TORONTO (Sep. 26) — I wonder what Joe Bowen thinks about the Maple Leafs hauling their entire operation at the end of training camp to Mr. November’s home in Arizona? I’m told the charter jet (both directions), accommodations, meals, golf and rental (for practice) of Mullett Arena will run in excess of $250,000. Or, a figure that would easily cover a full season’s travel for the hockey club’s radio crew. Remember how the penny pinchers atop the Rogers chain — Ed the Conqueror and Tony Staffieri — stubbornly kept Bowen and Jim Ralph at home; not only during the regular schedule, but the playoffs? Even during Bowen’s retirement season a year ago? Including those long, cash–draining trips all the way to Ottawa? Who knows what expensive surprises awaited last year’s 28th–place team in the National Hockey League once it arrived in Auston–ville? Or, is this another feeble, yet exorbitant, maneuver to bring out the “true leadership” of No. 34, whose captaincy should still belong to John Tavares?

Whatever the case, it’s a discretionary waste of money by the good samaritans at 60 Bay St. that keep raising the NHL’s most–expensive tickets each year. Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment isn’t paying for this quarter–million–dollar boondoggle. YOU are. It’s another example of the company taking advantage of its many patrons.

We don’t hear of the San Jose Sharks moving their staff and players to Montreal in late–September. Only to turn around and fly another six hours west for the season opener. This is a Toronto hockey move… all the way.

The mainstream media, of course, greeted the news with misty eyed concurrence. How nice it will be for Auston to “host the group.” Perhaps he’ll entertain by showing replays of Games 5 and 7 against Florida two springs back. When he couldn’t be found with an all–points bulletin. Otherwise, just imagine the “bonding” that will take place.

While the older players “mentor” the young guys (who want to take their jobs).

Where do people come up with this stuff?

There was no reason to ship the operation west, given that the Leafs open the season with consecutive home games. I credit the club for paying a visit to the family of Matthew Mayich, the 21–year–old St. Louis Blues prospect that collapsed, Aug. 20, while exercizing in prohibitive heat. He remains hospitalized. Otherwise, the team went to its usual end–of–camp haunt in Collingwood prior to the 2021–22 season and put up a franchise–record 115 points. Then went back the following year and accrued 111 points. That’s why I suspect there’s a covert element to this trip involving Matthews, who strikes me as the highest–maintenance player to ever wear the ‘C’ for the Blue and White. Had Punch Imlach told George Armstrong — in the last glory era for the Maple Leafs — that he was taking the club to the Pacific time zone just prior to the season, the Chief would have laughed.

“All that unnecessary travel before we start for real, Punch? Have you lost your mind?”

Not this group.

If jet–lag becomes an issue (excuse?) in the first few games of the season, c’est la vie.

Whatever the underserving captain wants, the undeserving captain gets.

LEADERSHIP VACUUM ON LEAFS, BLUE JAYS: It’s good that someone with half a brain got to Vladdy Guerrero before too much time passed between his asinine words and a forced apology. Guerrero — as with Matthews, his Maple Leafs counterpart — sometimes talks before thinking. In the baseball player’s circumstance, unforced words (to a Dominican television crew) about the Blue Jays paying him $500 million solely for past deeds led to a social media sh** show. It was an insipid remark toward the end of an appalling season at the plate that has yielded only nine home runs. For a club proving that last year’s startling ascent to within inches of a World Series championship was unique and singular. As if nothing of note happened, the Jays returned to their middling posture. Largely as a result of the club’s “leader” and “superstar” face–planting from start to finish.

Nine home runs is the equivalent of Matthews scoring five goals in the now 84–game NHL schedule.

Imagine the continuous uproar.

Matthews scuffled a year ago while withstanding an array of physical disorders (or so we were told). And, only months after berating teammates for a ghastly playoff ouster by Florida. “Too many passengers,” claimed No. 34 upon the humiliation, inferring exemption from the charge. Even after so–wrechedly withering on home ice during consecutive 6–1 poundings in Games 5 and 7 of the series (until he raises the Stanley Cup in Toronto, Auston will wear that double–albatross). He had no business excoriating anyone but himself.

This, however, is what passes for leadership at the apex of the hockey and baseball player pyramids here in town.

Guerrero possesses the only slight deviation, as he caught the lightning–in–a–bottle that propelled the Blue Jays in the second half of last season. Then, accomplished a feat foreign to Matthews by elevating performance in the playoffs… as the situation warranted. It appeared that Vladdy would somehow justify the 14–year, half–billion–dollar pact awarded by Ed the Conqueror on Apr. 9, 2025. With, however, two games (against Cincinnati) remaining on the current schedule, Guerrero was aiming to lauch only his second home run of the season at Rogers Centre.

Las Vegas would have run dry of bank notes had any group of individuals, last April, offered such a wager on Vladdy for the 81–game slate. But, Guerrero can at least dine on that one post–season breakout. Auston cannot.

LINGERING THOUGHTS FOR A SATURDAY: By adding Sergei Bobrovsky, Darren Raddysh and Gavin McKenna, the Leafs should be guaranteed some level of improvement. The latter, of course, was gifted the team by winning the NHL draft lottery, but that’s now long ago and the Penn State star landed in Toronto blue and white. For the Leafs to return to the playoffs, many observers agree that the most–significant players all need to have career seasons — meaning a repeat of last year’s 71–point effort by Raddysh; Goalie Bob rebounding from frightful numbers after winning back–to–back championships in Florida; McKenna adapting quicker than anticipated to the pace of professional hockey and Morgan Rielly, whose contract the Leafs couldn’t give away in the summer, halting his precipitous, two–season decline. Goaltending, in particular, will determine whether the Leafs move forward under Jim Hiller, or remain defensively stagnant. Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz present an intriguing tandem, if both can stay healthy. The forever–changing bottom six forwards seem a tad deeper, especially with Nick Paul coming aboard from Tampa. But, there will again be a rather large gap in production between the top and bottom–six forwards. As always, Matthews, Tavares and William Nylander must produce to get the Leafs into the playoffs… then come through, for the first time, to keep the club afloat and into the Conference final, where it hasn’t been since 2004. Why anyone still believes the remainder of the Core–4 can flip on a Stanley Cup switch after nearly a full decade is anyone’s guess… For a prediction, I see the Maple Leafs as a wild card entry in the Stanley Cup tournament… How long will it take for media wags to proclaim “Auston is back!” once the captain embarks on a scoring streak in October or November? We’ve seen Matthews enjoy a season unlike any skater in Toronto franchise history (69 goals) and still end up on the outside after the opening playoff round. So, every goal Auston scores in the regular season should be accompanied by an asterisk. He could light the lamp 200 times between mid–October and mid–April and it wouldn’t alter his core reputation as a playoff ghost. He simply does not have the drive to excel when it matters… I was watching the guys on TSN Overdrive the other day as they were going through the Leafs line–up. Bryan Hayes left a thought dangling when he implied there’s a “window” for the Leafs if everything falls into place. A window for what he didn’t elaborate on. If he was thinking “Stanley Cup”, that’s one hell of a leap from 28th place in the overall standings. Others, and I may be in this group, still see an aging and slow blue line banking on a second elite season from Raddysh with too much emphasis on Chris Tanev, who will turn 37 just prior to Christmas. Tanev was a steadying force on the blue line two years ago but he missed nearly all of last season. That’s a difficult rebound for a defender with so many miles on his body… Something is up (and has been for awhile) between the Leafs and Matthew Knies. Though not quite the next Gordie Howe (as lionized by some in the media), Knies is a legitimate top–six forward with soft hands and a willingness to lurk about the danger area in front of the opposition goal. He’s big and he uses his size effectively. So, I’m not certain why there’s been so much trade smoke involving Knies. Smoke often indicates fire and I therefore suspect the Leafs will continue to dangle the 24–year–old as bait. What Knies lacks he cannot manufacture. Nobody would go near him if he had Brendan Shanahan’s mean streak… Dr. Noah Forman was the dedicated and loyal physician of the Leafs for 20 years. I suppose it was Noah that cost the team a shot at the Stanley Cup, for the Leafs parted company with him in August. A better doctor — and human being — you will not find… After a rough patch at mid season that included a 42–12 drubbing in Edmonton, the Argos are beginning to resemble the team of two years ago that jelled, defensively, late in the schedule and won the Grey Cup even after Nick Arbuckle replaced injured quarterback Chad Kelly. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers, scratching for their playoff life, could get nothing established against the Argonaut defence in the second half Friday night. The Bombers were held to seven points on a ridiculous 76–yard scamper off a quarterback sneak. Otherwise, the visitors took command when Winnipeg held the ball and cemeted another late victory (30–28) with an interception in the dying seconds. You could hear a pin drop at Princess Auto Stadium when former Bomber Janarion Grant hauled in a missed field goal and started running (as per TSN images, below). He didn’t stop until completing a 128–yard return for a touchdown, the second longest in Toronto franchise history. A play, in 1958, involving Argo legend Dave Mann netted 131 yards…

 
Kelly tossed immaculate scoring passes to Tyler Kahmann (52 yards) and Damonte Coxie (84 yards). Chad is now only the fifth Argo pivot to pass for more than 5,000 yards in a season. Doug Flutie did it twice… And, yes, the team is responding to head coach Mike Miller, who looked like a budget hire earlier in the season… To my ears, the most–improved sports voice in the country is football analyst Paul LaPolice of TSN. Lapo, as he is known, was too technical in his early presentation, which is common for a football coach. He has learned to effectively communicate with the TV audience by using layman terms. He and Rod Smith, in my view, form the best broadcasting duo on TSN. Luke Willson, the Canadian–born ex–NFLer, has also added insight and humor to the telecast. Dustin Nielson, the play caller out of Edmonton, follows the game well but I cringe when he gets excited and raises his voice to a pitch that only canines can detect. It sounds like he’s being systematically tortured.

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