NHL Roundup

A Mess In Leaf Land
Article by Guest author Cory Cyr

Everybody in Toronto is in a panic. The leafs are once again losing and after 40 years without a cup we're all up in arms. Blame whoever you want but the bottom line is that this team has not had had a solid foundation to build on for years. Like any good organization building a winner starts from the top and filters down. When was the last time the leafs had strong leadership? Pat Quinn was certainly a good leader but his hands were tied to some extent. As were Cliff Fletcher's. No folks, we need to look to the top and start with ownership.

The teacher's pension board owns this team. How many other teams in the NHL are owned by a large group? Of course there are many markets with investment groups and "silent partners". The difference here is the profitability factor. Everyone in business wants to be profitable but you can't dismiss the fact that it is of greater importance for a group of pension stakeholders. Imagine... the Leafs lose money, the pensions drop and the teacher's can't retire. With the Toronto marketplace that will likely never happen. And with the pension group owning this team out of greed and a lack of respect for heritage don't expect a cup anytime soon. What Toronto needs is a single owner or a group with one person in charge and focused on winning.

Focused on winning? What a concept! Could you imagine if the Leafs had the same commitment Ottawa has or New Jersey or Detroit. Well, whether they admit it or not Peddie and Tanenbaum are the most two out of focus hockey execs that exist. One's Yin the other's Yang. While one says "were not doing this" the other is doing the exact opposite. Success comes from leadership and leadership demands alignment and consistency. How is the rest of the organization suppose to know what's going on if these two clowns don't know what's up and what's down? To Tanenbaum's credit he does offer more in terms of wanting to win and hockey knowledge but being a minority shareholder the final say is always left to Peddie. Why keep these guys? or moreover, why keep Peddie? Obviously he turns profit and that's what the board wants but let's get real. The Maple Leafs are as close to a sure shot ROI as any product can possibly be. Look at Harold Ballard. This guy ripped fans off for years and still racked in the cash. Commitment to winning is clearly the last thing on the Pension Boards mind.

John Ferguson Jr.? What else needs to be said. He's made some brutal mistakes. Overpaying, no-trade clause, trading prospects, draft picks... the list goes on and on. Clearly this guy wasn't ready for prime time when our friend Peddie brought him in. Who's fault is it? Both, of course. Accountability and ownership has not been a strong point for either and yes if your leaders aren't accountable do you think everyone else down the food chain will be? I do have some empathy for Ferguson. I mean, if my boss continually ran me thru the media the way Peddie has with Ferguson I would probably lose my marbles. That's not to say that Peddie isn't right about Ferguson's shortcomings it's just that some things should be left behind closed doors. But Peddie needs a scapegoat and someone to take responsibility. He's not so we know who is. A true leader will always have the backs of their team no matter what the circumstances are. Again, Peddie demonstrates nothing in the leadership department. When follower's witness such behaviour they feel it's acceptable and follower's will follow.

Paul Maurice? Give him a chance. You can't make chicken salad out of chicken shit. From day one he's been working with limited talent trying to make the best of it. I think he has a true desire to win... one of the few in the organization.

At the end of the day changing GM's and coaches will not work in saving the Leafs. They need to start at the top and work down. Let's get a new owner, CEO and President with knowledge and passion about hockey in Toronto. Let the President hire a GM that's ready for prime time and let the GM deal with the day-to-day hockey operations and make the decisions without interference. A patchwork job will not work here folks. This is going to be an extremely long process.

Around the League

For years the NHL has been trying to turn to a more finesse style and away from the toughness and fighting that were such a staple in its heydey, but no one remembered to tell the Ducks or Blackhawks. Heading into their game Wednesday in Chicago the Ducks were riding a 9-1-0 streak, while the fast-improving Blackhawks are on a 7-3-0 run. Meanwhile Anaheim has compiled the second-most penalty minutes in the NHL (1262) while Chicago is close behind, with the fourth-most sin-bin minutes (1124). Coincidence?

BLACKHAWKS 
The Hawks welcomed back tough guy and premium agitator Ben Eager on Sunday and the 24-year-old didn't disappoint. Eager picked up a game misconduct with under two minutes left to play and also added an assist in the game as the Hawks beat the Canucks 4-1.

BRUINS 
The six goals that the Bruins gave up in the first period of Monday night's 10-2 loss to Washington is the second most in team history. To find the period where the Bruins allowed the most, you have to go all the way back to 1945 when the Red Wings bulged the twine seven times in a period.

CANADIENS 
The Habs put pen to paper with one of their top prospects on the weekend, signing 19-year-old pivot Ben Maxwell to a three-year entry-level deal.

COYOTES 
One of our favorites, Sean Burke has landed a job as the Coyotes' director of prospect development and joins a growing trend of former NHL stars taking on significant front-office spots soon after retirement

FLYERS 
Philadelphia finally received some good news on the injury front when they welcomed back Jaroslav Modry, who had been out with a shoulder injury.

OILERS 
Edmonton goaltender Mathieu Garon has a place in hockey history after his game on Sunday. Edmonton's shootout win over Columbus gave Garon a 10-0 record this season in such occasions

PENGUINS 
Hello again, Sidney Crosby. With his return to the ice on Tuesday versus the Lightning, as he played his first game since suffering a serious ankle sprain against the Lightning on Jan.18. Sid the Kid didn't look rusty at all, posting an assist and a plus-2 rating to help the Pens beat Tampa Bay 2-0.

RED WINGS 
The Red Wings got great news when rising star defenseman Niklas Kronwall returned from a shoulder injury that cost him roughly a month. Now the news is getting even better for Detroit, as Brian Rafalski has been activated from injured reserve. A groin strain has kept the speedy rearguard out for eight games, but he joins Kronwall to give the team an offensive boost.

Information provided in NHL Roundup has been gathered from A.P. reports, ESPN.com, Sportsline.com, NHL.com and numerous other e-sources. Opinions expressed in NHL Roundup are solely the opinions of the author. 

About the guest author: Cory Cyr is the voice of  the Leaf Fan Spot at http://leafpost.blogspot.com

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