Don’t Be Fooled Again, Leafs Fans

TORONTO (Mar. 6) — We live in a strange world. All of the prime hockey gurus at TSN and Sportsnet agonizingly filled time today on the air for more than seven hours. To finally — and breathlessly — announce to… Read More

The Maple Leafs Will Clean House

TORONTO (Mar. 3) — Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun posed a meaningful question in his Sunday notes column, wondering why Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment is entrusting the National Hockey League trade deadline to general manager Brad Treliving. Particularly… Read More

Time For Matthews, Nylander to Go

TORONTO (Feb. 28) — I’m wondering if someone in the hierarchy of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment would make an unprecedented ruling: that Auston Matthews become the first captain of a team in the National Hockey League to be forbidden… Read More

Matthews vs. Marner — Meh!

TORONTO (Feb. 21) — In the view of this observer, and I doubt I’m alone, the five best hockey players on the planet are Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Macklin Celebrini and Quinn Hughes. All will be in unform… Read More

Could Maple Leafs Pull The Trigger?

TORONTO (Feb. 14) — There are growing indications, during this schedule break for the Winter Olympic Games, that the Toronto Maple Leafs will have an opportunity — before the Mar. 6 National Hockey League deadline — to trade a pair… Read More

Let The Season Go, Leafs Fans

TORONTO (Feb. 7) — No one is quite certain how the Maple Leafs, with a bevy of self–inflicted managerial wounds, can improve beyond the current National Hockey League season. Given a lack of leadership on the ice; a slow, aging… Read More

Sportsnet Comes Through Again

TORONTO (Jan. 31) — Finally, the media template. I owe you one, Luke Fox. Not that I couldn’t count on you to offer the delusion that prevails through a large faction of media and fans here in the Big Smoke… Read More

Wonder What Mr. Pelley Is Thinking

TORONTO (Jan. 28) — I’ll give Keith Pelley credit, wherever he is (and we could hear from him soon). During his news conference as the CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (May 10, 2024 after the Leafs had been… Read More

Leafs Heading For A Mega Makeover

TORONTO (Jan. 25) — This is only the second blog I’ve written in 2026. When asked why I’ve been idle, there are several reasons but none moreso than the impossibility of presenting the same thoughts differently. I mean, how many… Read More

Remembering the Misery and Pain

TORONTO (Jan. 7) — I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease 50 years ago this afternoon (Jan. 7, 1976) at Toronto General Hospital. Diagnostics and immediate treatment for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) has changed for the better since that time. For… Read More

Explaining The Win Over New Jersey

TORONTO (Jan. 1) — The Maple Leafs came up with their biggest victory of the season on Tuesday night, blanking the New Jersey Devils, 4–0, at Scotiabank Arena. Clearly, it couldn’t have happened without major contributions from the big–money boys… Read More

Burke Discusses the Doddering Leafs

TORONTO (Dec. 25) — I begin tonight by sincerely hoping that everyone on board here enjoyed a merry Christmas; a quiet, pleasant day replete with treasured family time and lots of love. As I perused YouTube late in the afternoon,… Read More

Should Treliving Continue as GM?

TORONTO (Dec. 22) — With the Maple Leafs, three days before Christmas, sitting but three points above last place in the National Hockey League standings, it is fair to wonder whether the battery of general manager Brad Treliving and coach… Read More

Sadly, Unfairly, It’s Berube’s Time

TORONTO (Dec. 19) — The “Coach Killers” will strike again. Very soon. It says here that Peter DeBoer will replace Craig Berube behind the bench of the Toronto Maple Leafs, perhaps as early as next week. It will be far–less… Read More

Poor Berube Was Wasting His Breath

TORONTO (Dec. 14) — Honest to God, what could he say? For one of the few times in his career with the Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews chose to make himself uvavailable to reporters on Saturday night. After making himself unavailable… Read More

The Leafs Take a Casual Pass — Again

TORONTO (Dec. 13) — For the first time in the modern history of the National Hockey League, the second–best defenseman on the planet came up for trade. Naturally, Quinn Hughes landed someplace other than here: the lazy, never–assume–risk world of… Read More

Shhhh… The Leafs Are Winning

TORONTO (Dec. 6) — Fans of the Maple Leafs have often accused media of wanting the team to lose. Which makes little sense today given the calamitous cross–pollination of media and team ownership. Watch a full episode of Kyper and … Read More

Let’s Give Max Domi a Break

TORONTO (Nov. 22) — Yeah, I get it. The Maple Leafs, in this city, are more important than family, health and religion. But, let’s try, momentarily, to reel in some perspective. After every game in this National Hockey League season… Read More