For the Maple Leafs, it’s all the same

TORONTO (Mar. 8) — Nothing has changed in the past half–decade. Zilch. Bupkis. Nor will it change in the foreseeable future. Every year on trade deadline day, the Maple Leafs are choked off and handcuffed by the four playoff ballerinas… Read More

Only the Toronto Star Had Gonads

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… Read More

No More Excuses For The Leafs

TORONTO (Feb. 29) — It was there… for two stunning, impeccable weeks. Even if it ended with a face–plant on Tuesday at Scotiabank Arena. The Toronto Maple Leafs, led by their highest–paid stars, won seven consecutive games and played to… Read More

Leafs Need Goaltending Assurance

Auston Matthews is the first player with 45 goals in his first 51 games since Mario Lemieux had 51 goals in his first 51 games of 1995-96. — Sportsnet via Twitter TORONTO (Feb. 17) — Barring injury or a lengthy… Read More

Everyone Missed The Point

TORONTO (Feb. 13) — The cheerleaders and apologists in the Toronto hockey media were out in full force, predictably bargaining on behalf of Morgan Rielly and the Maple Leafs since the international incident on Saturday in Ottawa. As I’ve written… Read More

Rielly Goes Full–Hunter On Greig

TORONTO (Feb. 11) — Forget about another defenseman or depth forward. As he nears the National Hockey League trade deadline, Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving should try to obtain an inanimate object. Not once in the Core–4 era have… Read More

Tanenbaum / Bell Tear Down Argos

TORONTO (Feb. 6) — Thank you, Kilmer Sports (Larry Tanenbaum). Thank you, Bell Canada. It was so kind of you to grab our ticket money for next year in mid–November… then proceed to gut the best regular–season club in Toronto… Read More

Oh no, The Leafs Are “Satisfied”

A battle with the Tampa Bay Lightning (eight wins in nine games) and Detroit Red Wings for third in the Atlantic [Division] is probably what we can expect for the Leafs in the final months of the regular season. —… Read More

The Maple Leafs Are Still No. 1

TORONTO (Jan. 25) — They never sit atop media power rankings; are one point beyond wild card playoff territory in the Eastern Conference; consistently overrate their top prospects; haven’t played for the Stanley Cup since The Graduate was a hit… Read More

The Longer We Live…

TORONTO (Jan. 19) — I lost my brother this morning. Not my blood brother, because I never had one. But, the individual that has come closest in my life to filling that void. Big Moishe. My sweet Benjamin’s colleague. The… Read More

MLSE Is Looking Bipolar

TORONTO (Jan. 18) — It is often difficult to comprehend that the Toronto Raptors and Toronto Maple Leafs are owned by the same company. The basketball team has not only delivered a championship since the advent of color TV, but… Read More

Leafs Wading Into Death Valley

TORONTO (Jan. 16) — A headline in the Toronto Sun on Monday read TRIP WON’T DETERMINE WHAT WE MAY ALREADY KNOW ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS. Oh yeah? Let’s revisit that notion in eleven days time, after the Leafs have finished… Read More

Coach Killers Will Claim Another

TORONTO (Jan. 14) — Sheldon Keefe seemed onto something last year. For the first time since Pat Quinn stood behind the bench, the Maple Leafs played acceptable defensive hockey. There was structure behind center ice and the club scraped 31… Read More

Can These Leafs Knock Off Florida?

TORONTO (Jan. 13) — For many fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs, it probably seems like yesterday. In fact, it was eight long months ago that the Florida Panthers finished off a thorough humiliation of the Leafs in the second… Read More

Sports Media “Wars” Are Amusing

TORONTO (Jan. 10) — It’s hilarious, this charade enacted by Rogers and Bell through their company owned websites, Sportsnet and TSN. Combined, the warring communications behemoths control 75 percent of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, thereby holding all the media… Read More

TSN Changed; The Leafs Did Not

TORONTO (Jan. 8) — It isn’t often, if ever, that TSN gets its clock cleaned on a big story involving the Toronto Maple Leafs. But, it happened this week with the William Nylander contract extension. Elliotte Friedman and Nick Kypreos… Read More

The Two Solitudes of Leafs Coverage

TORONTO (Jan. 3) — Given they share the same cradle as co–owners of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, TSN and Sportsnet can still play hardball with one another. This was evident throughout Wednesday. Whereas Sportsnet played up its “breaking” story… Read More

The MLSE Hockey Blueprint

TORONTO (Jan. 1) — We begin the new year with a Maple Leafs scene setter. The re–post of a blog from last summer that is perfectly relevant today. It shows how Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment wants the Leafs to… Read More