2011/2012 Season

Elliotte Trampled The Opposition

TORONTO (Feb. 8) — During the first month of the pandemic–shortened National Hockey League season, forward Wayne Simmonds of the Toronto Maple Leafs might have been the best of all free agent acquisitions. He was doing more for the club… Read More

More Blood On Their Hands

Clowns to the left of me; Jokers to the right… — Gerry Rafferty, 1973 TORONTO (Feb. 5) — Yes, I am biased and no, the communications industry is not alone in destroying careers. But, neither would Bell Canada be extinct… Read More

Had The Leafs Been (Close To) Perfect

TORONTO (Feb. 3) — Imagine the Toronto Maple Leafs, in the early 1970’s, with Ken Dryden and Gerry Cheevers playing goal. With Bobby Orr, Brad Park, Borje Salming, Ian Turnbull and Pat Stapleton on defense; Dave Keon, Garry Unger, Darryl… Read More

The Best Trade… The Biggest Mistake

TORONTO (Feb. 1) — It was a few hours before the 2011 National Hockey League draft and I was sitting next to Jim Gregory on a bus outside the Minneapolis Marriott. The former Leafs general manager was battling cancer and… Read More

Suddenly Marvelous Mitch

TORONTO (Jan. 31) — He has been, for more than four years, the best small Maple Leafs forward since Doug Gilmour and, therefore, the second–best small Leafs forward these eyes have ever seen. Yet, he makes too much money;… Read More

The Hutchinson Curse

TORONTO (Jan. 28) — Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas keeps bringing back Michael Hutchinson as insurance… for insurance… against insurance in goal. And, Hutchinson keeps finding his way onto the roster. Does Michael cast a spell over the Blue… Read More

Here’s Why The Leafs Often Crumble

TORONTO (Jan. 25) — In many ways, beginning the National Hockey League season with a 5–2–0 record after seven games is a form of voodoo for the Toronto Maple Leafs. So apparently famished are the observers of the longest current… Read More

The Chief and ‘Cooz’ Together Again

TORONTO (Jan. 24) — Among the heroes of my youth; the hockey players that took me from black–and–white to color TV on Saturdays and Wednesdays in the latter half of the 1960’s, I came to know and love two of… Read More

Bowen Saw Borschevsky’s Redirect

TORONTO (Jan. 23) — Ultimately, when discussing his four decades as voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Joe Bowen gets around to the spring of 1993. We all do… any that were privileged to follow that 21–games–in–42–nights Stanley Cup challenge.… Read More

Bowen Started With Barilko

TORONTO (Jan. 21) — I hesitate to begin this blog by saying that Joe Bowen is getting old. True, he’ll be 70 on Apr. 5, but he’s still full of voice, energy and fun. The facts, however, do not lie.… Read More

Leafs Goaltending Situation Delicate

TORONTO (Jan. 19) — Interesting that Frederik Andersen now makes headlines for having a good game. As he did last night while stopping 27 shots in a 3–1 victory over Winnipeg at Scotiabank Arena. All of which is rather unfair,… Read More

Once a Mom, Always A Mom

TORONTO (Jan. 18) — It is so true. A mother’s work is never complete. Not for one day. Not for one hour. Even if her famous, 25–year–old son, earning $10.6 million over two years to play hockey with the Columbus… Read More

Tonight Is First Test For The Leafs

TORONTO (Jan. 16) — There are three elements of the abbreviated, 56–game season that will continuously stand out in the National Hockey League between tonight and May 8: 1) each game is just a bit more significant than during a… Read More

Leafs Good, But Overrated — Again

TORONTO (Jan. 12) — It happens almost every year and is undoubtedly a by–product of the longest current Stanley Cup drought: On the eve of the National Hockey League season, the Toronto Maple Leafs are overrated by members of the… Read More

Hang On… It’s Gonna Be Bumpy

TORONTO (Jan. 9) — Like a flight over the Rocky Mountains when air patterns are unpredictable, the 2021 National Hockey League season is going to be turbulent. This will not occur as a result of carelessness on the NHL’s part,… Read More

Where Is Bobby Orr?

TORONTO (Jan. 6) — In my eyes — and I’m far from alone — he is the greatest hockey player of all time. He is also a wonderful, charitable person that has always treated me first class. But, Bobby Orr’s… Read More

Breaking News And Botching Up

TORONTO (Jan. 6) — I once told our radio audience at The FAN–590 that the Maple Leafs were going to sign defenseman Adrian Aucoin as a free agent. I was wrong. Never happened. Even worse, I scrambled out of Bob… Read More

Leafs Blew It With Chara

TORONTO (Jan. 4) — You can make excuses for the Toronto Maple Leafs from sun–up to sun–down — and countless people around here have perfected the art — but the bottom line is this: Zdeno Chara was available and should… Read More