TORONTO (Mar. 3) — As an indication of the vice–grip held by Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment over the local and national media, the Toronto Star was the lone outlet to report on the unconscionable cash–grab by the Toronto Raptors for next season. Despite a club that will probably finish among the bottom six in the National Basketball Association, MLSE has elected to hike annual game subscriptions by five percent across the board.

Which prompted a relevant question from long–time season ticket subscriber Chantel Heisl: “At this point, you have to ask, what are we really paying for?” Heisl noted in an strong journalistic submission by Star writer Gilbert Ngabo. The Toronto Sun, Globe and Mail and National Post completely ignored the story. As did, of course, the national TV/radio networks, TSN and Sportsnet, which are controlled by the unwieldy MLSE “partnership” between Rogers Communications and Bell Canada. “Why are they asking more from us if we’re going to keep losing?” said Hiesl, whose pair of seats in the 300 level at Scotiabank Arena cost just more than $6,300 this season. They will run about $6,700 next year. “It’s really frustrating, to say the least. No one should be paying this for a losing team.”

The Raptors, at least, provided our city a championship in 2019. Off which MLSE clearly believes it can still dine.

The Leafs, by comparison, haven’t played for the Stanley Cup in 57 years, yet hockey fans have been coughing up ever–increasing sums during that time. In either case, it’s a matter of MLSE taking advantage of its loyal patrons. Whereas other executives might evade such an issue, MLSE senior vice–president Tom McDonald had the character to respond to Ngabo’s questions, even if he did so with corporate blather. “So much of it is determined by what the market is telling us, and what our tickets are worth,” he told the Star, noting the organization relies on “a multitude of data, including demand and economic trends.” None of which die–hard followers of the NBA team comprehend or care about. This is a billion–dollar enterprise gouging its customers… simply because it can.

As McDonald admitted.

“We have thousands of prospective season–ticket holders on a wait–list,” he said. “[This] is one of the best basketball markets in North America. We are sensitive to ensuring we have products that have a lot of value; products that mirror what the market is telling us our tickets are worth.” How, in anyone’s mind, could such criteria apply to a rebuilding basketball team? No, this is simply a matter of MLSE looking to increase its colossal profit margin. Of which it clearly has the prerogative, even if the message to fans is “we’re giving you less, but we expect more.”

As for the story being overlooked by virtually everyone in the media, well… it was typical. Dozens of paragraphs have been written about the middling defenseman on which the Leafs, this week, wasted more draft capital. If Ilya Lyubushkin returning from Anaheim is a more–significant matter than the Raptors raising ticket prices amid a mostly disastrous season, I’d like someone to explain why. The easy answer, of course, is that every time a player farts in the Leaf dressing room, it becomes national “news”. With Lyubushkin, a right shot on the blue line for which the club was apparently desperate, fawning reporters tripped over one another to expound on the “good fit.” Such is the reaction from writers and pundits whenever the Leafs make a roster addition. Remember last year?

Kyle Dubas acquired Ryan O’Reilly before the trade deadline and it seemed as if Toronto had landed Nathan MacKinnon. This was Dubas creating magic to ensure his club would compete for the Stanley Cup. Which might have happened in the six–team era, when the second round of the playoffs was, indeed, the Cup final. In the 32–team NHL, neither O’Reilly nor any of his mates had an answer for the Florida Panthers, who pounded the Leafs.

So much for going “all in.”

Exploring hard news cannot be expected from such in–house types as Mark Masters (TSN) and Luke Fox (Sportsnet), who essentially work for the Leafs. Or, Josh Lewenberg and Michael Grange, who similarly cover the Raptors for team–owned outlets. Critiquing the company that pays their salary is not advisable. But, neither should a ticket–gouge be ignored by independent agencies. Such as the daily newspapers. We live in a terribly flaccid and conflicted media environment. No young person today would recognize the manner in which the Maple Leafs (or anything pertaining to MLSE) were covered prior to Rogers and Bell forming their unholy alliance (in 2013). That’s why the Toronto Star stood far above the pack, this week, in its Raptors coverage.

GIVE SHELDON PROPS: In the span of three weeks, the Maple Leafs have risen from the edge of the playoff abyss to a comfortable stance in the Eastern Conference. The night (Feb. 10) that Morgan Rielly incurred his five–game suspension for crosschecking Ridly Greig of Ottawa, the Leafs were a wild card team and only two points removed from non–playoff territory. Today, after a timely and impressive 9–1–0 surge, Toronto sits third in the Atlantic Division, only six points behind the scuffling Boston Bruins (3–2–5 in their past 10), and with two games in hand. It sets up a monster regular–season clash between the clubs on Monday night here in town.

The turnaround reflects well on coach Sheldon Keefe, who may have been fired if the Leafs had dropped the finale of a road trip, Jan. 21, at Seattle. Instead, the visitors prevailed over the Kraken… then followed with consecutive victories over the high–flying Winnipeg Jets before the all star break. With Saturday night’s 4–3 shootout victory over the Rangers at Scotiabank Arena, Toronto has hoarded 18 of the last 20 available points and is now situated seven points beyond the Eastern playoff terminator. The big–money boys — Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander — are carrying the team with their skill and savvy. Given reaction from the fan base, however, this hot streak hasn’t convinced many of a reversal once the Stanley Cup tournament begins. Only a deep (and shamefully overdue) run between April and June will accomplish that. But, Keefe commanded the attention of his players just when it seemed his message was falling on deaf ears. For that, he deserves abundant credit.

MOVING BIG PIECES: Today’s date (Mar. 3) is the anniversary of three significant trades involving the Leafs. The biggest occurred in 1968, when Punch Imlach dealt Frank Mahovlich, Peter Stemkowski, Garry Unger and defenseman Carl Brewer’s NHL rights to Detroit for forwards Norm Ullman, Paul Henderson and Floyd Smith.

Two years later, in 1970, the Leafs were in Oakland when Jim Gregory traded Tim Horton to the New York Rangers, which ended a brilliant stretch of two decades with the Leafs. And, I still remember being floored, 20 years ago today, when John Ferguson Jr. acquired Hall–of–Fame defenseman Brian Leetch from the Rangers. None of the deals resulted in a Stanley Cup. Mahovlich won four championships with the Leafs, then added two more with Montreal after being traded to the Canadiens, from Detroit, for Mickey Redmond on Jan. 13, 1971.

I am told, without details, that current Leafs GM Brad Treliving has something much bigger than Lyubushkin up his sleeve before Friday’s NHL trade deadline. And, it likely doesn’t involve another defenseman.

MAPLE LEAF GARDENS THE DAY AFTER JFK

We recently passed the 60th anniversary of the day that U.S. president John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. The Leafs were in the midst of their Stanley Cup dynasty under Punch Imlach when JFK perished from a gunshot wound to the brain. In my collection of programs from Maple Leaf Gardens is the Toronto–Boston edition of Nov. 23, 1963, the day after the JFK murder and the night before Jack Ruby gunned down Lee Harvey Oswald — on live television — in the basement of the Dallas Police Headquarters. Toronto had twice won the NHL championship and would make it three consecutively in the spring of 1964. With much of the world still reeling over Kennedy’s death, this magazine was sold to patrons entering the Gardens for a 4–1 victory over the Bruins:

 
BOB BAUN GRACED THE PROGRAM COVER FROM THE LEAFS NINTH HOME GAME OF 1963–64.

A PHOTO SPREAD SHOWED THE LEAFS CELEBRATING THEIR 1963 CUP TRIUMPH OVER DETROIT.

PUNCH IMLACH, DICK DUFF AND DAVE KEON WERE AMONG THOSE PROFILED IN THE MAGAZINE.

THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN FUN — GOING TO THE MOVIE THEATER FOR A MAPLE LEAFS ROAD GAME.

STILL THREE YEARS BEFORE BOBBY ORR JOINED THE BRUINS FROM THE OSHAWA GENERALS, VETERAN DEFENSEMAN BOB McCORD WORE THE SOON–TO–BE–FAMOUS NO. 4 IN WHITE, GOLD AND BLACK. TIM HORTON AND DAVE KEON WERE TIED FOR TORONTO’S SCORING LEAD WITH 13 POINTS AFTER 16 GAMES. LEAFS CAPTAIN GEORGE ARMSTRONG LED BOTH TEAMS WITH SEVEN GOALS.

 
THERE WERE MANY FEWER REFEREES AND LINESMAN (TOP–RIGHT) IN THE SIX–TEAM NHL.

BOBBY HULL WAS ABOUT TO ENTER HIS PRIME YEARS WITH CHICAGO. IN LATE–NOVEMBER OF 1963, HULL LED THE LEAGUE IN GOALS AND POINTS; TEAMMATE STAN MIKITA RIGHT BEHIND.

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