Unplugged with Leafs’ president
MIKE ZEISBERGER
TORONTO — As part of a press conference Tuesday announcing festivities for the Maple Leafs 100th anniversary game on Dec. 19, throwback Toronto Arenas jerseys were handed out to the dignitaries on hand including mayor John Tory.
The classic blue-and-white tops the Leafs will wear on that Tuesday afternoon against the Carolina Hurricanes proved to be a hit, with the majority of those in attendance buzzing at how spiffy they looked on Darryl Sittler and Darcy Tucker, who modelled them for those on hand.
Sitting up on the stage, taking in the entire scene, team president Brendan Shanahan wore a noticeable grin of satisfaction, a far cry from the stoic steel-faced look he often had during his first season running the Leafs.
Remember back to 2014-15, when disgruntled fans were chucking Leafs jerseys onto the ice instead of embracing the history and future of what the bleu-and-white represented? Bitterness and indifference oozed through the fan base, heated emotions that were fuelled by the famed Salute- Gate in which players refused to acknowledged the home crowd after a victory.
Shanahan’s response during his end-of-the-season press conference on April 13, 2015 was easy to translate: We don’t want players who don’t want to be here.
“We need to have a team with greater character,” Shanahan said at the time. “We have to have people that represent this city, that represent this team, as it deserves.”
Calling the notion that the media and public spotlight made Toronto a difficult place to play “a cop out,” Shanahan then added that “We have an incredibly resilient loyal fan base. We need to have an incredibly resilient group of players who love to play in Toronto. We need a resilient group of managers from top to bottom that are committed to doing this in Toronto in spite of any difficulties or perceived difficulties that this is a harder market than other markets. I don’t believe that.”
Twenty-nine months later, Shanahan’s vision seems to be materializing in front of our very eyes. With training camp opening Thursday, these young Leafs are on the rise. On Monday bodog.ca listed the Leafs odds to win the Stanley Cup at 14-1 — tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals and Anaheim Ducks for fourth best among the NHL’s 31 teams. To that end, esteemed colleague Steve Simmons columnized Monday that the franchise is taking the proper steps towards a first championship in half a century.
In the process, these Leafs players seem to care. The logo on their chest and the city they represent mean something. That didn’t seem to be the case not-so-long ago.
Shanahan isn’t Tim Leiweke. He isn’t publicly boasting about potential parade routes. He understands there’s a long road ahead.
But, he also acknowledges the ship is heading in the right direction, with the end-game being a Cup down the road. The days of Salute-Gate and jersey-tossing certainly seem a long way back in the rearview mirror.
With players and coaches congregating later this week, Shanahan took time Tuesday to address a number of issues.
Leafs’ fandom
“There’s a lot of things that go into it, but I do get a real sense that the relationship between our players and our fans is very very good, very very strong,” Shanahan said. “There’s a mutual admiration there. The fans like our team and our team likes playing for them.
“When we get into the playoffs and we get to fill Maple Leaf Square, and they get to see that enthusiasm, the arena becomes much louder, a much more celebratory place, the players feed off of that. These are young guys who seem to embrace that spotlight and responsibility of being a Toronto Maple Leaf.”
Don’t plan the parade, yet
“Optimism is certainly a nice thing but I think for the people that are with our team and with our players and with our management, we’re all focussed on the little things,” he said. “It’s great that people are excited but we know how much work has gone into this — and still will.”
Shanahan is staying well grounded on this matter despite all the excitement in the city. There is, he says, so much more to do.
“I’m a little hesitant,” he said. “At the end of the day we got into the playoffs in our 81st game. We didn’t get past the first round. And still there was still a lot of happiness and joy about where we could go. But, we understand there’s a lot of work ahead of us.
“We’re pleased with the work we’ve put in. Our coaching staff and our management have been phenomenal. Very dedicated. And, like said, I think our fans like our players. I think our players like our fans. They enjoy being Maple Leafs. They love what’s happening in the city. But they’re also smart enough to know — which is incredible because they’re still a very young inexperienced team — that they’re just getting started.”
What Marleau means
“I think it’s a lot simpler than that. He’s a great hockey player, he’s a great ambassador, he’s a great example for our young players. You talk about longevity and preparation and professionalism that Patrick brings, he’s a good hockey player. So I don’t think we were trying to send a message. We had an opportunity to add a good hockey player to our team, someone we thought would not only be an excellent fit but an excellent role model as well. And we feel we were lucky enough to get him.”
How important is the “C”
Shanahan is clear on this: He doesn’t consider the debate over the “C” to be a priority.
“I think it’s important to have leadership,” he rationalized. “And you don’t need to be a captain to show leadership on the ice or leadership in the room. And so for us, it’s always going to be about having as many leaders as possible.
“When Mike and Lou and our staff decide it’s the right time to make the move, they’ll do it. For me there are more important things that are going through the process now. Like I said, when the time is right, the time is right and we’ll know it. We’ll make the decision then.”
Is the “C” in Matthew’s future?
Said Shanahan: “I think we’ve had several players who have shown leadership and I think Auston has done a great job of that as well. Again I think it’s a story for the press. I don’t think it’s a story for our players and I don’t think it’s a story for us. I’ve been on lots of teams where even though one guy has worn the “C” lots of other guys have stood up in leadership roles. Sometimes guys who had very small roles on teams had important voices.
“What I like about our team is that they really seem to like each other, support each other, and in a lot of ways showing leadership.”