one will be safe there!

The Leafs management is showing no class by letting this situation get out of hand. They need to act now, today, and either announce that Fergie's job is secure until the end of the season, or that he is fired. This indecision hurts the team and disrespects Fergie and the fans.
I think the whole organization from owners on down needs a complete overhaul. The Leafs have become a big joke.
Sopmeone needs to get a grip, soon!

Bring back Pat Quinn he can make some big changes. Don't trade sundin. trade kaberle or Gill get some new defence. Trade Antropov or trade some of the Marlies.

By considering Fletcher, the Leafs want to harken back to the Glory days when they barely missed the playoffs.

It all started with the Smythe and punch putting of the kids from playing by bring in all old men to play a young mans game time to sit mat down and tell him how much he will help the team with a trade he is a good player but age got him now he will help the team with a trade and keep the coach he is a good one and get good management to run the club

I think the Leafs ought to do a complete housecleaning and look forward to next year. Get rid of Andrew Raycroft-he is finished. Also get rid of Brian McCabe and see if you can get something in return. Keep Paul Maurice as he seems to be the only snesible one left

its not that bad, we are retaining the fans, not like a poor gary buttman team in south usa which would have a totally empty bldg..

It's time the league stepped in. If they can stop Blackberry dude from overpaying for a team, can stop others from selling teams, it seems to me as the "guardians" of the league, they can force the teachers to sell or just revoke their franchise and "award" it to someone else. There would be no shortage of potential owners.
Other than that, fans that can afford to attend, wear the paper bag. It says loud and clear, "I'm a fan, I just don't want anyonr to know". :)

Can you hear that noise, ...tic, tic, tic.
The Maple Leaf Time Bomb has officially been activated by Scotty Bowman. It has been made quite obvious that the current regime at the helm of the Maples Leafs is only interested in continuing on the desolate path they are on, since they continue to make money from the foolhardy Maple Leaf Fans. The patrons continue to dole out their hard earned money and follow Paul(Maurice)the Pied Piper and his merry band of Stanley Cup contenders.
I can't wait for the sound of the explosion, because it will be the sweetest sound since the Leafs Cup parade in 1967.

It's not management, it's not the players, it not the owners. The Leafs need to understand that there are 24 teams in NHL. It was much easier to win the Cup when there were only six teams.

Based on this reasoning, they moved the Hockey Hall of Fame to Toronto because that was the only way Toronto was going to get the Stanley Cup.

Couple of people on here have said, why not do the decent thing and give Sundin what he wants and trade him to a contender? Unfortunetly Sundin has fallen Ill with the Leafs country club atmosphere and does not want to waive his no trade clause and go somewhere he would be questioned for his underperformance. I mean he has gone from being a superstar to a regular hockey player with no exceptional qualities, not due to age, but his attitude.

Its time the leafs got someone in the GM role with a pair of you know what to make the tough decisions and force Sundin to waive his no trade clause for the future of the organization.

I mean if JFJ asked him to waive his clause, Sundin would probably laugh him into next Sunday. Unfortunetely for JFJ he has lost respect within the organization and the league.

Its about time they march Peddie and Taninbomb up to do a live interview and face the fans and media and stop putting JFJ, Maurice and Sundin in the line of fire, as this is clearly their mess.

I don't know if Cliff is the right answer for TML. Peddie had the right idea with Scotty Bowman or Pat Burns. The Leafs need talent and are lacking in the chemistry department. Burns has proved he can take a hockey team and turn it around.

This disaster of a season could be the greatest thing that has happened to this franchise in the last 40 years. Sell the assets, stockpile the youth, and retool. I can take a fourth or fifth year of missing the playoffs if it means we're a contender five years down the road, because finishing in the 7-10 range every single year is not acceptable.

Any business run by committee is risky at the best of times, it can be done, but when you have your people at the top getting involved in "power struggles" or "p-----g" contests, then you have a problem. Any smart hockey man would not even consider joining the Leafs unless he was given complete control of the hockey operations. The confidence in each other from the players, to the coach, to the GM, has "left the building".
I am so sick & tired of Sundin's mug on the tv telling anyone who will listen that he's a Leaf for life. Gilmore thought the same thing, as well as Sittler, Clarke, Mcdonald, et al. Old Harold Ballard must be laughing his behind off right about now. Now, this soap opera is starting to get a little boring, so, somebody, for the sake of sanity, please make a decision, fire somebody, even the Zamboni driver (no, keep him, he shows up and honours a committment at least).

Like come on, the leafs are that far out if the playoffs, 7pts just 7 points that 4 gamess 4 wins! And for gm they should hire Scotty Bowmen who actually has a clue about hockey but Peddie is afraid he will lose all he attention

As a season-ticket holder, it is increasingly frustrating to see this rudder-less boat float around. The fact is that post-lockout, the club failed to adequately adapt to how the game was going to be played and officiated, and as a result, is well behind the rest of the teams in the league. This ultimately falls on JFJ and Peddie, who collectively couldn't run a piss-up in a bar.
The club needs to hire someone who is empowered to make the changes necessary to improve the club. If that means having a fire sale, then so be it. If the club were in the process of rebuilding (or at least giving off the impression that someone could honestly say "this is the plan- this is our long-term strategy") fine; but honestly I've no clue as to what they're doing. They remind me of someone who cannot come to admit they have a problem, when it's apparent to pretty much anyone with a brain that a major problem exists. Until they ice a team that can compete within the current rules emphasis under the leadership of someone equipped to make decisions without having to get the teachers stamp of approval, things will likely not change significantly.

I am a true Leaf fan and live in a big hockey town and my comment on this issue would be for toronto to treat Sundin with class and trade him to a team that he has a chance to win the cup he has been a true and faithful player to his team and the fans so why cant the leafs give him something in return for what he has done.And after the year ends after you get alot for him, get him back in the off season,but come on lets all work on getting Sundin on a cup team

Leaf Nation: good for you that you guys are loyal. But hey, what makes you think that you people are the ONLY ones loyal to a team? Unfortunately HNIC and TSN are Leaf-crazy. Toronto is a great city, lived there for a few months and enjoyed it. But the center of the universe? Ahem. You're not even the center of the hockey universe. The bottom line in TO is money, and you're raking it in. But the team sucks. End of story, let's see and hear something about teams that can PLAY!

What the team needs, is a team of 40/50 year olds to manage and coach the Leafs and the minors, so there is continuity. Forget all the old has beens, no matter how good they used to be. This team must be together for years, forget the old farts. Unfortunately, there is not many players tradeable. Sundin is like a nice old corvette, but you will not get 2 new lexuses for him.
Get a good coach, to come up with a winning system,that uses all the players talents. There is a core, that can be build on.If you still have the high draft pick, get the best there is, and keep him. But then again, there are the teachers.(Leave our kids alone) Feel sorry for you, but a good booing after a bad period does a lot of good to the team. Paperbags over your heads also gives a good message. I don't particularly like your team (I stopped watching them on HNIC, I'd watch our junior team instead) but good luck anyway.

Fletcher has some potential, but for once, can the Leafs please try something new. Do we always have to resort back to people that were in the organization before? (Gilmore, Clark, Perrault, Stumpie - and if the Flames hadn't picked him up, we probably would have taken Cujo back!) Let try something new for once!

A lot of rumours are going around, but do me a huge favour and don't let Glen Healy have anything to do ith hockey operations. He is a superstar back up goalie and can ride the pine like non other, but please don't have him making hockey decisions for the Leafs. We have some serious problems right now, and we don't need to add Healy to the mix.

Why do the Leafs leave so many good players in the minors for so long when the season is going so badly. Bring up some of the younger player, see if they can replace useless players like McCabe - Sorry, McCabe probably has a "can't be sent to the minors" clause in his contract - that's why we pay him the big bucks!!!!

Come on, seriously, can we shake some things up and try to put a team on the ice that can possibly give Leaf fans half a season!

First off, didn't Cliff Fletcher already have his kick at the can in Toronto and run the team into the ground? Why in god's name would they be considering hiring a has-been GM who has been turfed out everywhere he has gone? Wait a minute...I just answered my own question. Second, even if alot of people like to see the Leafs in a state of turmoil, the league needs the Leafs to be a good team. They are one of the best draws on the road and a marquee franchise.

Used to love the Leafs (when they were part of the original six} (hate them now), but it pains me to see where they are now. The ownership is to blame, they don't care, they are making huge money for putting a subpar team togethor. The fans are selling out the arena, so why do any different. Come on season ticket holders, start demanding some action.

Seeing the Senators and Habs fans in this forum makes me glad to be a Leafs fan - I don't want to end up like any of you. Montreal will have nothing to show for themselves at the end of this season but a worse selection in the draft, and Toronto is more likely to win a Stanley Cup than the Ottawa Choke-Artists are.

For all those telling Leaf fans to jump the ship and start cheering for real teams i.e. Ottawa, it just goes to show that we Toronto fans are the true fans of hockey, even though or team is absolutely dreadful. We won't just bail out on our team and eventually they will turn around this situation...we know they will probably be terrible for several more years to come...but true fans stick by their team through the good times and the bad. Go Leafs Go!! and we'll see what you guys are saying in a few years....
Oh, and P.S. Ottawa will choke in the playoffs this year again just like every other year, just wait and see!

Funny how such a storied franchise became the biggest joke in the NHL. Trade him, fire him. Whatever. It will take YEARS maybe even decades to bring any winning ways back to this team. The real problem is MLSE, not Maurice or even to a certain extend, JFJ. And as long as MLSE is kicking around, there is no way the Leafs will haveglory again.

SUSPEND THE TEACHERS

The current crisis is just the latest installment in a sad succession of tired replays. Buoyed by an unrealistic assessment of their personal ability and the club's potential, the GM overextends his immediate reach with another second and third mortgage of our future. The Leafs are a microcosm of the overinflated US housing market. Fletcher, Quinn, and Ferguson all overestimated their proximity to the cup - or even their playoff potential. The fans continue to suffer the fractured mismanagement by the club's senior executive. It matters not the motivation. The only thing that counts in sports is the score - and we're zero for 40 years.

What is required is a reboot from the top.

How many generations have gone uninspired due to successive reigns of incompetent ownership since 1967? How do I tell my kids now 22, 20 and 17 that we used to be contenders?

Diatribe aside, the solution is top down. It is cultural. The Teacher's Board must divest itself of their asset. This is not a financial obligation but a moral debt they owe their members and the community. The team must be lead by a person with a commitment to win, not a conglomerate with a commitment to quarterly results. The fractured tactical performance on the ice is a mirror image of the beaurocratic incompetence and lack of a clear and comprehensive strategy.

How long can we base our hopes on the emotional energy of our top goaltender or key player? From Darryl to Cujo to Eddie, Wendel to Doug right up to Matts these fine warriors continue to go to war, carry the flag undermanned with no calvary or general.

How come organizations like Detroit, New Jersey, Montreal, Colorado etc. continue to produce successful teams and a unique style? (strategy engenders culture which begets draft picks)

Let's start by agreeing that the housecleaning must begin with the
uninspired and uninteretsed ownership principals.

SUSPEND THE TEACHERS

It is disgusting MLSE have not either given
JF jr a vote of confidence , or just skid him.
Do one of the other, but don't just sit and do nothing.
I don't think Cliff Fletcher will
make much of a difference. The team must
realistically look beyond this season and
start change now. It would be nice to know
why so much HNIC coverage of Leafs for all the country . It was a pleasure to see
Ottawa vs Detroit . With many people in the
west not having the opportunity to see
Ovechkin, Crosby, Jagr , Heatly, Spezza ,
Kovalchuk , it would be nice to see Ottawa
vs Washington , or Montreal vs Pittsburg
instead of the drab Leaf team every Saturday.
Please Elliote , help persuade some CBC brass
to flick the switch for West HNIC TV coverage. More Ottawa and Montreal.

All i can say about the Leafs is:The last time they won the cup was they year i was born!The next time they win the cup will be the year i die!Looks like it ain't anytime soon! Bye bye JFJ! Just like Pat Quinn! Leave the mess for someone else!Pat screwed the Team over!Just like you did!"Here lets get someone to play with Mats"! Um thats fine and dandy but when you went through the whole league to find someone and still ain't anyone around!My guess would be to get rid of MATS!Here is a list to get rid of:Sundin,Stajan,McCabe,Raysoft,Bell,Blake,tossqula,Antropov,Bokahonis.Lets see in the next two years who is still there!

Enough is enough! Where's Quinn and/or Pinball?

Don't jump off the band wagon just yet... The leafs are saving themselves for an exciting late season run at the playoffs. I know this is going to be the year they finally will take the cup after squeeking into the playoffs! Stay on the band wagon...

bowman woul be great..even if he is in a rocking chair. but bobby orr would be my choice..go leafs go..ore are they gone ?

I only read four comments and I had to stop. I find it so petty that you leaf haters need to use our team as an excuse to feel better about yours. After reading for a short while, i felt like JFJ after the late turnaround against SJ this past weekend. Not saying that this isn't happening frequently... But all you canadian hockey fans out there should feel lower than that. Weather your a wagon jumper, or a die hard fan of any club, just listen to yourselves. With the few Canadian hockey teams out there, i don't think you should be bashing them. Sure, have a favorite...we all do, but support canada every chance you get. i know some of you might say these canadian teams are not built with canadian players, but that doesn't matter, they still represent this great country. I learned that lesson last year in Lord Stanley's finals. I was against Ottawa throughout the entire playoff spurt. Not because i am a leaf fan, but because they are Ottawa. Everything changed in the finals though, even though Anehiem was built with alot of canuck in them, i was quick to change my mind about ottawa because they are canadian and so am I. All you leaf bashers are starting to remind me of the large populas of ignorant americans. So if it makes you feel better than carry on, your the child in this argument. But if this comment has changed anyone.....well good. Love the team you love, but don't take it out on another Canadian team just because of it. I would bet my bottom dollar that 3 quarters of the negitive comments directed at the leafs are from X leaf fans that didn't have the patients.....GO LEAFS GO!

For all the comments "I once was a Leaf fan" but changed my team to the Habs, Sens or Ducks (bet I know what your favorite movie is, you loser). Obviously all of you guys look at the sports section and cheer for whoever is at the top of the standings. Go ahead and cheer for the Patriots and whatever team wins the Holy Grail this year. When the Leafs win the Stanley Cup, the roar across the Leafs Nation will wake the dead. And only plastic surgery will remove the permanent smile from our face. But there will be another sound heard....your sorry asses getting run over by the bandwagon as you try to hop on. If you say "I was a Leaf fan once" then you never were a Leaf fan. True Leaf fans never change no matter how bad it gets. LEAFS FOREVER.....

When it comes to the operation of the Leafs organization, the overpaid players are not stupid and neither is the unaccountable management. That leaves the fans who are gullible enough to believe that committees with no hockey background can build a winner.
If it ain't broke (the highly profitable Leaf hockey market), why fix it?
The Leaf organization is the classic example of the proverbial "next year team."

I think we definitely need to get rid of JRJ and very very soon after, look for younger players! Im pretty sure the Canadian Jrs. are looking for work as pros - which they very much deserve by the way **wink, sign ALL of them asap, wink**

to bc: well worded mate

Hire Maguire. The man's hockey knowledge is infinite. Fans would pay for his contract so that they don't have to listen to him on T.S.N. Consider his coaching record. He's a perfect fit for the leafs.

Let's all take a deep breath. Canada and the world do not revolve around the Leafs. There certainly are more imporant things to consider. For instance those two clowns on the HNIC telecast. One should be put out to pasture and the other sent to Siberia. They are an embarrassment to thye hockey world.

I just want to agree with my fellow NATIONer. Well, bc from Toronto...you nailed it. And you are exactly right. We both know where all the nay sayers can go...

Forget Leafs TV...they should renew there contract with the Comedy Network.

The Toronto Maple Leaf situation can be easily be compared with another disfunctional sport franchise, the Detroit Lions.

Starting with ownership, you have the Ford Family that does not know the first thing about running a successful football team (let alone car company). Even with all the losses and frustrations over the past 25+ years, fans continue to support the franchise by coming to games (in some cases, fans of the opposing team outnumber Lion fans). Ford continues to bring in huge dollars each year for absolute incompetence.

General Managers: Matt Millen vs. John Ferguson Jr. Millen has been with Detroit since 2000 with WORSE results than JFJ. Two years ago, frustrated fans organized a "Millen March" outside Ford Field to urge ownership to fire him with no success. In professional sports, these positions should be based on performance or signs of progress through a developmental plan. Both franchises have nothing.

Destroying Talented Players. You have talented athletes on both the Leafs and Lions, but they get lost in the shuffle. Added to that, the teams are never balanced with talent and development talent. When your best players come in and stay with the franchise for along periods of time, their skills eventually diminish and you are continuing the cycle of inferiority. It never stops.

The only thing that will get both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Lions management to finally listen is to hit them in the pocket-book by not going to the games and not paying for anything related to the franchise.

Leafs are terrible, the managment is terrible and the fans are terrible (see comments made from BC). The only guy I cheer for is Paul Maurice because he is a Soo Boy and he has to train a bunch of monkeys with no skill how to play hockey. No wonder the management is not working, it's partly run by Teachers who do not work either!

Go Kings Go

yea teh leafs are doing not bad they are doing ok but you know what? you need to get a GOOD coach and a GOOD if not GREAT GM. The Raptors used to suck and look at them now they are doing so much better do whatever it was that was done to them and do it to the TML cuz as much as i am a die-hard TML fan i dont want to see them suck so bad anymore the only other team i like is Calgary and those guys are doin fin but the TML gotta step their game up get younger but strong and fast players like Sid the Kid or Alexander Ovechkin those two gus are great if you could get a bunch of guys like that then you would have a hockey team GO LEAFS GO and to those TML haters i don't care what you think TML is the closeest i got to a hockey team Hamilton does not have one yea there is Ottawa ( pretty good) but i prefer toronto so yea shut your face

Thank goodness for the Leafs. I mean, who needs anti-depressant pharmaceuticals, when all one has to do is turn to the Comment-the-Leafs section?

Leaf-nation and anti-Leaf-nation are the best at devising the best barbs, with Leaf-nation often winning the contest hands down when reflecting upon their lot.

Pllllease! Don't fire Peddie and JFJ... They might come up with a new moniker, the T-O Toons!

to BC from Toronto - I see maybe 3 posts on this whole page from "Leaf Haters", the rest of the people here (who are definitely not all Leaf fans)are all offering resonable susgestions as to what your precious "Nation" can do for themselves. But I must admit though, you are a True Leaf fan, while the rest of from Vancouver to Montreal are REAL hockey fans.

Leafs? Who cares?
Go Sens!!

As a die-hard Leafs fan, the last few games were hard to swallow. Everyone knows that the Leafs are a cash cow and the only reason the teachers Pension Plan invested into MLSE was to make money. What should happen is dissolve MLSE and separate all the entities to allow one person to call the shots. Richard Peddie and Larry Tannenbaum are both way over their heads and should be the first to hit the pavement. JFJ was thrown to the wolves as he was not ready to assume a GM position anywhere, especially Toronto. Paul Maurice is a proven NHL head coach and has a great hockey sense and should be allowed to remain and resurrect the team after some of the "deadwood" have been traded or placed on waivers. With all the new contracts signed last year, a lot of them with no trade clauses, it's time to cut their losses and move on. If it were up to me, I would send at least 5 or 6 of the players down to the minors for a "conditioning" stint just to let them know that it doesn't matter how much you make you are not going coast around the ice during a game and show no desire to be there. Work them like sled-dogs and maybe give them a "wake-up" call, these guys need to be humiliated in order to be motivated.

Any organization is only as good as those that run it. Who ever heard of a group like the present one being even remotely successful. In fact, why risk success when the ACC is filled for every game regardless of how good the team. I go back to the 30's as a Leaf fan. I watch every game down here in Syracuse. SCOTTY BOWMAN wants to run the Leafs. Is everyone awake? Are your ears working ? Does someone have to tell them who Scotty Bowman is ?? The Leafs have been on the downbeat since Connie Smythe and Punch Imlach. ONE guy calling the shots!Scotty Bowman wants to do that! Hello! Go Leafs GO!

These are wonderful days for hockey. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Toronto really truly fully and completely ... sucks.

Seriously, Toronto Maple Leafs has the worst upper management. The board needs to put full trust in whoever they bring and let that person run the show. The only time they should intervene is when they freaking overpay overrated players like they are dong now.

Not a leaf fan, but I feel sorry for the players/fans :(. Hey, on the bright side you might just end up getting first pick!

Ferguson should take a vacation till say,,,ohhh,,, July. Paul Maurice is the new Harry Potter (Harry Potter goes to University,,, in theatres everywhere),, Put Cherry behind the bench.

My Two Cents!!

I agree the post-game with Maurice was the saddest I've ever seen him looking. This under-performing squad of millionaries has broken his heart. I don't believe he's 'lost the room', the players have lost themselves. I wish him all the best, but I doubt he'll survive whatever shakeup is coming from MLSE. Although I dunno what other coach they'd want to bring in? JFJ needs to go though, but it won't matter who the GM is until they sort out all this 'board member' nonsense. Hockey by committee...anything by committee, doesn't work, unless you're printing yearbooks!

CBC should consider televising other Canadian NHL games/NHL games on Saturday's leaf slot at 7pm??? due to the poor/OVER Leaf season.

Leaf fan forever!!

GO LEAFS GO!!!

I got the answer, it's right in front of them...Take CBC's Coach's Corner armchair expert Don Cherry out of the broadcast booth and put him back in the game behind his favorite team, Toronto. Everyone wins with this move: Cherry can dust off some of his ole coaching talents to save the Leafs, Ron MacLean can finally have some peace and invite Maurice up to the press box as a hockey analyst trainee to see how it's done ! The fans will love it...if it works great then CBC won't need to worry about firing Cherry from HNIC, if not then let the Leafs fire him at the end of the season !!!

The Leafs will be fine. Every team struggles and re-builds. Hockey in Toronto will be back next year just as strong as in the past years. Cup or not they are a great team to watch when they are playing as a team.

Looks like the Leafs are in going to win the "Daigle Cup" this season.

The Ottawa Senators and the San Jose Sharks completed for last place in the NHL standings in the mid-90's. They were attempting to get the 1st pick NHL Entry Draft. This has hence been known as the "Daigle Cup" a.k.a. "Yelnats Puc". This also changed the way the NHL Entry Draft works and the creation of the NHL Draft Lottery.

The leafs have gotten what they deserved, too many hands trying to run the ship and nothing getting done other than seeing the ship sink. The straw that breks the Camels back was Scotty Bowman..What an absolute disgrace, we can bet that Harold Ballard is laughing in his grave..

Bring back Pat Quinn. ha ha. Where is he anyway?

This is just what the Leafs needed: more blundering, more hearsay, more failure. The Leafs should be moved to Winnipeg or Quebec City.

Been A Leafs Fan All My Life, Not Giving Up Yet Bowman As Top Dog A Pat Burns Coaching Again Hmmmmmm

Toronto Maple Laughs? Holy crap Keith that's only the 3000th time i've heard that joke... your originality is mind blowing!!!

I love the leafs, but i think it's in thier best intrest to continue the whorible hockey they have been playing. Why you ask? Good first round draft picks and a much needed cleaning of the upper management. Leafs will come back from this mess. With the leafs nation behind them...they will be back better then ever!

"bc" - even when you lose, there still see the need to dump on other hockey fans. As for "cheap trills off leaf nation misery" give it up, your annoying gloating and posturing when you are on the other side of the coin is consistent with your incessant complaining when your team is losing.

Con Smythe, who started in the NHL by acquiring quality players for the NY Rangers who by 1928 were sufficiently skilled to win the Cup.

Later in Toronto, he bought the Toronto St. Pats, renamed them ot the Maple Leafs and with others financed and built Maple Leaf Garden. Smythe gave up his controlling share in the TML because he felt the fans were getting extremely snobbish and had a poor sportsman’s ethic and like the Rangers the organization was not focused on "winning" the game but making money.

These "Toronto-haters" and “wanky losers” have zero control on how your team behaves and performs. They are not the reason why the Leafs are losing. They are just want to return the favour.

Also, it’s never about the past or the future it is it about this season and guess what, the Leafs just suck! Again!

Poor, poor, sad (and stupidly angry at the billions of people outside of your pitiful Leafs Nation) little puppy nicknamed BC (how ironic, eh?)... Nobody loves ya?... Gee, after reading you, I wonder why? But not to worry, wait another 40 years and you're wild bunch might win one for ya,... because you're the most deserving fans in the World. In the meantime, keep living in the past glory... 'cause these were the days, eh? Ya right, it doesn't have to be a logical love thingy, it just has to come straight from your heart,... although, with that much anger and resentment, my guess is that it comes from much deeper in you,... from a darker place in the South. Now, as to why so many people hate T.O. and not our Western friends, it might have to do with HNIC being shamelessly TOtally bias toward the freakin' Leafs. See, most people who live outside of the Center of the Civilized (sic) World that is T.O., can't understand how our beloved CBC can be sold to the Leafs when it is being financed in large part by all of us, your so-called "jealous retards"... If we are, indeed, this would be the reason for it. To pay for a bunch of Blue wearing losers, year after year. Heck, my name is French but it doesn't matter if I've chosen to live in Ottawa, Ontario for the last 21 years,... there will always be a Darcy F. (T)ucker fan out there who thinks that he is THE FAN!!! See ya in Ottawa next summer,... for Mr. Stanley's big parade.

I'm a LEAFS fan, but lately things are going so badly I'm thinking of giving them up and moving my loyalty to another Canadian team. It is so frustrating seeing the team you love fumble along. Seeing the coach go on the news and say, "I don't know what to do to motivate some of these guys" or "they've lost their confidence and can't get it back". How do "professional" players - lose their confidence so quickly? I mean they are paid millions of dollars and are playing a game for a living. When they lose some games (slump) - they can't find their way. I believe the whole organization, especially the owners who control the purse strings are to blame. Investing in overall poor quality players, coaches and a general manager. The whole house needs to be cleaned and NEW owners found. People who want to supply fans with a winning organization whose goal EVERY YEAR is to WIN THE CUP! No other attitude will do. Often we are taught that hard work, dedication and a relentless pursuit of our goals will lead to success. This is what the Toronto Maple LEAFs organization needs in spades. Bring in Scotty Bowman and give him a free hand to do what needs to be done.

Man BC that was a funny read....you made me laugh...lol....I guess all the losing is getting to you.

You know what guys, we have to boycott the leafs till they start to play better.

In the business world, if its not broken why fix it and the leaf loyalty and attendance is not broken, far from it. Even if they were last place guys like us (die hard fans) would still pay to see them play (for better use of the word).

I say boycott.

Hey bc in Toronto, lighten up, the best way to cure your bitterness toward your hockey team and the rest of Canada is to do what I did a few years ago, I dumped the Leafs for the Senators, it's been great. No drama, winning hockey, Alfie (Is he good or what!!) and one owner, not a bunch of dysfunctional board of directors. Your so called 'Leaf nation' is made up of people from Toronto and old people from outside Toronto. Every other major city in Canada except for Winnipeg has an NHL team so your 'Nation' gets smaller every day. C'mon over...You'll LOVE it!

You know, it's really sickening how biased towards the Toronto Maple Leafs the CBC is. Every single Saturday night in Eastern Canada, we have to witness this poor excuse of a hockey team. In Atlantic Canada, there is probably a larger base of Habs fans than Leafs fans, and yet even when you don't show the Leafs, who do you show? The Ottawa Senators. Mind you, at least they are a good team, but about 1/4 as popular as Montreal is. Wake up CBC, keep the Leafs games in Ontario, and start showing more Habs and Sens games in the Atlantic provinces, at least they're competitive. Your coverage is an absolute joke. Especially when the Leafs and Habs play. When the Leafs win, you focus on how great a game they played, when the Habs win, it's not about how great they played, it's "What went wrong for the Leafs tonight?" Did it ever occur to you that Montreal is just plain and simply much better than Toronto now?

"But, as sources said on the weekend, Fletcher’s name has come up for three reasons:"

Sources...haha...anyway, can we stop looking back? and look forward? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

Fans will be ok with a no name if he wins a cup, believe me. It wont matter who the next GM is, even if its my dad or my neighbor, as long as they win it doesn't matter...

Toronto-haters you guys are a bunch wanky losers. You get your cheap thrills off leaf nation misery. We are a resilient bunch.

As for the leafs I've read all the drama... the mindset in the org has to be for primo excellence from the top down which has never been there...i haven't seen that in 25+ yrs. Bottom line is nothing last forever...whitesox, redsox...yeah its a hope but whenever leaf nation gets off the mat...all you bandwagon reject clones can go back to timtukfuqtuktootoo, MB/SSK/Yukon/QC and hate us some more. I hate my team but if you hate me as a leaf fan you're just a jealous retard. Jealous of our sheer numbers and size. We're not stupid fans, we're the true fans of hockey nation. The rest of you would run and cry when your teams hit the hard time for as long we have been down. You would stop watchin hockey and start playin darts. Our noteriety as the real fans in this country is a spurn for the rest of teams in the country. You all bore me from the canucks across to the habs. Yawn. Leaf nation anyday. This whole mess will be turned around in the next few yrs with the big shake down coming. See ya cryin when we will be smiling.

I have been a Leaf fan since 1967 (the first year I became interested in sports and the last year the Leafs won the cup). I joke with my friends that if I had waited one more year I probably would have been a Habs fan (who won the cup in 1968 and then won another 9 after that). I often wonder if this would have given me a more optimistic outlook on life. I don't know if Bowman or Fletcher would be able to turn things around for the Leafs but I do believe that giving one of them a chance is better than doing nothing. It is not like they can make the situation any worse.

I guess the Leafs could change their name:

The Toronto Maple Laughs.

Seems fitting. Watchng the games of there Western swing was like poking a corpse with a stick.

This is exactly why I love the Leafs, no matter how bad my beloved Oilers are doing, the Leafs are always doing much worse. Thanks Leafs you give me something to laugh about on Saturday nights!

MLSE Board = Death by Concensus

Perhaps this should be forwarded to the CNIB and is in no way directed towards this great organization. Or anyone that is associated with them unless they are on involved with the TML team.

This is a complete waste of time as the venting written here is not going to be read by the blind, mute and dumb associated with the TML organization. Yet they all could play far better than the handicapped TML teams of yesteryear, this year and for years to come!

If the TML is looking at past glory, how about looking at the team assembled that recent Gold in Europe? The alumni who until just a few years ago were all but ignored. Last I heard Johnny Bower, Dave Keon, Lanny MacDonald, Errol Thompson, Borje Salming, etc. had some free time and may be available to assist in making a run for Lord Satanley's mug.

Yes, 1st, 2nd 3rd division would be a GREAT idea, Finally would the players have something other then long and beefy contract to play for.

Imagine leafs relegating to the 2nd division, wow, that would be an embarrassment for everyone. But it would be justly deserts for the MLSE, if all they care is to sell out seats, they could continue doing so without a problem in the minor league.

The 'relegation system' would follow in the style of any other REAL professional sport rather then a money making leagues (so called 'pro sports' leagues that exist in north america. With this added accountability to the teams and its managers, do you thing a top notch organization would allow itself to go on a 20yr slide before anyone notices???? i don't think so. Teams true value would drop faster then the you can say 'this whole thing is a farce'

im going to stop ranting now

I CANT BELIEVE IT!

40+ years and your finally starting to get it. Well, some of you anyways. There is only ONE place to stick the blame and thats with the fans. 40 years of losing and you want to blame Ferguson Jr.? Sure, hes horrid, so is Maurice so is Peddy and everyone else involved directly and indirectly with the team this year. But this is just one year. What about the other 39?

It is up to the fans of Toronto to hold the franchise accountable. Unwavered loyalty brings nothing but negativity. (see Mats Sundin) If you really loved your Leafs as much as you say you do then you would do the right thing and close your your eyes, your mouth and your wallet. Its YOUR fault their this bad, JFJ and PM and MS are nothing but excuses.

That being said, if you would like an immediate replacement - check out the champs. Solid GM- 50some straight sellouts (because the team is worth it now, not because of wanting to be "loyal") and a very bright future. And they owe it all to their fans for being smart with their money!

GO DUCKS GO!

Hey lets not be to quick to elevate Bowman to management sainthood. Brilliant coach YES. However his record as a manager is a different matter..In Detroit we have a shrewd manager in the name of Holland who can use Bowman as a sounding board....
I know we are all wanting a quick fix but this would probably end the same way.. Get us a good manager and then sign Bowman as a sounding board and we will be in the right direction IMO

Leafs going down the drain, can this get any better?
Go Sens Go!!

...It's interesting that my comment regarding a petition to fire Peddie has been removed.

Thanks, CBC! Perhaps I should have posted at a CTVglobemedia site?

Who cares about the Maple Laughs!!! I'm wondering why this story is front page news?? Could it be that the CBC head-office is in Toronto??

never mind the boycott, IGGY, you better
continue to send your kids to school so at least they can learn to spell,, because you sure can't!

Maybe the mayor should call in the Canadian army to help the Leafs out. Isn't that what Toronto usually does when things get a little difficult.

Bring another NHL team to the GTA or Hamilton, then the Leafs managment will wake up, else the mediocre Leafs will continue. The management only cares about their bottom line, and nothing about Stanley CUP.

It is very sad to have the Leafs team in a "hockey town" like Toronto. It is a waste of real estate for sure!

Fire Maurice and Ferguson. Too much money tied up long term on a bunch of stupid, stupid players. They play like 10 year olds. The bunch were easy to get. The other teams didn't want them. They knew how bad they could be. On the coach. Well, each night he is simply out coached. The selection of players on the ice during crital times makes me think he has mush for brains. Too many penalties, on one held accountable. No one demoted. Time to dig up Punch. These players respect no one but their bank accounts.
Time to cancel Leafs TV.

Paul Maurice is the best coach that team could ask for at this point in time. He needs a team to work with. When the best guy on your team is Sundin, and the highest paid players would be 3rd line defense in Ottawa, you have problems. JFJ needs to go, he should never have been hired, to his defense it was suicide beginning a GM career in the largest hockey market in Canada. Fletcher or Bowman combined with some new young talent would put this team back into the mix of the playoffs in 2 years...

If Mr. Fletcher commented that "he had not been contacted by anyone in the (Leafs) organization," does that not make this 'news' story make believe? Shame shame Mr. Friedman. Although we all agree that the Leafs need to make some changes, imagining what they will be and then printing it for the public only contributes to an already volatile situation. Stick with the facts please, speculation is for editorials.

As a die-hard Leafs fan, the last few games were hard to swallow. Everyone knows that the Leafs are a cash cow and the only reason the teachers Pension Plan invested into MLSE was to make money. What should happen is dissolve MLSE and seperate all the entities to allow one person to call the shots. Richard Peddie and Larry Tannenbaum are both way over their heads and should be the first to hit the pavement. JFJ was thrown to the wolves as he was not ready to assume a GM position anywhere, especially Toronto. Paul Maurice is a proven NHL head coach and has a great hockey sense and should be allowed to remain and resurrect the team after some of the "deadwood" have been traded or placed on waivers. With all the new contracts signed last year, a lot of them with no trade clauses, it's time to cut their losses and move on. If it were up to me, I would send at least 5 or 6 of the players down to the minors for a "conditioning" stint just to let them know that it doesn't matter how much you make you are not going coast around the ice during a game and show no desire to be there. Work them like sled-dogs and maybe give them a "wake-up" call, these guys need to be humiliated in order to be motivated.

Im sitting back in my chair watching happily as the Leafs play SJ and start the game off wonderfully, playing some solid two way hockey and having a nice 2-0 lead heading into the dreaded period #3. Somehow, after heading out of the dressing room with a lead, the feisty team that was on the ice for the first two periods, just didnt seem to think that it was important to continue playing like a team with a desire to win. They then let SJ control the flow of the game by not skating with them, taking too many "stupid" penalties which resulted in SJ coming back and winning 3-2. As we all like to blame Ferguson for his lackluster deals and poor attempt in turning the Leafs into a contender we must all realize who is calling the shots here. Peddie, Tanenbaum and the MLSE are the real contributors, or lack there of who should be to blame. Ferguson is a puppet in their hands and is doing what they say and taking the heat for it. Maurice in no way shape or form is he the coach needed here to do the job. He is unable to keep the Leafs in check. Too many stupid penalties, too many bad goals, too many leads let slip away. Yes, Maurice can and should accept a ton of responsibility. Another guilty party is obviously the players. They are the ones playing the game. They should be the major deciders on how hard they decide to play the game. They are professionals. They know their roles. They should be able to psyche themselves out enough to know that the game is not over after 40 minutes and need to continue to play with some heart and desire. Jeez...someone out there please stop just thinking about filling the seats and rolling in the dough when its us, the fans who are in heartache here...who continue to pay for tickets to watch 30-40 minutes of hockey...who continue to suffer long regular seasons only to succumb to a season of golf when 16 other teams are still playing hockey. I miss the playoffs, lol.

Ownership is the problem here. Nothing will change as long as the owners keep thinking they know hockey best. I am over 50 years of age. The Leafs have won one Stanley Cup in my lifetime. More significantly, they have been mediocre for the past four decades but, every year, the faithful and the media proclaim this is the Leafs' year to break through. You have an aging team, drafting poorly, and developing young talent badly.It was true in the Ballard years and it is true now with the current ownership.

Trade Sundin to Vancouver and get some of their young draft pics. With the awesome team and goaltending they have there they would definetely be one of the favourites to win it all. Or San Jose and pac McCabe along with Sundin as they have over $10M under the cap to use.

Also maybe the leafs are secretly doing what we all want them to do. Tank the season and finish dead last and have the best chance at getting the number one draft pic, whoever that is.

I say fire ferguson and keep Maurice at least until the end of the season. After all it is not his fault he was given a bunch of hasbins and third liners at his disposal

I was asked earlier this year if I followed hockey. I answered "No I'm a leaf fan". It was really a slip, but in the end it is sadly true. My beloved leafs are the joke of the NHL, and no remedy is in sight. In my opinion, they canned the wrong Irishman 2 years ago and results are starting to show. JFJ sat on his hands this summer while Peddie sat on his wallet. When the chance to buy up some bona fide talent or trade for young investments, they went backwards. Now they have an immobile defence, no speed, no toughness, no special teams, and the best 2 backup goalies in the league. And Mats is quietly having himself a decent year besides that. I think that the big reason that the NHL vetoed Balsile getting a franchise in Hamilton was because then Toronto would want one too.

When will the CBC change their schedule on HNIC to accomodate the idea of watching teams that are competitive within the NHL? As for Toronto Laughs...they are being managed by an accountant (milk, milk, milk)...what do you expect!!

"I watched the post game scrum, including the gaze on JFJ after the game and thought how resigned he looked to his fate. Maurice deserves better."

Maurice knows that someday he'll be a head coach in the NHL again. JFJ Jr. knows that he will never be a GM ever again.

Stay the course Toronto, the worse things get there the happier the rest of Canada is.

Sadly, The Toronto Maple Leafs are nowhere near being a true Mickey Mouse Operation.
Last I heard, Disney's still successful and popular with fans. Most of those fans have both an entertainment allowance and an ability to differentiate between fantasy and reality. (Requirements for survival.)
Yes, Toronto's Coach and GM must leave if the Leafs even want to lose with dignity.
Paul Maurice will attempt success elsewhere; John Ferguson will remain lost in the fantasy world that is his imagination. He's proven he can do that anywhere. If he follows popular advice and goes straight to Hell, he can still be The Wizard. Fans, at least, won't suffer the same cruel fate or excruciating pain we're watching with Matts Sundin here on Earth.
Ian MacIntyre
Antigonish, Nova Scotia

Go with a proven Stanley Cup winner. Bowman is as sharp a hockey mind as there is. With Carte Blanc, he could surely turn this team around - and set it up for the future...not a flash in the pan.

Die-hard Leaf fan, I don't know what the general concensus is but if you are a coach and or GM and you cannot effectively run the team how you see fit without the President and CEO interferring on a daily basis then how can you be made accountable. Although I am not a huge fan of Fergie, the first person they should start with is Richard Peddie (MLSE President and CEO) He is an excellent business man who knows nothing about sports! Scotty Bowman is one of the smartest, experienced and well respected personality in hockey and there was no way he was going to accept a job with the Maple Leafs under there current structure, having said that anyone out there in the hockey world with any common sense wouldn't.
I hate to say it but the Maple Leafs are becoming the laughing stock around the NHL as other Teams /Owners and management quietly chuckle amongst themselves, they know whatsgoing on. Firing Maurice and or Ferguson is not going to fix their problems, only delay them further. Peddie must go!!!

Keep your kids home from school. Tell your teeange kids to skip class. Let's boycott the Teachers Pention Plan by not sending our kids to school.

My 9 year old is staying home all week!

It might be the only thing that saves this team.

Iggy

There isn't a single pro sport franchise that would have tolerated the kind of mediocrity and mismanagement that we have seen over the last three seasons in regards to the Maple Leafs. The board doesn't care, they fill the seats every game. I have been a die hard Leaf fan for forty years. I stopped watching their games one month ago. The only thing that will wake up the buffoons at the top is if the fans stop attending games. The bottom line is obviously all they care about.

Hey MLSEL, do the rest of the country a favour and STAY THE COURSE! This is greatest NHL season since the Ballard years! As a kid growing up outside of Ontario, I learned to absolutely despise the leafs and leafs nation. This can only be topped by the Jets returning to Winnipeg and winning the cup before the bbbbuuuuuuddddzzz do. GO, HABS, GO!!!!!

Change needs to start with the fans.
The only thing that will actually make the MLSE board do something is when they start seeing profits effected. So if you Leafs fans want change it's time to stop going to games, stop buying Leafs shirt and all other Leafs stuff. Why would anyone who only cares about a bottom line make any REAL change if the arena keeps getting sold out.

As a matter of clarity, I would like to offer the following:

Mickey Mouse wears a Maple Leaf watch!

I don't know what any of you are talking about?? Toronto is one of the top organizations, making lots of money!! They don't need a winning team. They could lose 82 games and you Leaf fans would still fill the seats!! Shareholders are happy.

The person who needs to go in Leafland is Paul Maurice; he is a terrible coach and possibly the worst in the nhl. For all the ills of the franchise, and JFJ is responsible for a great many of them, the team he assembled, signed and resigned is not a last place group; they are middle of the pack at best, but certainly not as abysmal as their on-ice performance has indicated. Every long-term signing that JFJ could have been reasonably conceived as a good idea, McCabe for the long term, Kaberle, Tucker, Blake etc... should all be playing better, and that falls to the coach. Start by getting rid of him and you'll see an immediate turn-around, and once that happens, maybe the national over-emphasis on everything Toronto can subside for a while.

Anyone who saw the Bowman interview knows that the problem with the Leafs is MLSE and it's current management structure when it comes to the leafs. Peddie and Tannenbaum are the guys responsible for the current dysfunction. It doesn't matter who you bring in, Bowman, Fletcher, Dudley....without Colangelo type authority, none will succeed. The decision makers of MLSE all need to sit down and really listen to what Bowman was saying and realize that it's time to put the franchise in the hands of a qualified hockey mind, like Bowman, just as they did with the Raptors and Collangelo. Of course this ASSUMES that MLSE is remotely interested in putting a winning franchise on the ice and not just make money hand over fist as they always have.

Maybe it's time to thaw out Conn Smythe, the last real boss of the Leafs.

Cliff Fletcher was the beginning of the end when he traded Clark for Sundin, now maybe he could trade Sundin, and then retire.

Ferguson has to go. This season is lost. With a competent G.M. next season could be a whole different story. They need to act before the trade deadline. Get a G.M.in there who will make the trades necessary to restore a once great franchise.

True, Ferguson and Maurice don't have this team going anywhere, but who's driving the bus? Peddie, and it's laughable. Fans are crucifying the coach and GM, and he's under the radar. Come on. The guy hires Babcock as GM of the Raptors(how did that work out???), hires JFJ for the Leafs, then declares the hiring of JFJ a mistake, and then nixes hiring a proven successful hockey man because he's a threat to Peddie's security. Richard Peddie has no regard for the paying fans, and no clue about how to run a professional hockey team. He is all about himself and the bottom line. Nothing will ever change while he is involved. Fix the real problem, remove Peddie first, then rebuild the team. Now. Please.

Bruce from Cambridge, you are exactly right. Im a Sens fan, and to be honest, I feel sorry for the Leafs. JFJ and Peddie have single handedly destroyed theis team, Toronto is the worst team in the NHL right now despite the points. Their season is done, not tomorrow, not next week but today. Mats is a true captain, saying he wants to stay and go down with the ship, very admirable of him but unfortunatly he needs to go in favour of a rebuild package, if Mats wants to really help out, he needs to waive his NTC. Maurice is more of a victim in this mess as its very hard to coach a triple A team in the NHL, but now he too must removed as part of a clean sweep. Toronto has a decent core of young talents and it is essential that these guys have time to grow in the right atmosphere.
Must Drop;
JFJ
Richard Peddie
Paul Maurice
Mats Sundin
McCabe
Gill
Poni
Bell
Raycroft

Give PM a team he can coach and I suspect you'll see results. His loyalty to his team was evident in post-game on Saturday. But you can't coach away a lack of talent. Sundin is the only first liner on that team. Antropov would be on a second line on any other team. As for Ferguson? Well, this is the team he built. He brought in Blake (I like Blake), overpaid Kubina (a $2M dollar player for $5M blech), resigned McCabe with too much money when he should have traded him (Kaberle is much better and more consistent). He traded Rask for Raycroft. His fingerprints are all over this team. Of course he should be fired. But try to find a GM who wants to deal with Leaf's management--those are the real criminals here. They should be run out of town on a stick for squandering the loyalties of lifetime fans such as myself. It feels like the 80's all over again.

Some of the blame lies with the NHL structure. It should take a nod from the FA (professional soccer) and have divisions and delegations. If a team fails to meet a certain criteria ie: last place finish, then it should be placed in a lower division. eg: Premiership, 1st division, 2nd division etc. This works both ways, if a 1st division team plays well, is coached and managed properly, trades well etc. and wins, they will move up a division. This system prevents the "throw in the towel and lose for next years 1st round trade position" It also rewards teams from a lesser market that put a good product together on the ice and encourages NHL expansion based on the right reasons.

I have to agree with your comments, I thought I never would but sitting here in Florida for the winter and a die heart LEAF fan , Im fed up with MLSE director's sitting on the fence, get rid of the river skater and get some held, get rid of JF jr. and get Cliff Fletcher or who ever it takes to get a winning team on the ice. My wife is getting tired of me talking about it and she hates hockey....Ken Thompson

I am not & never will be a Leaf fan, but I do agree that the Leafs are difficult to watch right now. John Ferguson has had ample time to address the myriad of personnels issue they face & should be dismissed. Paul Maurice hasn't had enough time to resolve these issues & needs more time. All that being said, changing management still leaves the same product on the ice. Player moves are crucial. However, after 40 years of no success, what makes anyone think this will be resolved any time soon.

You're way off.This is the new NHL. Things have changed. Much harder now to make blockbuster trades - see Boston as a great example. The Leafs need patience. Do not trade Sundin. Instead wait until season end and then bring in new VP, GM, Coach, etc. Panicking now will only make things worse. Unless you liked the trade for Mark Bell and Vesa Toskala? or perhaps you're a fan of $5M free agents Kubina and Blake?

Here's my opinion: MLSE made a huge mistake hiring Ferg Jr. in the first place! What they should be doing, without a doubt is to hire Scotty Bowan, promise him full reigns on the organization for as long as he is still willing and excited to work in that capacity. One catch though is that he has to work with and mentor Glen Healy as his assistant. That way, once Bowan is officially ready to call it quits, Heals can step in and take over. What a duo that would be.

I've been a Leaf fan since i was 5 or 6 and my uncle explained to me that i had no choice but to cheer for them... they were the home town team... that was about 30 years ago... the last 2 or 3 years i can barely bring myself to watch the Leafs play on T.V... this is a problem that should have been dealt with years ago... personally i think the team should have been blown up at the latest, in 05/06 season when they missed the play offs and used Pat Quinn as a scapegoat...

Sundin has given his all to this team, but it is time for him to move on, bring in some young fresh blood, JFJ... really should have been down the road long ago...

Personally I'm not sure reaching back to the `glory days' of the early 90's and hiring Cliff Fletcher back in the best idea either...

This team needs to start at zero and work their way up to being a respectable Franchise... i saw a comment on a web site that went something like... `We've waited 40 years for a cup... what's another 3, 4 or 5...

the point is... something needs to be done now... or it will be another 40 years before the team has a chance...

Anyway... the only thing i can do... is not watch this poor excuse for a team play... for many reasons.... but the 2 most important... i can't stand to watch this most un-entertaining display of hockey and 2... if hockey is a business then not giving my business to MLSE is the only way they will understand that i don't care...

HH

Listen, the LEAFS need some major changes here, get rid of John Ferguson, how did this guy manage to stay so long in the 1st place? Replace him with likes of Scotty Bowman and perhaps a new coach too, someone with experience - maybe Pat Quinn and refine the team, get rid of Raycoft (over priced good for nothing), Sundin and even Toskala (over rated) and then you will see some difference.

Bowman and Fletcher are both too old for the job of rebuilding the Leafs. Let's face it, we're into a re-tooling which conservatively will take 3 years and possibly 5. We need a competent GM who can outline a 5 year plan of trades, drafts, personnel development all based on a very clear hockey strategy. Speed and finese is where it's at in the NHL now, the leafs are loaded with lumberers and grinders that may have been good in the old NHL but they're just too slow now.

Kaberle, Toscala and possibly Wellwood are keepers, the rest of the team needs to be turned over. You can't do that in 1/2 a season with an interim GM.

Off the top, I am a die hard HABS fan, that having been said, however, I do feel bad to a degree for the Leafs. This situation has been beaten to death by all the armchair coaches, myself included. It appears there are some of the players who have turned off & tuned out Paul Maurice. I don't think, in the long run, that poor J.F is permitted much latitude when it comes to making decisions. Having one boss is bad at the best of times, but a whole committee looking over your shoulder, not good, besides, none of them appear to have a "hockey clue". The players are another matter. Big contracts, big egos, big expectataions. Team loyalty is a term thay don't understand. You hear the terms "character player, role player, quiet leader, go-to-guy, etc." The personnel that the Leafs have on the ice now don't seem to grasp that concept. It is time to send a message, it's too bad, as usual, that the coach will be the first to go.

A Leafs turnaround is a very simple proposition. Just:
1. Bring down the cone of silence on the players to shut out the media-driven window dressings.
2. Have the gaggle of owners wake up one morning and realize they are the problem and should sell the team to a successfully singleminded megalomaniac.
3. Buy Richard Peddie a one way ticket to Chile, pack his bags, and kick him in the rear end for good measure.
4. Ask John Ferguson to fall on his sword.
5. Remind Darcy Tucker et al that they are scrubs and should start playing like it.
6. Ask the fans to stop giving unconditional support. Ask them to come to games or buy merchandise only if the team is performing respectably.

Easy.

Or you could forgo all of that and just put a team in Hamilton, which you can bet your bottom dollar would cause the Leafs organization to shape up fast.

In other words, FAGETTABOUTIT! Titanic, deck chairs, etc.

tim

The Leafs, as an organization, are a joke from top to bottom.
The problems are many, and hiring a new GM won't solve much with the Board of (in)Direction in charge. The Teachers Pension fund is all about making money, and could care less if the Leafs hoist a cup ever again. We need singular ownership, we need to flush Richard Petty far away from Toronto, and we need someone in charge who isn't afraid of taking short term loses for long term gains.

I have about an inch of patience left for this team. I've never been a "band wagon" fan by any stretch, but there is only so much bad hockey a fan can take before they put their energies towards something that will offer a reward for their loyalties. I simply don't care about the Leafs anymore, and that's a shame.

A quote popular among auto racing fans is,"If you can't stay up with the big boys, stay on the porch."

We are gathered here today...

Their is a story that had been told many many times around the Hot stove in the lackluster old but historic dump found on Carelton and Church Street. It surprisingly moved over with the Laughables along with their ghosts to the "new" dump. And yet with that story which has been passed on from generation to generation it NEVER NEVER changes, except today the concussion (or was that conclusion)does!

Wake up Laugh fans, raise your voices and demand change!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another great quote in auto racing comes quickly to mind,"Lead, follow, move or get out of the way I'm coming through" except the Laughs are not progressing, they are "Slip, slidin' away..." And forget the top draft pick, it was prearranged that he would be traded for some seniors for a playoff run long before he learned to skate!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe they can ask the National Canadian Women hockey team to suit up 'eh!!!!!!!!!

At this point, the problem is not who is coaching or managing the team. Paul Maurice is a very capable coach, and I have serious doubts that JFJ is truly a bad GM. The problem is CONFIDENCE. The team expects to lose. I'm not saying that they're not trying, but one mistake and they feel the game slipping from their grasp.

Imagine that you had all of Leaf Nation dissecting your every move at work. Not only you, but your co-workers, your Supervisor, your Manager. Do you really think you'd survive those first few boos? Would you be looking to your company's ownership for some support or direction?

I'm not saying that people shouldn't be held accountable. However, the team is currently so fragile that nothing will go right. If changes need to happen, then MLSE needs to make them, or get off the pot and tell JFJ and PM that they have the confidence in them to make changes on their own. Until then, this dithering will not do any good whatsoever.

How long must Leaf fans suffer with John Jr as G.M.? What has he done since his arrival to improve the club? Axe him now and bring in Cliff Fletcher before the trade deadline and before next season is shot. Next seasons success depends on moves made now.

I agree with Alan's comments. The Leafs are a bad organization with no real need to improve because they have an absolute lock on their fans. As harsh as the Toronto media is, fans flock to see their beloved Leafs game in and game out, good or bad, and management knows it. I mean you gotta love 'em for it, but I do scratch my head sometimes at the utter devotion Leaf fans have for a team that has been so bad for so long. Want management to shape up? Stop paying to see the games! Once the revenues dip, then they'll get the message and make an effort to improve their product.

How long are the Leafs going to hang on to John Ferguson Jr.? What has he done to improve the club? The longer they leave him in charge the worse thing will get. It's a no brainer. Cliff get in there and get to work. The Leafs need a G.M. that will get things done. So long John Jr. hello Cliff Fletcher. The trade deadline in getting closer & closer. Don't screw up next season too.

Thats what people get when they think Toronto is the center of the Universe, they get tunnel visioned into thinking everyone cares

Go Canucks

Maurice isn't the problem. I have questioned some of choices, Gill, Wosniewski, but maybe that is due to not having anything else. Well, a pilon would work!! Anyway wholesale changes are needed with the team, as well as management. Sundin is the greatest and I hate to see him go, but I think it's for the best. Raycroft should go, JFJ has got to go, and the former mentioned defencemen, Tucker, Antropov, while they still may be able to get something for him.
Now back to Fletcher. I like him, but bring in Scottie. The reason they won't is because as Don Cherry said, he wants control, and these clowns of MLSE won't let him have it. The Leafs need a couple of seasons with poor attendance, as that would hurt in the pocketbook of MLSE, and then something would get done.

Thats what people get when they think Toronto is the center of the Universe, they get tunnel visioned into thinking everyone cares

Go Canucks

I've been a Leaf fan for 34 years but I've stopped watching them. Instead, I've become a big fan of the New England Patriots, and it's been great. Something for all the other longsuffering Leaf fans to consider.

Unless MLSE does what the Raptors have done, the Leafs are a doomed team for a long time. MLSE seems only interested in money yet they miss the point that unless the Leafs turn the corner and start putting out a quality team, that money is going to dry up as the fans will simply go elsewhere. MLSE is banking/hoping that die-hard Leaf fans will continue to accept what is currently being done with the team. How wrong they are.

I know that there are many fans around the league that are just loving the fact that the Leafs are in turmoil. What they forget is that this is the cradle of the NHL and is probably the toughest market to play/manage in as one is constantly under the microscope. The Leafs are the NY Yankees of hockey; love 'em or hate 'em, there is no middle ground.

There is no other rivalry in hockey that is more storied or intense than that of a Leafs/Habs contest, none. To see one of the original six teams falter cannot be good for the league or the game itself.

MLSE has to wake up and see that their thirst for profit at the expense of the game is hurting everyone, not just Leaf fans and players.

Nothing in Toronto is going to change until people stop going to the games. As long as the ACC is packed every night, there's no reason for Leafs management to ''invest'' in a better hockey team.

As far as the bean counters are concerned, the Leafs are having a great year.

I am a leaf fan and have been all of my life.
I was a season ticker holder for the AHL buds
during their tenure in St. John's...the problems are systematic...from draft choices to trades....one example is Matt Stajan who is supposed to develop into a star....he did nothing here, great skater...loves to skate
from slot to slot but to expect him to use his body in the corners or go to the net...forget it.....he's never done it...I watched last week against Philly when Jason Blake had 10 shots and took a pounding and
Stajan could have had eggs in his pocket and not broken one.....he's not the only guy but is a prime example of the leafs history of poor choices......it's amazing, if it's true,
(I was told it was) that Detroit hasn't had a first round draft choice in 12 years.......
like I said systematic problems.....thanks for letting me get it off my chest....it can only get better....bring on Cliff Fletcher or
Scotty Bowman.....have a good day.

I don't see Fletcher as the answer. In the pre-salary cap days he failed to bring the Leafs to the promised land despite all the on-ice talent he could ever want to buy. Bowman would have been great, he's a proven leader in that every team he's led - St. Louis (Cup final), Montreal, Pittsburg and Detroit (Cup winners)- have been successful, but I don't see him coming because of what happened last August. The one name I hope doesn't enter into the discussion is Mike Keenan.

The problem is as many others have posted, that no one person is responsible for the Leafs, and the teacher's pension fund just sees the sellouts every home game whether the team is in fist place or last place. Why put the effort into a better team? They can't get any more fans in the building to watch them! Maybe if they saw the revenue from going deep into the playoffs they'd change their tune, but that will never happen with Ferguson at the helm. It was a stupid move to hire a first time GM in Toronto, and I and many Leafs fans I know thought this from DAY ONE. He should stand there looking stunned after these games! I was at the games in Anaheim and LA, and was amazed at how crappy the Leafs played. Bring in Bowman, bring in anyone besides Ferguson. Leave Maurice alone, and get him some guys he can actually coach. Blake needs to start passing the puck, and the Leafs (except for Sundin, Kaberle, and Antropov) seem like a team of 4th liners. Oh, and don't even think of replacing the Leafs with the Sens on TV! You can't get a ticket for the Leafs games, and then they black them out! Stupid NHL! Kingston is closer to Ottawa, yet you can watch a Sens game, and not the Leafs, and it's easy to get tickets for a Sens game, does that make sense? No!

I hate the leafs. It looks good on them.

Go HABS Go.

Where is Pat Quinn??

fire Paul Maurice get pat quinn back i hate Paul Maurice

Being a leaf fan down in this neck of the woods is hard. Watching an organization like the Wings be so good for so long, then watching the Leafs languish lately is very disheartening. This teams need to be blown up and start all over again. JFJ needs to be releaved of his duties...same with Peddie. Get someone knowledgable and give him full atonimy(?) over the club like they did with the Raptors. With the right person the situation could be turned around quickly, but set a foundation for the future as well. I've stowed away all my leaf periphanalia for the year. Enjoying hockey on a different level..as a fan not really cheering anyone club. I guess we all should legally seperate ourselves from this team until they prove worthy of our support again. my 2 cents, for what it's worth

I'm pretty sure Scotty Bowman would have been an incredible asset to TML organization! Does this mans achievements mean nothing?? And as for poor Sundin, let him go..he needs to experience the hoisting of Lord Stanley's Holy Grail, and he isn't going to get it in the near future with TML (unless drastic changes are made). So I would say get rid of Paul Maurice and John Ferguson, start fresh!! Even if it means bringing back Fletcher ;)

Were forgetting the most critical part of this, the fact that this is the Maple Leafs Sports Entertainment, the heartless creature which now controls the fate of the beloved hockey team. If a shake up needs to happen, it has to be in MLSE itself.

JFJ needs to be canned. We know it, MLSE knows it, hell he even knows it. I don't blame Paul Maurice though, I mean, look at what he has to work with.

there is no such thing as bad soldiers only bad generals. Time to get new generals the soldiers deserve it.

Notice...no one west of Sudbury cares. There is hockey being played and played well most anywhere but TORONTO

I do not cheer for the Toronto Maple Leafs as a hockey team. I cheer for them because they are a sound financial investment, win or lose. "The Consortium" that owns MLSE (OTPP OWNS A CONTROLLING SHARE?)knows that even if this team tanked huge, there would still be a
full ACC to watch them tank game after game. Msybe Mr. Balsilie should get in on that Leafs action? No. He's better off starting from scratch. I'm trying to figure out if any team in any sport has ever won a major championship because of the committee that owned them. Short of a complete and utter revolt by ticketholders, why should the business side even care? I think of Mr. Bettman's spiel before handing the cup to the Duck last year and I do believe they have one owner.

My Heart went out to Paul Maurice, I really feel for the Man! I was proud of Kelly sticking up for Jason Blake. The Leaf Board of Directors make me sick.....what a Mickey Mouse Operation!!!!!!!!

I am a die hard Leafs fan and was in San Jose for the game. It was extremely painful to watch the 3rd period collapse especially after a good 1st and 2nd period.

Something has to be done to get the Leafs back on track - either trade Sundin, get rid of Raycroft or shake up the Leafs management. I like the third option - as it seems the Leafs can play on some nights, but are not consistent enough most nights to become a Cup contender. The Leafs and the Blackhawks are the 2 Original 6 teams that have not won a cup the longest - I just want the Leafs to win it sooner and later and that requires change.

Where is Pat Quinn??

Your kidding right? Fletcher? he was a joke when he coached the leafs previously and couldn't hold a candle to Scotty Bowman across the board. Speaking of Boards...the board of directors of MLSE should be canned (the lot of them!!!)

What a joke the leafs are from top to bottom and if it took them this long to even considering reacting don't expect the decsion to be a brilliant one. You can expect one thing for sure...dissapointment.

Why not Cliff Fletcher? He is available and Ferguson needs to go ASAP. Ferguson can not be trusted to make any more deals so waiting until the end of the season is no longer an option. Heck, they can bring in Pat Burns as coach too. They couldn't be any worse than what is in place currently and it would give the fans a nostalgia trip as well. Throw in Clark and Gilmour in an expanded role (assistant coaches perhaps) and you'd have a full flegded reunion of the the 1993 Leafs Team that everyone loved. Also, Sundin in his near 14 years as a Leaf has certainly racked up the regular season stats but in the playoffs, he has never cut it. Yes he Captained 2 teams that made it to the final 4 (equaling but not besting Clark) but it should be noted that he was injured in the 2002 playoffs and it was Mogilny and Roberts among others that drove the team into the semi finals that particular year. In the end, with all of the impressive regular season stats firmly noted, Sundin has not been able to take the Leafs any further the man he was traded for. The time to come to move him and get something for him. If Cliff Fletcher makes the deal than it all comes full circle, so I say bring it on!

It's time to lay this team to rest. It's time to blow it up and start over. Relieve John Ferguson and Paul Maurice of there duties and start over. Trade Sundin and get something in return for the future. Start moving toward rebuilding with other personnel, both on and off the ice. All the dithering is just making it worse. As a Toronto fan, I can live with a rebuild. The present situation is just too painful.

This team needs to do whatever it takes to get Bowman! We have wasted money on a less than mediocre defense, and have a supreme lack of offense apart from Sundin. If this club wants to get back to the winning ways, it needs major changes from the top down.

If the Leafs are that bad and they are, why do we have to watch their miserable offerings every single Saturday night, when we could be watching real hockey from Ottawa or Buffalo.

The Maple Leaf organisation have made bad choice afer bad choice in the fields of management, draft choices and salary negotiations and frankly I doubt if anyone west of Wawa has an ounce of sympathy left for them. The internal feuding between the directors doesn't do them any good and reflects deep divisions within their organisation.

What they need is some competition from another team in western Ontario(Hamilton or Windsor) and they would then have to fight for airtime and TV revenues. That's the only thing I can think of that will smarten them up.

SUSPEND THE TEACHERS

The current crisis is yet another replay of an old story. Bouyed by an unrealistic assessment of their personal ability and the club's potential, the GM overextends his immediate reach with another mortgage of our future. Fletcher, Quinn, and Ferguson all overestimated their proximity to the cup - or even the playoffs. The fans continue to suffer the fractured mismanagement of the club's senior executive.

What is required is a reboot from the top.

As someone who comes from a non-sporting family, at 10 and a casual observer of sports I was converted in 1967. Forty years on, I'm still blue and white. I've lead a life defined by sports, all stemming from my connection to success. How many generations have gone uninspired due to successive reigns of incompetent ownership since then? How do I tell my kids now 22, 20 and 17 that we used to be contenders?

Diatribe aside, the solution is top down. It is cultural. The Teacher's Board must divest themselves of their asset. This is not a financial obligation but a moral debt they owe their members. The team must be lead by a person with a commitment to win, not a conglomerate with a commitment to quartely results. The fractured tactical performance on the ice is a mirror image of the beaurocratic incompetence and lack of a clear and comprehensive strategy.

How long can we base our hopes on the emotional energy of our top goaltender or key player? From Darryl to Cujo to Eddie, Wendel to Doug right up to Matts these fine warriors continue to go to war, carry the flag undermanned with no calvary or general.

How come organizations like Detroit, New Jersey, Montreal, Colorado etc. continue to produce successful teams and a unique style? (strategy engenders culture which begets draft picks)

Lets start by agreeing that the housecleaning must begin with the uninspired and uninteretsed ownership principals.

SUSPEND THE TEACHERS

The Leafs are reaping the bitter harvest etc etc. Complacency in "Hockey Central" for too long means, so long as the team is in the black, people will always come out, buy the tickets, buy the merchandise (new sweaters at the beginning of the season?)ect. Harold Ballard all over again. It all starts with the fans, they have to vote with their feet and wallets, and they're not there yet. If the team puts together a 3 game win streak, they're back on the "Stanley Cup this year" bandwagon. It's their own fault, they made their bed, let them lie in it.

Glad to see that I'm not the only one who noticed how dejected and upset Maurice was in that post game interview. I too thought he was on the verge of tears. He's a great coach, and he's obviously feeling a lot of pressure. I'm sure he's beeing told it's do-or-die time; but as he himself said in the interviews after the game - it's like they're trying SO hard, they want it SO bad, they're just paralysed.
I think the major changes need to happen up top. Leave the coaching staff alone. Put some of the people who make the big decisions on the chopping block. That's where a real rebuilding phase starts.

Having grown up in Southern Ontario I was expected to be a citizen of "Leaf Nation". Not! I am and still am a Montreal Canadiens fan. I can say with brutual honesty I cheer for the Laughables only when they play the Broadstreet Bullies who hail from the city of brotherly love. Shhh! don't tell them that as they prove over and over again that they are goons!!!!!!!!!!

Once again I will say it again, the best way to get the entire TML organization's attention is boycott them! In in any other market the fans stay out in droves, so why not in TO? Insanity on the part of Corporate US (oops I mean Canada) swallows close to 90% of their tickets and it leaves their "loyal Leaf nation" Why anyone puts up with this season after season is a mystery in itself.

Prove me wrong "loyal Leaf Nation". In fact I dare y'all to demand refunds with their senior brass honoring your season tickets and the "scraps" left for you long time suckers! Stop purchasing anything but a bozo sign with the TML logo dead center!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. Forget hiring old school, you are already are well acquainted with it 24/7/365 already. Unless ofcourse you fire everyone from Richard Peddie to the Zamboni driver.

The results over the last 2 seasons have been totally unacceptable - JF and PM need to be fired asap

I suspect we can forget about Scotty B having the role, having had the temerity to tell all to the CBC and reveal the lunacy at the heart of MLSE.

Pundits would have us believe that the team on the ice consists of J. Ferguson and P. Maurice with a few board members thrown in occasionally. What about those other guys, the guys with those obscene salaries, the guys who call themselves PROFESSIONALS. Shouldn't they have some pride and motivation regardless how bad the management is? Don't they have everything they need to perform their jobs? Come on, Maurice and Ferguson may be a couple of amateurs but they aren't the ones who play like a bunch of guys on Saturday afternoon enjoying some shinny. And while on the topic of that poor Ferguson, shouldn't somebody point out who hired him and who wanted to offer him another three years?

What a luxury the Leaf's Board of Directors (maybe it's Deflectors) has; invisibility to the paying public, or watching for those who don't have a prayer of getting a ticket, means they really don't have to face the consequences of their short-sightedness and their dithering and take responsibility.

Hire Fletcher, fire Fergie, keep Maurice and give him at least a better imitation of an NHL team to work with.

Money Money Money!
It's not a matter of trading the captain...yes he holds "value" for a trade...but if he wants to stay..and truly loyal to the leafs...take a pay cut and trade others ...Leafs are out! this year, trade some of the cabin crew and finish dead last! Get that draft pick

Go Devils Go~ Lol

I think it's time for the leafs to clean house! There's been SO MUCH speculation lately on what the leafs should do, but the answer is simple. The board of teacher's must be removed from any position of power. They're only there to lok out for #1. For them, money talks and good hockey walks. They need a SOLO owner with a good base of hockey knowledge. From there, clean house from top to bottom. Get rid of Fergy, then Maurice, and then trade Sundin...not because he's playing bad, but rather because he's there only asset who isn't WAY over-priced. For the record, I hate the leafs, but I think it's sad seeing Canada's most prized and renowned sports franchise go down the crapper!

This sounds like crazy talk. Everyone seems to agree with the obvious that Toronto needs to FINALLY "build" a team through the draft and better free agent signings designed to pay off long term. So having said this, why would we get the very guy back (Fletch) who gambled away all kinds of future draft picks in an attempt to win it all in 93.

In the seasons following that, Toronto paid the price dearly since they had very little to build on

The Leafs need to do something that's for sure! The organization has 'rested on its laurels! for too many years! I honestly don't think Paul Maurice is to blame here. John Ferguson, though, is a different story, as are Richard Peddie and Larry Tannenbaum. These two need to get their acts together or get out. Period. And JF needs to go!...the sooner the better. His 'deals' and the money he paid for them are the joke of the league. I don't know about Cliff being the answer, but Scotty would NEVER in a million years put up with the garbage that's been going on in Toronto for decades! Perhaps that's why the deal for him went sour!

Scotty Bowman should replace Ferguson. he s lot more qualified than Ferguson and he has coached and won lots of Stanley cup. he know what kind of teams needs to win a Stanley cup and get into the playoff.He should also get the same rights that Bryan Colangelo got. look what congenlo did with the raptors. he changed a team from a laughing stock of the nba to division title winners the next season. we need guys who get it done night in and night out for the leafs.Peddie should be fired long time ago. his skin got saved because he brought Bryan Colangelo into the organization to save the raptors.

I watched the post game scrum, including the gaze on JFJ after the game and thought how resigned he looked to his fate. Maurice deserves better. Does anyone remember Damien Cox's story the summer of Paul's hiring? He said "Paul would make a mistake coming to Toronto" It is not an enviroment conducive to winning.
Thanks for the story, Elliotte. You are the first to write of JFJ standing up there...motionless.

hmmmm. The Leafs organization is obviously not interested in going to the playoffs. Never have.Ferguson should have been shelved last year. The problem is not with the coaching staff but with the people who have,in the last 15 years, drafted guys that never end up with a career in the NHL.i.e. Berehowski,Ware,Convery, Wilson,Fichaud,Cereda, Boyes. Not household names by any stretch. The Leafs have passed on an all star team of players in the last decade alone. Blame it on very poor scouting and incompetant managing. Oh....and if you take a picture of every goal against the Leafs you'll find both defensemen with their backs to the scorer. What is a guy like Wozniewski? doing out there?? The Leafs simply need defensemen.

Not sure Cliff is the right guy to run the Leafs. He 's been fired once by Toronto already and now also by Phoenix. Plus, he's long in the tooth. Scotty Bowman would be my choice. But the Board needs to get on with it; they also need to let whoever they hire run the show without having to pass everything past the Board. Hire the best-qualified professional, then let him do the job.

Cliff Fletcher is not the man you want to rebuild this franchise, especially since he made the saying "Draft Shmaft" infamous. He did nothing in Phoenix of substance and is obviously past his prime. The Leafs need a younger mind like David Conte of the Devils who has a scouting background.

Elliott is fast becoming the "go to guy" on the latest buzz in whatever sport he is covering. Great work on a Sunday dominated by football and basketball!

I say bring back Mr fletcher for FULL time and kick JFJ jr out. Ferguson is the cancer and Cliff is the cure in my books!