No Way Leafs Can Trade Marner

TORONTO (Sep. 29) — Even a casual fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs should be able to answer this question rather quickly: What do Dave Keon, Tim Horton, Frank Mahovlich, Darryl Sittler, Lanny McDonald, Borje Salming, Rick Vaive, Wendel Clark,… Read More

Blades Up, Zorro!

TORONTO (Sep. 24) — My old hockey traveling pal, Mark Zwolinski, doesn’t believe a word I say. Or, write. Never really has. I believed him, once, and nearly lapsed into Civil War with the 2001–02 Toronto Maple Leafs, featuring Darcy… Read More

The Captain at 70

TORONTO (Sep. 18) — Darryl Sittler has me by 8½ years and, probably, a couple of million dollars. Not to mention more than two generations of hockey fans that remember his mostly exceptional era as captain of the Toronto Maple… Read More

Final Chapter Not Yet Written

TORONTO (Sep. 15) — It has not been a pleasant five weeks for the Toronto Maple Leafs and their fans. Since being eliminated, Aug. 9, in Game 5 of a qualifying Stanley Cup round by the Columbus Blue Jackets, the… Read More

Do We Need National Anthems?

TORONTO (Sep. 12) — Whether or not you agree with the cause, there is no question the United States national anthem is being exploited when played prior to sporting events. The cause, of course, is the Black Lives Matter movement,… Read More

Michael Hutchinson? Gimme a Break

TORONTO (Sep. 4) — I honestly counted hours toward the inevitable. Under the category “any goalie can get hot in a brief span,” there was Michael Hutchinson — good guy but failed back-up everywhere in his career — earning a… Read More

Leafs Will Replace Andersen

TORONTO (Sep. 2) — To their credit, the Toronto Maple Leafs are trying to avoid insanity. You know… doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result. The club has been down that path on three occasions… Read More

Give The NHL A Break

TORONTO (Aug. 29) — I assume that I’m in the overwhelming minority; perhaps even alone on an island. But, I had no problem with the National Hockey League continuing its Stanley Cup schedule on Wednesday night, after players in the… Read More

Burke Could Be Last Man Standing

**BREAKING (Aug. 22, 8 p.m. EDT): MIKE MILBURY HAS BEEN EXCUSED BY NBC SPORTS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS YEAR’S STANLEY CUP TOURNAMENT.** TORONTO (Aug. 22) — As of this morning, Mike Milbury was still employed as a hockey analyst… Read More

Kadri Heat Unfair to Dubas

TORONTO (Aug. 20) — With the Maple Leafs continuing their one–and–done trend this season in opening, or qualifying, rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs, general manager Kyle Dubas has incurred the wrath of fans and media (mostly the former); much… Read More

Palmateer: “Leafs Need Playoff Grit”

TORONTO (Aug. 17) — He remains, more than 40 years after his National Hockey League prime, one of the most–popular figures in modern Toronto Maple Leafs history. As a player in the late–1970’s, he embodied exactly what the current Leafs… Read More

Pietrangelo Watch Underway (Sigh)

TORONTO (Aug. 15) — It happens every year — like clockwork — as soon as the Toronto Maple Leafs are eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs: Fans and media begin to dream about the club buying its way out of… Read More

Better Hope Kyle Was Fudging

TORONTO (Aug. 13) — Let us compare words spoken, this week, by general managers of teams eliminated during the best–of–five qualifying round in the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. First, from Hall–of–Fame builder Jim Rutherford of the Pittsburgh Penguins; his team… Read More

Leafs Require Significant Change

TORONTO (Aug. 12) — The amendments considered by the Toronto Maple Leafs before next season will starkly reveal the mindset of management. If the objective is to traverse the nearly two–decades–long obstacle of winning one playoff round, Brendan Shanahan and… Read More

A Fun Week, But That’s All

TORONTO (Aug. 10) — It was eight days of stuff that we surely missed during the pandemic shutdown. And, really, nothing more. If you’re a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs, feel the disappointment, yet again, and allow it to… Read More

It Figures, But Why Now?

TORONTO (Aug. 8) — It has never happened before and we’ll likely not see it again. What the Maple Leafs pulled off at Scotiabank Arena Friday night was merely the greatest comeback in franchise history. Regular–season, play–in or playoffs. You… Read More

Don’t Wave The Flag, Leafs Nation

TORONTO (Aug. 7) — If you’re a downtrodden fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs after Thursday night’s blown, three–goal lead against the Columbus Blue Jackets, understand that it has happened. Your team did come back from a game down in… Read More

Cherry In Andersen’s Corner

TORONTO (Aug. 6) — There’s nothing like a phone message from Don Cherry in the wee hours to get a guy’s arse out of bed. I had nodded off early last night and vaguely remember my Samsung coming to life.… Read More