Leafs get some presidential advice
Toronto boss Brendan Shanahan takes to the ice, in his business suit and shoes, to offer a tip or two to a team in need of offence
Brad Boyes looked up, startled, at the end of Maple Leafs practice Monday.
It is not often Boyes, or any NHL player, sees the team’s president, in his expensive suit and shoes, step on the ice to offer pointers.
But much to Boyes’ surprise, there was Leafs boss Brendan Shanahan walking across the ice Monday, in full instructor mode.
“I don’t know if he came out of the ceiling or what,” Boyes said, laughing. “But, yeah, he has a few years of experience; we were working on some secret plays.”
Shanahan strode onto the ice at the close of practice Monday to conduct a tip session.
With three Stanley Cup rings, 656 NHL goals (13th all time) and a title that forces his employees to take notice, Shanahan commanded an audience with assistant coach Jim Hiller, goalie James Reimer and Boyes.
Rookie defenceman Scott Harrington was about to call it a day, but decided it would be prudent to “soak up” what was going on in the far corner of the ice.
“(Shanahan) was watching from somewhere and I guess something caught his eye,” Boyes said. “We talked about a lot of things, being in the corners, shooting, angles, the power play. It was all interesting.”
Shanahan has never taken to the ice to instruct players during his tenure as Leafs president. He did jump into the middle of a ball hockey game last fall during the Leafs training camp getaway in Collingwood. He offered some advice to the locals on shooting, but nothing ever like this.
“Obviously, one of the better players to ever play this game, he was kind of showing us the tricks of the trade,” Reimer said. “I’ve never had instruction with him before. You grow up watching him play and you become a fan, so it was interesting to have that opportunity with him.”
The 22-year-old Harrington was equally wide-eyed and fully tuned in to the boss. “Any time you can get help from a guy like that . . . myself being younger, I’ll soak it up anytime, and I was soaking it up more than anything else out there,” he said.
For Boyes, a 13-year NHL veteran, this camp has marked the closing of a career circle. Not only has he rejoined a Leafs franchise that drafted him 24th overall in 2000, but he has been reunited, in some way, with Shanahan.
“We played together at the world championships in 2006, it was in Latvia,” Boyes said. “The stuff he talked about today, I watched him do it as a player . . .”
Reimer, meanwhile, learned how the Leafs’ goalie rotation will work to start the season: Head coach Mike Babcock named Jonathan Bernier the starter for Wednesday’s season opener and Friday’s visit to Detroit, with Reimer getting his first start at home against Ottawa on Saturday.
Reimer had the better save percentage in the pre-season: .920 to Bernier’s .882.
“I didn’t know what the numbers were,” Reimer said. “I’m really happy with the way I played in the preseason. I put a lot of work in this summer, and (Babcock) made his decision who’s playing the first three games. I’m happy with that decision, so I’m ready to work my butt off.”
“Jonathan is a really good goalie too,” Reimer added. “I thought he had a great pre-season too, so it’s a decision and I’ll be ready when I’m called. The most important thing is we both play for the same jersey. Obviously there’s competition in camp but at the end of the day you wear the same jersey. This is our third year together and it’s a friendly competition.
“Mike’s been really good with us. Most of our information comes from the goalie coach, but Mike comes in and has a really good conversation with us. He’s a real person, when he says something to you he wants you to be a better player.”