Maple Leafs Rumors & News

The Score "The NHL clarified its plan for processing conditional trades involving 2020 draft picks in a memo sent to teams this week, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. With the NHL and NHLPA agreeing upon a unique 24-team playoff format, the league has ruled teams must advance..." May 30

The Score "MGM Resorts International has submitted a bid to the NHL showcasing Las Vegas' ability to serve as a hub city for the expanded postseason, sources told The Athletic's Jesse Granger. Exact details of the proposal are currently unknown, but it reportedly highlights the..." May 30

Sportsnet "“There’s no magic to starting in October,” Gary Bettman said this week, but there may be some found in finishing then. For it looks increasingly like that’s when the commissioner will be handing over the Stanley Cup if health conditions allow the NHL to go..." May 29

TSN "Former teammates Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Cody Ceci took to the ice Friday morning for the first time since the NHL's pause at the Minto Skating Centre in Ottawa. The two former Ottawa Senators -- Pageau now with the New York Islanders and Ceci with the Toronto..." May 29

Sporting News "The NHL released a comprehensive 21-page memo Monday detailing the next phase of what will hopefully lead to the resumption of the 2019-20 season — and a Stanley Cup champion being crowned — sometime this summer. Tuesday Gary Bettman went on network television..." May 29

The Score "There's plenty wrong with the NHL's seven non-playoff teams - that's why they're at the bottom of the standings. None of them are a fix away from winning the Stanley Cup. The climb to the top will be a marathon, not a sprint. That said, aside from winning the..." May 29

TSN "The National Hockey League’s Return to Play format is official, and assuming all goes to plan, we are about six weeks away from watching hockey once again. The new format – in the event you live under a rock – will feature 24 teams in total, and will open..." May 28

Sportsnet "“Thank God.” This is the sound of a relieved Columbus Blue Jackets captain, Nick Foligno, when it’s relayed to him that coach John Tortorella won’t be running one his legendary make-’em-sweat-till-they-puke training camps this..." May 28

Sportsnet "The NHL informed its players on Thursday that Phase 3 of the league’s return-to-play plan, which includes training camps, will not start before July 10, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Players informed today Phase III (training camps) won’t start before..." May 28

ESPN "The conversation I've been having inside my head this week: Hockey Brain: "Hooray, hockey's comin' back!" Cynical Brain: "This 24-team tournament and elaborate draft lottery are merely the framework for a possible..." May 28

TSN "The National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players' Association are expected to push back the June 1 entry-level contract signing deadline by one month, according to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger. Both parties need more time to negotiate on the..." May 28

Toronto Star "What, you wonder, can the NBA take away from the NHL’s big return to play plan laid out yesterday by Gary Bettman? Nothing. I know we up here tend to use one sport as a point of reference against the other and that’s so dead wrong it drives me..." May 28

Pro Hockey Rumors "With the league announcing their return to play format, the regular season is now over. Though we don’t know exactly when the Stanley Cup will be handed out, we do know who has won several regular season awards. The league officially announced the winners of the Art Ross,..." May 28

TSN "With NHL commissioner Gary Bettman laying out a 24-team return-to-play plan earlier this week and the possibility of beginning to open practice facilities for small group workouts as earlier as new week as part of Phase 2, Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares says his..." May 28

The Score "The U.S. Center for SafeSport is investigating USA Hockey president Jim Smith's handling of sexual misconduct and abuse allegations against a youth coach, The Athletic's Katie Strang reports. Smith is being investigated for turning a blind eye when Tom..." May 28

Yardbarker "As part of the 24-team format to crown a Stanley Cup champion amid the coronavirus pandemic officially announced on Tuesday by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman , clubs will be limited to 50 personnel at hub cities for round-robin seeding games, all best-of-five play-in series,..." May 28

Pro Hockey Rumors "When Scott Perunovich agreed to terms on two different contracts with the St. Louis Blues back in March, it led to plenty of confusion around the league. The plan was to have Perunovich sign a contract for 2019-20 if the season returned, allowing him to step right into a spot on..." May 28

The Score "The NHL's return-to-play format certainly hasn't satisfied everybody, but the plan does have its benefits. Fans get to indulge in more playoff hockey than usual after a layoff that has felt like an eternity. The league and its owners get the chance to recoup some lost revenue...." May 28

Sportsnet "Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Nick Robertson could get his first taste of NHL hockey this summer, as general manager Kyle Dubas announced on Wednesday that the winger will be part of the club’s expanded playoff roster.   " May 27

The Score "Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas is excited for his club's opportunity to see its season through with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman officially announcing the league's 24-team playoff format Tuesday. "I think we're certainly going to..." May 27

The Hockey News "Given the circumstances, there was no way the NHL was going to make everyone happy. Is a 24-team Stanley Cup tournament in the dead of summer the ideal solution here? Probably not. But when it comes to what millions of other people are enduring as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic,..." May 27

Yardbarker "The NHL announced its return-to-play plan this week, and that includes two hub cities hosting 24 teams in a rather interesting playoff format. While NHL commissioner Gary Bettman named 10 hub city finalists, things aren't set in stone. There's still a chance..." May 27

The Score "With the NHL officially unveiling its plan to use a 24-team playoff format if it does return to play this season, commissioner Gary Bettman ruled the 2019-20 regular season effectively finished. A number of big trades were made this past year that included conditional draft..." May 27

TSN "In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney asked the federal government to exempt NHL players and personnel from the country's travel protocol to facilitate Edmonton's bid to be a hub city in the NHL's potential return to play. Kenney..." May 27

Bleacher Report "As the NHL turns its attention to a return to play that would feature 24 teams playing in two hub cities in an effort to determine a Stanley Cup champion, the league does not think one positive COVID-19 test would shut down the efforts. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly..." May 27

Sportsnet "With the Toronto Maple Leafs poised to make the playoffs under traditional circumstances, the fair assumption was that they had waved sayonara to their 2020 first-round draft pick and any faint hope of winning a stud prospect like Alexis Lafreniere or Quinton..." May 27

The Score "NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly says the league remains keen on having a Canadian city serve as a hub if and when the return-to-play plan is initiated, but he admits that might not be possible. "We would certainly like to have a (hub) city in Canada," Daly..." May 27

USA Today "Palms are slick with sweat and the heart rate is elevated. Breaths are sharp and hurried. Expletives are verbally hurled at the television, quite often. This is the heightened life experience otherwise known as watching playoff hockey. It's a feeling sports fans haven't..." May 27

CBS Sports "NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced the league's official return-to-play plan on Tuesday afternoon, making the NHL the first of the four major North American sports leagues to officially declare its plans to play following the coronavirus shutdown. Bettman officially closed the book on..." May 27

Pro Hockey Talk "The NHL seeks to hand out the 2020 Stanley Cup despite the COVID-19 pandemic, so with that, Tuesday ranks as a big day. Commissioner Gary Bettman announced the league’s return-to-play plan, which includes a 24-team playoff format involving two “hub cities.”..." May 26

Pro Hockey Rumors "NHL commissioner Gary Bettman today explained how exactly the 24-team return to play format will work, a proposal that was submitted to and approved by the NHLPA executive board over the weekend. First and foremost was the announcement that the 2019-20 regular season is..." May 26

The Hockey News "Tens of millions of dollars in costs to the NHL, some 30,000 COVID-19 tests and, unless the Canadian government relaxes its 14-day quarantining requirement for people entering the country, no chance of seeing any live hockey in the best league in the world north of the 49th parallel for..." May 26

12 Up "On Tuesday, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed that the 2019-2020 regular season is over as the league will transition to a 24-team playoff format when play restarts. This modified blueprint gives squads that were knocking on the door of a playoff berth before play..." May 26

Sportsnet "Before NHL players are permitted to step back inside a team facility they must first have a swab inserted roughly four centimetres into their nasal cavity. Laboratory-based RT-PCR testing is used to detect any active or recent infection with COVID-19, and will be administered 48 hours..." May 26

The Score "Baby steps. That's what it's going to take for NHL action to return this summer. The league and the players' association moved ever so slightly in that direction Monday by announcing their intention to transition from Phase 1 (months of..." May 26

Pro Hockey Rumors "When drafting a player out of North America or any European country with a transfer agreement, a team acquires their exclusive negotiating rights for a set amount of time. Each year on June 1, a long list of players see those rights expire and become unrestricted free agents (or choose to..." May 26

TSN "Like everything in Michael Jordan’s orbit, The Last Dance  – a 10-part documentary series that concluded on ESPN and Netflix last week – was iconic and memorable. If not for the fact that it was virtually the only fresh sports content available during a global pandemic,..." May 26

Sportsnet "NHL commissioner Gary Bettman will make an exclusive announcement today at 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT regarding the Return to Play Plan for the 2019-20 NHL season. Watch the announcement on a special presentation of Tim & Sid, which will air on Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet 590 The Fan and..." May 26

Sportsnet "Goalies, they say, are voodoo. It may be the most difficult position to project but it is, of course, also the most important. If you don’t have a solid netminder then the cards are stacked against you from the word go. Just ask the San Jose Sharks, who finished with the worst..." May 26

New York Post "So what now of the Stigmatized Seven, those clubs who couldn’t play up to an NHL .500 level before the league entered its pause phase on March 12 and have thus been deemed unworthy of an invite to the league’s imagined 24-team Stanley Cup tournament? What about the..." May 25

TSN "The National Hockey League and NHLPA sent out the Phase 2 protocol to all teams and players late Sunday, and said they are targeting a date in early June for the transition to Phase 2. Phase 2 would include small group workouts. "Based on the current information available, we are..." May 25

USA Today "In the first stride toward resuming a hockey season that has been frozen since March 12 by the COVID-19 pandemic, the NHL Players Association voted Friday to proceed with negotiations on a return plan with a 24-team format to conclude the 2019-20 season. That’s the good news for..." May 24

The Score "Conventional wisdom dictates the true Stanley Cup Playoffs feature best-of-seven series, but under these unconventional conditions, that tradition is being reconsidered. In addition to the debate over whether to reseed or use a bracketed structure following the play-in round of the..." May 24

Pro Hockey Talk "Memorial Day this year will be different in the U.S. The coronavirus pandemic has canceled parades and other tributes around the country. It’s also a day that has usually ended with Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. " May 23

Sportsnet "The NHLPA Executive Board approved the NHL’s return to play format, pending further negotiations on issues related to resuming play. “The Executive Board of the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) has authorized further negotiations with the NHL on a..." May 22

The Score "A vote by the NHLPA's executive committee is expected to result in the union's approval of the league's return-to-play proposal, reports TSN's Bob McKenzie. A conference call Thursday about the proposal "got a little heated at times," and players still..." May 22

TSN "National Hockey League players should ensure they have a guarantee the league will cover the costs of any long-term medical issues that might arise if they contract COVID-19 before agreeing to return to play, a Toronto infectious disease specialist says. Since its..." May 22

ESPN "For a goalie who had just faced 102 shots on goal, Cory Schneider of the New Jersey Devils was looking curiously rested in his postgame interview. In fact, he hadn't even broken a sweat during the game. "There are games where you just have to give a lot of..." May 22

Sportsnet "So incredibly close. So vastly different. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets awake Thursday as would-be Round 1 opponents under the NHL’s proposed (but not yet approved) 24-team playoff format, and the matchup pits two clubs operating with..." May 21

Sportsnet "The NHLPA’s Executive Board is taking a vote on the 24-team return-to-play playoff format proposal, sources tell Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. The vote is ongoing and results aren’t expected until Friday. If the vote passes, there are still details to be worked out..." May 21