Holl ready to return at ‘moment’s notice’
One of several Leafs in the U.S. while season on hold
With Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment Ltd. approaching the Ontario government about Toronto being a hub city should hockey resume, Bay Street has never looked better to players such as Justin Holl.
But the Maple Leafs defenceman knows he and others will likely face a two- week quarantine whenever they do cross the border. Holl decided to return to his native Minnesota in late March when it became clear COVID-19 would not be a short- term halt to the season. Now, with chatter about Nhlers being allowed to work out in small groups later this month, pending a reduction in cases of the deadly virus, he’s in the same boat as other Leafs trying to time their return.
“I’d call them tentative plans,” Holl said Tuesday on a conference call with Toronto media. “The general consensus among American players is that we’ll wait until ( authorities) have a concrete plan before we get back there. Because you never know if you go back and you’re sitting around another month or two.
“Once we have a plan, I’ll hop in the car that day, basically, drive back ( airports could be a nightmare) and hopefully be good to go.”
Later on Tuesday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford confirmed preliminary talks with MLSE about activating Scotiabank Arena and related GTA facilities if a league idea to stage several games in one venue is pursued. The chief medical officer of Health in British Columbia has spoken to the World Health Organization about the possibility of Vancouver in such a role.
“They (MLSE) have been in contact with me,” Ford said. “They’re coming up with a game plan with the NHL as a whole. They haven’t really divulged anything else of yet.”
A call to MLSE was not immediately returned.
Auston Matthews and Frederik Andersen are among other Leafs currently riding out the postponement in the U. S. All are watching the global COVID situation and getting NHL updates through general manager Kyle Dubas. Holl says he’s also plugged in via the Players Association and the Return To Play committee of which Toronto’s John Tavares is a member.
“It seems like other sports are kind of opening up and setting dates for returns, so I hope that means we won’t be far behind,” Holl said.
“I’m ready to go at a moment’s notice.”
STAY- AT- HOME DEFENCEMAN borje
Leafs blue- line great Borje Salming revealed in recent days he fought through a suspected case of COVID-19 during March in Sweden. Though not tested for COVID, he experienced severe breathing problems that required him to be rushed to hospital in an ambulance. The 69- year- old has since used the experience to urge others, via nhl.com and the Hockey Hall Of Fame of which he’s a member, to stay indoors.
Speaking of which, Doug Gilmour and broadcasters Ron MacLean and Joe Bowen are among those promoting # Stay The Puck Home hoodies and T- shirts. Until this Friday, 100 per cent of net proceeds from the sales goes to charity partners of Hockey Helps the Homeless, a not- for- profit charity that runs pro- am hockey tournaments across Canada, where amateur players fund raise to skate with hockey greats.
Shirts can be purchased via www.gobardown. com/collections/staythepuckhome
HONOURING DAN NICHOLSON
The Toronto hockey community remains in shock after the sudden death of Dan Nicholson last week.
A longtime teacher at St. Michael’s College and minor- hockey referee, he provided invaluable research and photos to projects on the school’s famous graduates, among them many Leafs. He was a member of the Society for International Hockey Research and many ex- Nhlers and Hockey Hall Of Fame staff ( Nicholson did volunteer work there) posted on Facebook after the 71-year-old’s passing.
His close friend and fellow archivist Paul Patskou spoke of one of Nicholson’s many kind gestures when they worked on a documentary on the history of the Toronto Marlies’ junior and AHL teams, that included St. Mike’s OHLER Sheldon Keefe, the Marlies Calder Cup-winning coach.
“After the interview, Dan presented Sheldon with a St. Mike’s magazine with him on the cover. It was something Sheldon didn’t have and really appreciated. Dan was always looking for interesting things to give to former players.”
While KHL blue- line star Mikko Lehtonen departed Jokerit on Monday for a one- year ELC deal with Toronto, Metallurg has resigned 33- year- old former Leaf Nikolai Kulemin for 2020-21. He gets under the wire of a new KHL team hard salary cap of 900 million rubles ( US$ 12 million per club). He never duplicated his 30 goals as a Leaf in 2010-11 … Mississauga native Kelly Babstock has signed with the National Women’s Hockey League’s Toronto expansion team for her fifth pro season.