Maple Leafs News

"Former Vancouver Canuck general manager Dave Nonis said today he has had no discussions with the Toronto Maple Leafs about a management position with their team. Speaking on his regularly scheduled radio appearance on TEAM 1040, Nonis also said he would listen if the Leafs did call. "I haven't talked to anyone from Toronto at this time," Nonis replied when asked about anonymously sourced reports out of Toronto. "If they do decide to bring me in [for an interview] and tell me what they're thinking, there'll be a decision to be made."

" Paul Maurice has his resume polished and ready to go, but he knows a big bottle of white-out won't cover the biggest blemish. Fired by the Maple Leafs on Wednesday, Maurice yesterday held a news conference at the Air Canada Centre, where he was asked about his NHL coaching record. Maurice has made it past the first round just once, in 2002, when his Carolina Hurricanes went to the Stanley Cup final and lost to the Detroit Red Wings. "

" As the Dallas Stars slammed the Maple Leafs' door on Fabian Brunnstrom, the Leafs might have been unrolling a welcome mat for Dave Nonis. Speculation is percolating that Nonis will be in Toronto early next week, possibly on Monday, for an interview with the Leafs regarding the vacant general manager's job. "

"Another non-playoff season is long over but the Maple Leafs' losing ways continue. The much-maligned organization has now suffered a double whammy off the ice; rejected in their pursuit of a high-profile candidate for their vacant GM post and spurned by a coveted free-agent winger. The latest whiff at the executive level came when they approached the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday seeking permission to speak to Doug Wilson about their vacant GM position. The Sharks' ownership refused to acquiese, thereby retaining Wilson, who has been their GM since 2003."

"You'd never suspect Paul Maurice was among Imlach's successors if you listened to Maurice's farewell press conference yesterday morning. The departing coach made his two-season stay at the Air Canada Centre sound as harmonious as yoga camp. His players? He loved them. His employers at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment? Wonderful folks to work for. "They really want to win," he said with earnest sincerity that almost made you want to phone up Richard Peddie and apologize for making all those suggestions to the contrary."

"The Maple Leafs have filled their pursuit of a new hockey boss with the loftiest of intentions. According to president Richard Peddie, the club wants "a winner," someone who is a "long-term builder and short-term fixer," an executive with "NHL experience and an established track record, a success on and off the ice.""

"As anyone who's seen an Oliver Stone movie can tell you, it's now clear that Wednesday's TSN report was the first act in a sequence of events which will inevitably lead to Brian Burke and Dave Nonis reuniting in Toronto to run the Maple Leafs. I mean, who would argue differently? The crack management team at Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment has long since targeted Burke as the man who would be king of their empire. Nonis, his close confederate and former first lieutenant with the Vancouver Canucks, has recently been made available amid an equally interesting set of circumstances. Put it all together and the inescapable conclusion is Nonis has been approached to serve as a caretaker GM in Toronto while Burke completes the last year of his contract with the Anaheim Ducks."

"Paul Maurice is out as coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and now the rumour mill can start churning, both over who's his replacement and who's the new boss. In the latter case, will that search lead back to Vancouver?...As for who might be part of that "new regime," the big rumour Wednesday was that recently fired Canucks GM Dave Nonis could be hooking up with the Leafs. TSN reported Toronto had approached Vancouver for permission to speak with Nonis. And the Canucks' response? "We do not plan on making any statement to confirm or deny the report," a team official told The Vancouver Sun."

"In the words of Cliff Fletcher, this is the start of a new era for the Maple Leafs -- new general manager, new coach and new players. Unfortunately for Leafs fans, all three are still TBA and so far they have been able to clear out only the old manager and now the coach. So far none of them have been replaced. In truth, it is more like the end of an era and, indeed, if there was one thing that seemed abundantly clearer yesterday, during the confirmation of the firing of coach Paul Maurice, it is that the search for a new general manager should take on an even greater, though not reckless, urgency because now there are two major jobs to fill, not to mention what has to happen with the players and the direction of the organization. "

"Paul Maurice knows this much: He won't spend his summer holidays twisting in the wind. In a strange sense, Maurice figured the Maple Leafs did the right thing yesterday, firing him early enough that he has plenty of time to look for another coaching job for next season if that's what he wants to do. "I appreciate the fact this was something that was not drawn out," Maurice said. "The team is going in one direction and I was not going to be a part of it." "

" The idea that the Paul Maurice was not in Maple Leafs players' good books didn't wash with one of them. "Not at all," said Matt Stajan, one Leaf who improved under the guidance of Maurice. "If that was the case, we would have rolled over. But we kept playing our hardest and that all started with the coaching staff. We were still playing meaningful games late in the season." Of course, what the players thought of Maurice had little to do with whether he would continue coaching the Leafs."

" The curious timing of the firing of Paul Maurice leads only to further intrigue around the ever-intriguing and often inept Maple Leafs. Why fire Maurice now, especially after interim boss Cliff Fletcher announced at the end of the regular season that he wasn't going to make a decision on the coach -- and that the determination would be made by the new general manager? Why fire Maurice now, when the timing coincides with the Leafs asking for permission to talk to fired Vancouver GM Dave Nonis but have yet to have any meaningful conversation with him? What if Nonis, in some front-office role with the Leafs, wants Maurice to coach? What then? And what now? "

"The gang's all here: Steve Yzerman. Doug Armstrong. Bob Nicholson. Brian Burke. Even Scotty Bowman. Many of the names associated with the vacant Leaf general manager's job have come to Halifax for the world championships at some point, providing an opportunity for one-stop shopping. The Leafs' search committee, however, has not. "It does sound like a great grocery store, though," joked lawyer Gordon Kirke, who's on the committee with Leaf president Richard Peddie. Yzerman is here as Team Canada's GM, Armstrong is his assistant and Nicholson is the president of Hockey Canada."

"Did the timing of the dismissal mean the Leafs had found their general manager and were allowing him to arrive without blood on his hands? Did it mean the Leafs are so far from finding Fletcher's successor that the Silver Fox realized he'd better do what he said he wouldn't – fire the coach – and get on with rebuilding the club himself? Will Fletcher run the team until Brian Burke is freed up from his contract obligations in Anaheim next summer? Will the Leafs replace the current interim with another interim, say recently deposed Vancouver GM Dave Nonis, until Burke can arrive as the saviour? And why hasn't Burke signed that extension in Duckland yet?"

"The Maple Leafs are still waiting to hear if they have landed Swedish free-agent winger Fabian Brunnstrom. The 23-year-old had narrowed the field of suitors to four – Toronto, Dallas, Detroit and Montreal – and it was anticipated he would announce the decision on where he wants to play yesterday. But there was no definitive word. "We expect to hear in the next couple of days," Toronto's interim general manager Cliff Fletcher said. "

"Matt Stajan is one Leafs player put through the coaching grinder by Paul Maurice, a situation in which, as a young player, he was often the target of the coach's criticism. Stajan wants to thank him for that. "He was hard on me, but because of it I became a better player and a better person," Stajan said yesterday after the Toronto players learned Maurice had been fired. Stajan characterized Maurice as a "good coach and a good person," a portrait shared by other Leafs, although some contradictions exist among players who spoke off the record as well as sources inside the organization."

"So let's get this chronology straight. On April 7, Maple Leaf sort-of general manager Cliff Fletcher made it abundantly clear he wasn't going to decide the fate of head coach Paul Maurice. Then the board of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment met two days ago. Then Maurice was fired yesterday. So do you still think Fletcher is really running this hockey club? More important, it's pretty clear based on these latest shenanigans – the board spending all of its time looking to purchase an English premier division soccer club, then canning Maurice in its spare time – that the MLSE suits have no intention of handing over control of their profitable-if-not-successful hockey toy to anybody."

"Intrigue continues to swirl around the Avalanche's head coaching situation. Joel Quenneville's contract with the Avalanche runs out June 30 and general manager Francois Giguere has yet to give him an extension or disavow speculation he might be thinking of a change. Meanwhile, the coaching job with the Toronto Maple Leafs became vacant Wednesday. That is the team Quenneville grew up idolizing in Windsor, Ontario. It was the first team he played for in the NHL and the organization he got his coaching start with in 1991. The man who hired Quenneville as an assistant with the St. John's Maple Leafs, is current Toronto general manager Cliff Fletcher...Avalanche general manager Francois Giguere said he won't discuss specifics regarding Quenneville's status."

"The Maple Leafs have fired head coach Paul Maurice, sources have told The Star. Maurice spent two seasons in the post with the Leafs, failing to make the playoffs. His record with Leafs was 76 wins, 66 losses and 22 overtime and shootout losses. Assistant coach Randy Ladouceur has also been fired."

"The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired coach Paul Maurice, sources tell TSN. Maurice originally joined the Maple Leafs orginization June 24, 2005 as head coach of Toronto's AHL affiliate the Toronto Marlies. He was promoted to the Maple Leafs on May 12, 2006 following Pat Quinn's dismissal. Assistant coach Randy Ladouceur has also been let go. Maurice compiled a 164-76-65-22 record in two season with the Leafs, missing the playoffs both years."

"Who is Fabian Brunnstrom and why are so many NHL teams - including the Canadiens - interested in him? Brunnstrom is back home in Sweden trying to decide where he would like to play after a whirlwind North American tour. He spent two days in Montreal, visited Detroit and Denver, and talked to people in Dallas and Toronto. He has been hailed as the best hockey player not under contract to an NHL team and has attracted a lot of attention as a 23-year-old free agent. Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey said yesterday he felt Brunnstrom has the talent to play in the NHL, but a quick look at the Swede's résumé suggests this guy poses more questions than Alex Trebek."

"There could be some light at the end of the Fabian Brunnstrom tunnel. Maple Leafs interim general manager Cliff Fletcher said yesterday the club has been told to expect an answer from the Swedish free agent no later than tomorrow regarding his NHL decision. The Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars are in the running to land the 23-year-old forward. "

"The Maple Leafs should know early next month whether they'll have captain Mats Sundin back in the fold for the 2008-09 season. The newly engaged Sundin has returned to Sweden with his fiancée but he's expected to be back in Toronto in a few weeks. At that time he'll sit down with Leafs interim general manager Cliff Fletcher and Fletcher expects he'll get a clearer indication of Sundin's intentions."

" The Maple Leafs began a week of amateur scouting meetings yesterday in Toronto, excited by having their highest pick since 1992 and four selections in the first three rounds. Interim general manager Cliff Fletcher said the anticipation of the seventh overall pick energized the gathering. "

"The Maple Leafs' recent on-ice ineptitude might finally pay dividends, possibly giving the team a competitive advantage in its pursuit of Swedish free agent Fabian Brunnstrom. The Leafs are one of four finalists, for lack of a better word, in the Brunnstrom sweepstakes. They've missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons while the other three suitors, Dallas, Montreal and Detroit, are either still in the hunt for the Stanley Cup or, in the case of the Canadiens, just eliminated from post-season play. So Toronto is playing the opportunity card. "

"The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Sunday that the hockey club has signed forward Dale Mitchell to a three-year entry level contract. Mitchell was the Maple Leafs' first choice, 74th overall, in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. Mitchell, 19, skated in 15 playoff games for the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League in 2008 with 16 points and scored 24 goals and 60 points in 63 regular season games. "

"But is it all over for good? That's the multi-million dollar question that Sundin refuses to answer, maintains he can't answer yet. "I don't even know whether I want to continue playing, put in the work that's necessary to start another season. I have to listen to my body and I'm not hearing anything yet." Nor has he heard, Sundin points out, from the Leafs about whether there's any interest in him. "They don't even have a new GM yet. Who knows if that person will want me? Shouldn't it be up to them to let me know first? I mean, it's impossible to have this conversation until other decisions are made.""

"Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi made the pitch to another big free agent early yesterday morning, but this one isn't going to happen. Well, maybe in this town, but not with this particular team. Taking a bat in hands for the first time in his life, Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin took very early batting practice with the Jays yesterday. Ricciardi did the pitching; the grounds crew did the shagging. In a Jays' jersey with his name and No.13 on the back (the Jays knew he was coming), Sundin, ripping from the right side, hit for about 30 minutes."

" Like a train rolling through the countryside, the Maple Leafs' search for a general manager continues to chug along. But Gord Kirke, who is getting close to completing research of prospective candidates, said yesterday the recent retaining of Brian Burke in Anaheim did not shove the plans off the rails. "No, it didn't," Kirke said. "A lot of the candidates the media have speculated about are under contract. He would be on anybody's list." "

"A question mark continues to float over winger Darcy Tucker's future in Toronto, with indications persisting that he will be the first Leaf to be bought out of his contract once the period for buyouts opens June 15. Tucker remains in the dark about whether he will return for a ninth season in a Maple Leafs uniform this fall. And while no one from Leafs management has contacted him, it's believed the 33-year-old winger's name has already passed through the board level at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment as a leading candidate for a contract buyout."

"The Maple Leafs wouldn't mind breaking bread with Fabian Brunnstrom, but will have to wait their turn at the buffet table. The 23-year-old Swedish forward prospect reportedly has been making the rounds in North America this week, with a stop in Dallas done and another tonight in Denver to take in Game 4 of the Avalanche-Red Wings series. The Leafs hope to meet with Brunnstrom and his agent, J.P. Barry, late this week. An unrestricted free agent, Brunnstrom turned heads this season with Farjestad of the Swedish Elite League. "

"The Leafs are keeping a very close eye on Nikolai Kulemin, their prized forward from the second round of the 2006 draft. He is with the Russian team in Quebec City. Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher said the team fully expects the former Russian League rookie of the year to come to training camp. "

"Pogge's stock remains sterling with the Leafs, but his ascension to the NHL is a work in progress. While this season with the Marlies didn't begin – or end – with him earning the No.1 job, he will be given a long and serious look to crack the Leafs' roster during training camp in September. The Leafs, however, already have Vesa Toskala holding down the top job at the NHL level and likely won't place Pogge in the NHL and have him sit on the bench most of the season as a backup. "

"Mats Sundin is a free agent no longer – off the ice, at least. Toronto's – and Sweden's – most eligible sporting bachelor announced yesterday he's ready to tie the knot with 25-year-old girlfriend Josephine Johansson. "

"Evgeni Malkin is predicting a bright NHL future for Maple Leafs prospect Nikolai Kulemin, even if the Russian national team doesn't feel it has room for the young forward."

"Wherever he goes, off or on the ice, Avery attracts attention. There are goons and there are goofs – and we mean that in a good way, sort of. What team wouldn't want him, the way he has been playing, mixing agitation with aggression and the odd goal? The Maple Leafs could do worse in the summer free agent market."

"Many theories have been put forth about the abrupt halt in the Maple Leafs' pursuit of Brian Burke, including a rumour that the National Hockey League interceded to keep him in Anaheim for the final year of his contract."

"The announcement Wednesday that Brian Burke would be returning to the Anaheim Ducks for the last year on his contract struck us as being, well, somewhat academic."

"The Maple Leafs might deploy Mats Sundin as a closer in their pursuit of free-agent Swedish forward Fabian Brunnstrom."

"With star candidate Brian Burke wiped off the list of viable prospects for the Maple Leafs' GM vacancy, Cliff Fletcher is ready, willing and able to hold on to that interim tag a little longer. He just doesn't think he's going to have to. "I'm here on the basis that I'm the general manager, which is the only way it can be run," said Fletcher. "Whenever they resolve their issues is fine with me.""

" Peddie, the president and CEO of MLSEL, and sports lawyer Kirke now have some interesting choices: - Wait for the playoffs to run their course and see if any high-profile names become available. Should the Detroit Red Wings or San Jose Sharks go all the way, GMs Ken Holland or Doug Wilson might look to cash in elsewhere. - Concentrate on unfettered candidates, such as Doug Armstrong or Jim Rutherford. - Go after team presidential timber such as NHL exec Colin Campbell and sports agent Don Meehan and let them make the call on a GM. - Stay the course with interim GM Cliff Fletcher. "

"Brian Burke very much wanted to talk to the Maple Leafs about their opening for a new hockey boss. But his bosses with the Anaheim Ducks said no chance. That, in short, is what happened yesterday, just 24 hours after Burke said he didn't know if he'd be back with the Ducks next season. Burke will now have to grit his teeth and fulfill the fourth and final year of his existing contract next season knowing he could have had the Leaf job."

"The Maple Leafs general manager search will now move past Brian Burke and continue with further candidate interviews, but the end process may wind up where it currently sits – with Cliff Fletcher in command. "The process continues," said Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment president Richard Peddie last night, after word that Burke – the apparent frontrunner for the Leafs job – would be staying in Anaheim to honour the final year of his contract. The Leafs had no further comment, keeping with the organization's party line set by both Peddie and Toronto sports lawyer Gord Kirke, who are in charge of the interview process. Peddie said the fact the GM search "continues" is in no way affected by Burke's decision. "

"Brian Burke said nothing yesterday to quell speculation he may be Toronto bound as the next general manager of the Maple Leafs."

"Burke couldn't give a straight answer because as much as he likes to slag media in these parts about unfounded rumours, he knows darn well he is at the top of the Maple Leafs' list to become the new hockey boss for a franchise that has become synonymous with embarrassing failure."

" The worst-kept secret in Toronto hockey will be front and centre today when lawyer Gord Kirke makes his presentation to the board of directors of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd. In that meeting, Brian Burke of the Anaheim Ducks will be revealed as the two-man search committee's candidate of choice to become the next president and general manager of the Maple Leafs. "

"General Manager Brian Burke, the man who put the final major pieces together for the team's championship run the previous season, is expected to be aggressively courted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the coming days to run their team. In a season-ending news conference at the Honda Center, Burke would not say whether the interest is mutual."

"Foremost among the uncertainty is the status of General Manager Brian Burke, who Tuesday addressed persistent reports out of Canada that the Toronto Maple Leafs will target him to take on the same role with the proud but struggling Original Six franchise."

"The Maple Leafs should know in the next six weeks or so whether captain Mats Sundin has any interest in re- signing with the club for 2008-09. His agent, J.P. Barry, said he probably won't hear from Sundin until early June."

"The Maple Leafs are on a list of six teams, along with the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins and Dallas Stars, which have submitted proposals/offers to Barry."