The Official M.E.R.B. Hockey Thread
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Next Leafs captain?
by Damian Cox (The Toronto Star)
Captain in waiting?
By the end of this season, barring injury, Dion Phaneuf will have 26 games as a Maple Leaf under his belt.
Whether that's a sufficient auction for Phaneuf to establish himself enough to become the club's next captain is up to Ron Wilson and Brian Burke.
It seems clear, however, that's what the Leaf braintrust are hoping for, that the 24-year-old Phaneuf is seizing the opportunity to quickly grab a leadership position within the dressing room to such an extent that Wilson and Burke would feel comfortable naming his as the club's first captain since Mats Sundin left at the conclusion of the 2007-08 season.
Wilson and Burke have repeatedly said there's no reason to name a new captain until there's a player worthy of the honor. Implicit in those comments was the suggestion that the players inherited by the two men when they arrived in Toronto six months apart were not worthy.
Well, most of those players are gone. In fact, only defenceman Tomas Kaberle remains from the pre-Wilson/Burke era — at least Kaberle's the only current member of the squad who had played NHL games for the Leafs before Wilson was hired in June, 2008.
The house-cleaning is essentially complete, although the futures of Kaberle (one year left on his contract), Nikolai Kulemin (a restricted free agent) and Mikhail Grabovski are uncertain, at best. Ditto for wildly overpaid rearguard Jeff Finger.
Clearly, the Leafs see Phaneuf as the logical candidate to give the team an official leader for the first time since Sundin left. He's been very solid since arriving nine games ago, and while the big blueliner is still looking for his first goal as a Leaf, he's made some big hits, been reliable defensively and shown an increasing willingness to jump into the rush.
How his personality will play out in the dressing room remains to be seen. Most describe him as gruff and blunt, and certainly vocal. After Nazem Kadri played a game recently for the Leafs as an emergency callup, the youngster was chatting with Wilson after the game when Phaneuf walked past, stopped, said something along the lines of "if you're going to be in camp next fall, you better show up in better shape" and marched on.
Talking that kind of talk could be a good thing for the Leafs and their captain-in-waiting as long as he can walk the walk on the ice and play the kind of hockey that allows others to follow.
If Phaneuf is introduced as the next captain of the team next fall — Sundin was 26 when he took the "C" for the 1997-98 season — he'll likely do so at the same time the club introduces a new set of uniforms.
The scuttlebutt in the industry is that the Leafs are seeking to alter their current home and away jerseys, adding a few more details, some piping and new personality to the uniforms that are among the dullest in the the league at the moment. The current uniforms were introduced after the lockout, while the club's best look remains it's third jersey, the predominantly white sweater with the vintage Leaf logo on the chest and blue shoulders.
by Damian Cox (The Toronto Star)
Captain in waiting?
By the end of this season, barring injury, Dion Phaneuf will have 26 games as a Maple Leaf under his belt.
Whether that's a sufficient auction for Phaneuf to establish himself enough to become the club's next captain is up to Ron Wilson and Brian Burke.
It seems clear, however, that's what the Leaf braintrust are hoping for, that the 24-year-old Phaneuf is seizing the opportunity to quickly grab a leadership position within the dressing room to such an extent that Wilson and Burke would feel comfortable naming his as the club's first captain since Mats Sundin left at the conclusion of the 2007-08 season.
Wilson and Burke have repeatedly said there's no reason to name a new captain until there's a player worthy of the honor. Implicit in those comments was the suggestion that the players inherited by the two men when they arrived in Toronto six months apart were not worthy.
Well, most of those players are gone. In fact, only defenceman Tomas Kaberle remains from the pre-Wilson/Burke era — at least Kaberle's the only current member of the squad who had played NHL games for the Leafs before Wilson was hired in June, 2008.
The house-cleaning is essentially complete, although the futures of Kaberle (one year left on his contract), Nikolai Kulemin (a restricted free agent) and Mikhail Grabovski are uncertain, at best. Ditto for wildly overpaid rearguard Jeff Finger.
Clearly, the Leafs see Phaneuf as the logical candidate to give the team an official leader for the first time since Sundin left. He's been very solid since arriving nine games ago, and while the big blueliner is still looking for his first goal as a Leaf, he's made some big hits, been reliable defensively and shown an increasing willingness to jump into the rush.
How his personality will play out in the dressing room remains to be seen. Most describe him as gruff and blunt, and certainly vocal. After Nazem Kadri played a game recently for the Leafs as an emergency callup, the youngster was chatting with Wilson after the game when Phaneuf walked past, stopped, said something along the lines of "if you're going to be in camp next fall, you better show up in better shape" and marched on.
Talking that kind of talk could be a good thing for the Leafs and their captain-in-waiting as long as he can walk the walk on the ice and play the kind of hockey that allows others to follow.
If Phaneuf is introduced as the next captain of the team next fall — Sundin was 26 when he took the "C" for the 1997-98 season — he'll likely do so at the same time the club introduces a new set of uniforms.
The scuttlebutt in the industry is that the Leafs are seeking to alter their current home and away jerseys, adding a few more details, some piping and new personality to the uniforms that are among the dullest in the the league at the moment. The current uniforms were introduced after the lockout, while the club's best look remains it's third jersey, the predominantly white sweater with the vintage Leaf logo on the chest and blue shoulders.
I would bet you anything Kadri is in the best shape of his life next fall
LOL, Loving the Swagger and Leadership Dion has brought, keep it up #3
LOL, Loving the Swagger and Leadership Dion has brought, keep it up #3
Most hockey experts are saying that Cooke likely won't be suspended for the simple fact that the hit was NOT illegal. It will be illegal next season, though, as GMs have chosen to prohibit head shots that occur from the side & to the back of the player.
If Cooke indeed does get a suspension for possibly a late hit, don't be surprised if it's only for 2 games. The 2 games would likely be implemented simply to cool down the lynch mob.
No suspension for Cooke
Pittsburgh Penguins winger Matt Cooke has escaped suspension for a hit to the head of Marc Savard that knocked out the Boston Bruins center.
NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell made the announcement Wednesday at the general managers' meeting in Boca Raton, Fla. Penguins general manager Ray Shero also confirmed the news to ESPN.com via e-mail.
Cooke delivered a blindside hit with his shoulder to Savard in the third period of Sunday's game. Savard was taken away on a stretcher and has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 concussion. He is out indefinitely, and Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli has said Savard possibly could miss the remainder of the season.
Doctors will continue to evaluate Savard during the next several days before determining how long the star center might be out.
Campbell told reporters he needed to remain consistent in his decision -- he also did not suspend Philadelphia center Mike Richards for a similar hit on Florida winger David Booth on Oct. 24. That hit resulted in a Grade 3 concussion that sidelined Booth for 45 games. His first game after the hit was Jan. 31.
Under the new guidelines recommended by GMs on Wednesday at the conclusion of their meetings, both hits would have been subject to a penalty and a possible suspension next season. The recommendation of a rule change still needs to be approved by the NHL/NHLPA competition committee and by the league's board of governors. Cooke has a recent history of hits to the head. He was suspended for two games in November 2009 after checking Rangers center Artem Anisimov in the head. He was suspended again, also for two games, for hitting Hurricanes forward Scott Walker in the head in January.
Cooke and the Penguins visit Boston on March 18.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=4982930
Pittsburgh Penguins winger Matt Cooke has escaped suspension for a hit to the head of Marc Savard that knocked out the Boston Bruins center.
NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell made the announcement Wednesday at the general managers' meeting in Boca Raton, Fla. Penguins general manager Ray Shero also confirmed the news to ESPN.com via e-mail.
Cooke delivered a blindside hit with his shoulder to Savard in the third period of Sunday's game. Savard was taken away on a stretcher and has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 concussion. He is out indefinitely, and Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli has said Savard possibly could miss the remainder of the season.
Doctors will continue to evaluate Savard during the next several days before determining how long the star center might be out.
Campbell told reporters he needed to remain consistent in his decision -- he also did not suspend Philadelphia center Mike Richards for a similar hit on Florida winger David Booth on Oct. 24. That hit resulted in a Grade 3 concussion that sidelined Booth for 45 games. His first game after the hit was Jan. 31.
Under the new guidelines recommended by GMs on Wednesday at the conclusion of their meetings, both hits would have been subject to a penalty and a possible suspension next season. The recommendation of a rule change still needs to be approved by the NHL/NHLPA competition committee and by the league's board of governors. Cooke has a recent history of hits to the head. He was suspended for two games in November 2009 after checking Rangers center Artem Anisimov in the head. He was suspended again, also for two games, for hitting Hurricanes forward Scott Walker in the head in January.
Cooke and the Penguins visit Boston on March 18.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=4982930
Amen brother. These (along with his deteriorating level of play) were just some of the reasons that Calgary so desperately wanted to get rid of him.
I don't know if you were referring to me, but even if you did or not, it's no problem. But what i see in the article is that in the past 30 games, he's tied for 8th for the league's top scoring centers. It doesn't mean shit & many Habs fans would also agree with me. He's still way grossly paid at $8 million a season & i'm glad it's Mtl that has to pay him.
Bill Guerin wants hits to the head outlawed & had expected his teammate to be suspended
PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bill Guerin says the NHL must outlaw hits to the head.
That includes the kind of hit leveled by Guerin's teammate Matt Cooke against Boston Bruins center Marc Savard.
“If a guy gets hurt like that with a shot to the head, there's got to be something.” -- Bill Guerin
Savard is out indefinitely with a Grade 2 concussion sustained during a shoulder-to-head hit by Cooke on Sunday, but Cooke was not suspended.
NHL enforcement chief Colin Campbell said precedent was set when the Flyers forward Mike Richards wasn't suspended for a similar hit on Florida forward David Booth late last year.
NHL general managers recommended during their meeting Wednesday that a blind-side hit to the head -- or the kind Cooke inflicted upon Savard -- should not be permitted.
Guerin had expected Cooke to be suspended.
Change Coming?
The NHL's general managers made important proposals for the league to consider. It will be up to the competition committee, however, if real change occurs, Scott Burnside writes. Story
"If a guy gets hurt like that with a shot to the head, there's got to be something," Guerin said. "Actions happen. Guys don't mean to hurt each other, but they do. You got to pay a price for that."
Guerin said players must know they can play the game with protection against hits to the head, especially those that a player can't see coming.
"We're all under the same umbrella, whether the guy's on my team and I'm sitting right next to him or he's playing in California," Guerin said. "It doesn't matter. We're all playing in the same league. We all want the same safety. We all want to be looked after the same way. I understand he [Cooke] is on my team but, hey, he's in a tough spot."
The Penguins play the Bruins for the fourth and final time this season March 18 in Boston.
Cooke has been suspended previously for hard hits.
Cooke was suspended two games this season for a hit to the head of Rangers center Artem Anisimov. He also drew a two-game suspension for hitting Carolina forward Scott Walker in the head on Jan. 20, 2009.
Cooke was not suspended for a knee-to-knee hit on Carolina's Erik Cole that occurred during last season's Eastern Conference finals.
PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bill Guerin says the NHL must outlaw hits to the head.
That includes the kind of hit leveled by Guerin's teammate Matt Cooke against Boston Bruins center Marc Savard.
“If a guy gets hurt like that with a shot to the head, there's got to be something.” -- Bill Guerin
Savard is out indefinitely with a Grade 2 concussion sustained during a shoulder-to-head hit by Cooke on Sunday, but Cooke was not suspended.
NHL enforcement chief Colin Campbell said precedent was set when the Flyers forward Mike Richards wasn't suspended for a similar hit on Florida forward David Booth late last year.
NHL general managers recommended during their meeting Wednesday that a blind-side hit to the head -- or the kind Cooke inflicted upon Savard -- should not be permitted.
Guerin had expected Cooke to be suspended.
Change Coming?
The NHL's general managers made important proposals for the league to consider. It will be up to the competition committee, however, if real change occurs, Scott Burnside writes. Story
"If a guy gets hurt like that with a shot to the head, there's got to be something," Guerin said. "Actions happen. Guys don't mean to hurt each other, but they do. You got to pay a price for that."
Guerin said players must know they can play the game with protection against hits to the head, especially those that a player can't see coming.
"We're all under the same umbrella, whether the guy's on my team and I'm sitting right next to him or he's playing in California," Guerin said. "It doesn't matter. We're all playing in the same league. We all want the same safety. We all want to be looked after the same way. I understand he [Cooke] is on my team but, hey, he's in a tough spot."
The Penguins play the Bruins for the fourth and final time this season March 18 in Boston.
Cooke has been suspended previously for hard hits.
Cooke was suspended two games this season for a hit to the head of Rangers center Artem Anisimov. He also drew a two-game suspension for hitting Carolina forward Scott Walker in the head on Jan. 20, 2009.
Cooke was not suspended for a knee-to-knee hit on Carolina's Erik Cole that occurred during last season's Eastern Conference finals.
ass clown
Yet not too long ago you suggested he would look good in Toronto playing on a line with Kessel (unless you've deleted that post already).
Yet not too long ago you suggested he would look good in Toronto playing on a line with Kessel (unless you've deleted that post already).
Oh really? lol, hmmmm, well, thats why i never look to most habs fans posts for "real" hockey knowledge. but like real and true hockey fans know, it takes time for a bunch of young up and coming prospects mixed in with a few veterans to gel, and seems like since the recent trades that things are starting to take direction in Hockeys most important market, as the Young Guns are starting to gel scoring 8 goals in 2 games and getting 7 points out of a possible 10 since the "Kids" have been together the last 5 games.
PS, the Leafs are not relying on Kessel to be the only one to score, but he did have a very nice GAME WINNING Overtime goal tonight,
ty for your post, great info .
PS, the Leafs are not relying on Kessel to be the only one to score, but he did have a very nice GAME WINNING Overtime goal tonight,
ty for your post, great info .
Like this one?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS5iBIsfp7o
Kessel will have close to 100 goals scored in his NHL career by seasons end the way he is going, i guess in your mind thats not "ALOT" for a career, BUT then again, the Kid is only 22
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS5iBIsfp7o
Kessel will have close to 100 goals scored in his NHL career by seasons end the way he is going, i guess in your mind thats not "ALOT" for a career, BUT then again, the Kid is only 22
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Marc Savard likely to miss entire season
Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said Thursday that center Marc Savard likely will miss the rest of the season as he has shown little improvement from the effects of a Grade 2 concussion.
Savard met with neuropsychological specialist Kelly McInnis at Massachusetts General Hospital, and the report from the meeting, according to Chiarelli, was that "it doesn't look good for the rest of the year."
Savard was injured by a blindside shoulder-to-head hit by the Pittsburgh Penguins' Matt Cooke on Sunday. Savard momentarily lost consciousness and was carried off the ice after the hit, which occurred with 5:37 remaining in the game. Savard had just taken a shot from above the circles when Cooke raised his shoulder and struck Savard in the head. Cooke was coming from behind on the play and Savard did not see him.
Cooke was not called for a penalty and the NHL said Wednesday he would not be suspended.
Savard, the Bruins' top center when healthy, has been limited to 41 games this season, missing time with a broken foot and knee injury before the concussion. He has 10 goals and 23 assists.
(Meanwile, Cooke doesn't miss a game after trying to decapitate Savard & even scored last night. It's a fucking disgrace!)
Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said Thursday that center Marc Savard likely will miss the rest of the season as he has shown little improvement from the effects of a Grade 2 concussion.
Savard met with neuropsychological specialist Kelly McInnis at Massachusetts General Hospital, and the report from the meeting, according to Chiarelli, was that "it doesn't look good for the rest of the year."
Savard was injured by a blindside shoulder-to-head hit by the Pittsburgh Penguins' Matt Cooke on Sunday. Savard momentarily lost consciousness and was carried off the ice after the hit, which occurred with 5:37 remaining in the game. Savard had just taken a shot from above the circles when Cooke raised his shoulder and struck Savard in the head. Cooke was coming from behind on the play and Savard did not see him.
Cooke was not called for a penalty and the NHL said Wednesday he would not be suspended.
Savard, the Bruins' top center when healthy, has been limited to 41 games this season, missing time with a broken foot and knee injury before the concussion. He has 10 goals and 23 assists.
(Meanwile, Cooke doesn't miss a game after trying to decapitate Savard & even scored last night. It's a fucking disgrace!)
I absolutely did & still do think he'd look good next to Kessel. But that doesn't mean i'd want him on my team at $8 million per season! Duh!
Around the NHL today......
Bruins to go after Crosby?
Matt Cooke took out the Boston Bruins' top offensive weapon in Marc Savard, perhaps for the season. And next week at the Bruins-Penguins rematch, the Bruins might go after the Penguins' top offensive weapon -- Sidney Crosby.
The Globe and Mail's Allan Maki writes, "hat if matters were reversed and it was Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby felled by a shoulder to his head? What if the Bruins target him in next Thursday's game? Try to imagine the outrage if Crosby should be sidelined for any length of time, including the playoffs."
As we know, Cooke wasn't suspended for his hit on Savard, despite everyone hoping he'd serve some time in the press box. But now the Bruins' players might take justice into their own hands.
NHL relocation for Nordiques?
The NHL has said it doesn't want to relocate and NHL teams, but a Quebec group says they want to be a "serious player" in relocating an American franchise to Canada.
Quebecor, the company looking to bring an NHL franchise to Quebec City, conducted a study to see if the city can support a team. And the guy conducting the survey, Andre Richilieu, told the Toronto Sun, "One could believe that it is becoming more concrete, even if we're talking about it less."
He added that they want to relocate an American team, with no talk of expansion.
This is odd considering the NHL has repeatedly said they want to expand to Canada -- possibly to Winnipeg -- but not relocate, even with struggling franchises like the Coyotes ready to pack up their bags and go. But it looks like this company wants to go against the flow of things.
Meanwhile, the study showed that Quebec City is on track to bring the Nordiques back to the NHL.
Bruins to go after Crosby?
Matt Cooke took out the Boston Bruins' top offensive weapon in Marc Savard, perhaps for the season. And next week at the Bruins-Penguins rematch, the Bruins might go after the Penguins' top offensive weapon -- Sidney Crosby.
The Globe and Mail's Allan Maki writes, "hat if matters were reversed and it was Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby felled by a shoulder to his head? What if the Bruins target him in next Thursday's game? Try to imagine the outrage if Crosby should be sidelined for any length of time, including the playoffs."
As we know, Cooke wasn't suspended for his hit on Savard, despite everyone hoping he'd serve some time in the press box. But now the Bruins' players might take justice into their own hands.
NHL relocation for Nordiques?
The NHL has said it doesn't want to relocate and NHL teams, but a Quebec group says they want to be a "serious player" in relocating an American franchise to Canada.
Quebecor, the company looking to bring an NHL franchise to Quebec City, conducted a study to see if the city can support a team. And the guy conducting the survey, Andre Richilieu, told the Toronto Sun, "One could believe that it is becoming more concrete, even if we're talking about it less."
He added that they want to relocate an American team, with no talk of expansion.
This is odd considering the NHL has repeatedly said they want to expand to Canada -- possibly to Winnipeg -- but not relocate, even with struggling franchises like the Coyotes ready to pack up their bags and go. But it looks like this company wants to go against the flow of things.
Meanwhile, the study showed that Quebec City is on track to bring the Nordiques back to the NHL.
Pat Quinn talks about his Toronto exit
Quinn tells the Sun that he holds no grudges but knew ’06 firing was coming
MONTREAL — There was never going to be a sappy farewell press conference, one of those tear-jerker gatherings complete with the crying, the tissues and the endless mind-numbing “Thank yous.”
That just was not Pat Quinn’s way. Never has been. Never will be.
It was April 20, 2006 and Quinn, the second-winningest coach in the history of the Maple Leafs franchise, had just been canned by general manager John Ferguson, putting an end to the ornery Irishman’s colourful era behind the Toronto bench.
In the days that followed the firing, everyone seemed to have an opinion on the move.
His legion of critics claimed the game had passed him by and that his players had tuned him out. It was time for an injection of new blood, they insisted, in the form of Marlies coach Paul Maurice.
Philadelphia Flyers general manager Bob Clarke, on the other hand, told the Toronto Sun at the time that Quinn “got f----d in Toronto” and wondered why the Leafs would axe a guy who had missed the playoffs just once in seven seasons.
Everyone, it seemed, had something to say on the matter. Everyone, that is, except Quinn himself.
Other than a brief statement received by a handful of news agencies via fax, Quinn simply packed up and walked into the sunset. There was, he says, no other option.
“Tell me who likes losing their job?” Quinn reflected Thursday.
“Especially a job they liked as much as I did.
“I lost my job. It was done. Obviously I didn’t agree with it, but facts were facts. What was I going to say? I’d met with the media pretty much every day for seven seasons. There was nothing more to be said.
“That’s why I didn’t want a big extravaganza.”
With that in mind, Pat Quinn and the Maple Leafs parted ways.
Quinn would go on to lead both the Canadian under-18 and under-20 teams to gold medals at the world championships before coming back to the NHL this past offseason to coach the Edmonton Oilers. The 30th place Oilers, for the record.
The Leafs? They have continued to struggle, failing to reach the postseason since 2004 when — you guessed it — their coach was Pat Quinn.
Saturday, the two parties will hold a reunion. Sort of.
For the first time since his dismissal, Pat Quinn will coach an NHL game at the Air Canada Centre, a place that holds so many fond memories for him.
There will be handshakes and hellos from the moment he steps into the building.
From trainers. From security workers. From Leafs equipment man Brian (Pappy) Papineau, one of the few remaining holdovers from the Quinn era which ran from 1998-2006.
“It’s the people that you remember the most, people like Pappy, the doormen, whomever,” Quinn said. “When you are around them so much, they become almost like family.”
Hopefully someone from that “family” shows him the way to the visitors bench at the ACC Saturday. He can’t remember ever being there before.
— — —
Almost four years after receiving the ol’ heave ho out of the Toronto organization, Pat Quinn claims he holds no grudges. Not toward management. Or ownership. Or anyone else who might have greased the skids for his exit out of Toronto.
At the same time, he admits he could see the writing on the dressing-room wall for his eventual departure when his former boss and respected friend, Steve Stavro, stepped down as chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. in 2003.
Several months later, Quinn, having surrendered his GM’s portfolio, watched the suits at MLSEL hire 34-year-old John Ferguson as GM.
In the process, Quinn’s favoured candidates, Hockey Canada president Bob Nicholson and Vancouver Canucks managerial up-and-comer Steve Tambellini, were passed over.
“That whole process was wrong,” Quinn said, refusing to elaborate.
“I could see (the end) coming, from Mr. Stavro to the way they pushed (assistant GM) Bill Watters out to their hiring of young Maurice with the Marlies. (Management) was waiting for a stumble.”
That stumble didn’t come in 2003-04, the first season of the Ferguson-Quinn partnership. After taking the team to Stockholm for training camp, the Leafs set a franchise record for points with 103.
“(Watters) and I put that most-points team together,” Quinn said.
The stumble did, in fact, arrive in 2005-06, the year after the lockout. For the first time as coach of the Leafs, Quinn failed to guide his team into the post-season. Even a late-season surge still left them two points on the outside looking in.
No matter that starting goalie Ed Belfour’s body crumbled during the season, leaving chaos between the pipes.
For most of Quinn’s tenure, Belfour and, before him, Curtis Joseph, had managed to cover up any warts on the roster. Now, Quinn had no answers.
And, as of April 20, 2006, no job either.
— — —
The 2009-10 season has not been easy for the 67-year-old Quinn.
Despite a stellar coaching staff that includes the highly respected Tom Renney and the underrated Wayne Fleming, the Oilers appear on their way to a lottery pick, likely top-ranked Taylor Hall of the Windsor Spitfires.
Part of it was the early season loss of their prized free-agent catch, goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, to back issues. Leading scorer Ales Hemsky was lost for the season, too, part of the 500-plus man-games the Oilers have lost to injury. Some overpriced contracts, such as the one that is paying forward Shawn Horcoff a $7 million US salary this season, does not help either.
“Those are factors but you don’t like to make excuses,” Quinn said. “The entire staff is disappointed. It’s our job to teach these kids and we’re going to keep trying to do that.”
Neither the players nor Tambellini, now the Oilers GM, is blaming Quinn.
“He’s been through so much, coached in so many eras, he just commands so much respect,” forward Dustin Penner said. “Guys listen when he talks.”
Added Tambellini: “We have a great coaching staff. Pat’s influence goes beyond the players too. Look at how many people in the game this man has helped establish themselves. Myself. David Poile. Brian Burke. The list goes on.”
As he brings his Oilers to Toronto for Saturday’s tilt with the Leafs, Quinn will remember the great times there. But make no mistake. There were disappointments too.
“I really thought we had two or three teams in Toronto that might have gone all the way,” he said.
“Had we got past Buffalo in the (1999) Eastern Conference final, I liked the way we would have matched up in the final (against Dallas). We had a good shot in 2002 when we lost in the conference final to Carolina. And in 2004, the year we set the franchise record for points, that was a really good team too.
“Still, in my time there, it was as satisfying a period as I’ve ever had in hockey, both on and off the ice. I loved it. The fans were great. The city is great. It was special.”
In his time in Toronto, Pat Quinn was many things. He could be as crusty as a person could be one day, then be funny and witty the next.
He could fascinatingly break down a game like no other to the media during a morning skate, then restrict their dressing-room access that night after the game.
The bottom line, however: Pat Quinn was a winner, leading the Leafs to 300 victories. Only Punch Imlach has more.
Sure, there were no Stanley Cup parades down Bay St. But there also were six consecutive playoff appearances.
That’s right. Playoffs. A place this franchise hasn’t been since Pat Quinn left.
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Columnists/Zeisberger/2010/03/11/13201721.html
Quinn tells the Sun that he holds no grudges but knew ’06 firing was coming
MONTREAL — There was never going to be a sappy farewell press conference, one of those tear-jerker gatherings complete with the crying, the tissues and the endless mind-numbing “Thank yous.”
That just was not Pat Quinn’s way. Never has been. Never will be.
It was April 20, 2006 and Quinn, the second-winningest coach in the history of the Maple Leafs franchise, had just been canned by general manager John Ferguson, putting an end to the ornery Irishman’s colourful era behind the Toronto bench.
In the days that followed the firing, everyone seemed to have an opinion on the move.
His legion of critics claimed the game had passed him by and that his players had tuned him out. It was time for an injection of new blood, they insisted, in the form of Marlies coach Paul Maurice.
Philadelphia Flyers general manager Bob Clarke, on the other hand, told the Toronto Sun at the time that Quinn “got f----d in Toronto” and wondered why the Leafs would axe a guy who had missed the playoffs just once in seven seasons.
Everyone, it seemed, had something to say on the matter. Everyone, that is, except Quinn himself.
Other than a brief statement received by a handful of news agencies via fax, Quinn simply packed up and walked into the sunset. There was, he says, no other option.
“Tell me who likes losing their job?” Quinn reflected Thursday.
“Especially a job they liked as much as I did.
“I lost my job. It was done. Obviously I didn’t agree with it, but facts were facts. What was I going to say? I’d met with the media pretty much every day for seven seasons. There was nothing more to be said.
“That’s why I didn’t want a big extravaganza.”
With that in mind, Pat Quinn and the Maple Leafs parted ways.
Quinn would go on to lead both the Canadian under-18 and under-20 teams to gold medals at the world championships before coming back to the NHL this past offseason to coach the Edmonton Oilers. The 30th place Oilers, for the record.
The Leafs? They have continued to struggle, failing to reach the postseason since 2004 when — you guessed it — their coach was Pat Quinn.
Saturday, the two parties will hold a reunion. Sort of.
For the first time since his dismissal, Pat Quinn will coach an NHL game at the Air Canada Centre, a place that holds so many fond memories for him.
There will be handshakes and hellos from the moment he steps into the building.
From trainers. From security workers. From Leafs equipment man Brian (Pappy) Papineau, one of the few remaining holdovers from the Quinn era which ran from 1998-2006.
“It’s the people that you remember the most, people like Pappy, the doormen, whomever,” Quinn said. “When you are around them so much, they become almost like family.”
Hopefully someone from that “family” shows him the way to the visitors bench at the ACC Saturday. He can’t remember ever being there before.
— — —
Almost four years after receiving the ol’ heave ho out of the Toronto organization, Pat Quinn claims he holds no grudges. Not toward management. Or ownership. Or anyone else who might have greased the skids for his exit out of Toronto.
At the same time, he admits he could see the writing on the dressing-room wall for his eventual departure when his former boss and respected friend, Steve Stavro, stepped down as chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. in 2003.
Several months later, Quinn, having surrendered his GM’s portfolio, watched the suits at MLSEL hire 34-year-old John Ferguson as GM.
In the process, Quinn’s favoured candidates, Hockey Canada president Bob Nicholson and Vancouver Canucks managerial up-and-comer Steve Tambellini, were passed over.
“That whole process was wrong,” Quinn said, refusing to elaborate.
“I could see (the end) coming, from Mr. Stavro to the way they pushed (assistant GM) Bill Watters out to their hiring of young Maurice with the Marlies. (Management) was waiting for a stumble.”
That stumble didn’t come in 2003-04, the first season of the Ferguson-Quinn partnership. After taking the team to Stockholm for training camp, the Leafs set a franchise record for points with 103.
“(Watters) and I put that most-points team together,” Quinn said.
The stumble did, in fact, arrive in 2005-06, the year after the lockout. For the first time as coach of the Leafs, Quinn failed to guide his team into the post-season. Even a late-season surge still left them two points on the outside looking in.
No matter that starting goalie Ed Belfour’s body crumbled during the season, leaving chaos between the pipes.
For most of Quinn’s tenure, Belfour and, before him, Curtis Joseph, had managed to cover up any warts on the roster. Now, Quinn had no answers.
And, as of April 20, 2006, no job either.
— — —
The 2009-10 season has not been easy for the 67-year-old Quinn.
Despite a stellar coaching staff that includes the highly respected Tom Renney and the underrated Wayne Fleming, the Oilers appear on their way to a lottery pick, likely top-ranked Taylor Hall of the Windsor Spitfires.
Part of it was the early season loss of their prized free-agent catch, goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, to back issues. Leading scorer Ales Hemsky was lost for the season, too, part of the 500-plus man-games the Oilers have lost to injury. Some overpriced contracts, such as the one that is paying forward Shawn Horcoff a $7 million US salary this season, does not help either.
“Those are factors but you don’t like to make excuses,” Quinn said. “The entire staff is disappointed. It’s our job to teach these kids and we’re going to keep trying to do that.”
Neither the players nor Tambellini, now the Oilers GM, is blaming Quinn.
“He’s been through so much, coached in so many eras, he just commands so much respect,” forward Dustin Penner said. “Guys listen when he talks.”
Added Tambellini: “We have a great coaching staff. Pat’s influence goes beyond the players too. Look at how many people in the game this man has helped establish themselves. Myself. David Poile. Brian Burke. The list goes on.”
As he brings his Oilers to Toronto for Saturday’s tilt with the Leafs, Quinn will remember the great times there. But make no mistake. There were disappointments too.
“I really thought we had two or three teams in Toronto that might have gone all the way,” he said.
“Had we got past Buffalo in the (1999) Eastern Conference final, I liked the way we would have matched up in the final (against Dallas). We had a good shot in 2002 when we lost in the conference final to Carolina. And in 2004, the year we set the franchise record for points, that was a really good team too.
“Still, in my time there, it was as satisfying a period as I’ve ever had in hockey, both on and off the ice. I loved it. The fans were great. The city is great. It was special.”
In his time in Toronto, Pat Quinn was many things. He could be as crusty as a person could be one day, then be funny and witty the next.
He could fascinatingly break down a game like no other to the media during a morning skate, then restrict their dressing-room access that night after the game.
The bottom line, however: Pat Quinn was a winner, leading the Leafs to 300 victories. Only Punch Imlach has more.
Sure, there were no Stanley Cup parades down Bay St. But there also were six consecutive playoff appearances.
That’s right. Playoffs. A place this franchise hasn’t been since Pat Quinn left.
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Columnists/Zeisberger/2010/03/11/13201721.html
Pat Quinn is a great motivator which is why he did so well as coach of the Leafs for so many years. But I think his dual role as GM/coach eventually caused him to lose focus in both roles. What I loved about him is he had the right personality for Toronto, Paul Maurice, JFJ and definitely Ron Wilson don't. They can't relate to the media like Quinn can.
Oh really? lol, hmmmm, well, thats why i never look to most habs fans posts for "real" hockey knowledge. but like real and true hockey fans know, it takes time for a bunch of young up and coming prospects mixed in with a few veterans to gel, and seems like since the recent trades that things are starting to take direction in Hockeys most important market, as the Young Guns are starting to gel scoring 8 goals in 2 games and getting 7 points out of a possible 10 since the "Kids" have been together the last 5 games.
PS, the Leafs are not relying on Kessel to be the only one to score, but he did have a very nice GAME WINNING Overtime goal tonight,
I thought the mods asked for the BS to stop. Well, it's BS when you say for the 1000th time I'm a habs fan when I have NEVER said I was a habs fan, have often DENIED being a habs fan, and have CONSISTENTLY said that I am and always have been a Wings fan. Please follow the instructions of the mods and stop posting total BS over and over.
Also, please avoid the sarcasm - particularly in this "official" thread.
As for your predictions of a rosy future for the leafs, we've been hearing those from you for a couple of years, from Doc for several years, and from leaf fans in general for 43 years. Enough already - have your team actually DO something for once and then maybe you can brag about it, but UNTIL then please stop with the blustery talk which always ends up being proven wrong in the end.
And as for Kessel's goal, let's see if he can CONSISTENTLY show up at game time. If so, then you can start your bragging if that's what turns you on...but as for now one winning goal in the long long season of a 29th place team sure as hell doesn't say much for Phil.
PS, the Leafs are not relying on Kessel to be the only one to score, but he did have a very nice GAME WINNING Overtime goal tonight,
Big deal - so he scores a goal when Toronto is out of it and has nothing to play for (except 28th place!
). Where was Kessel over a 21 game stretch between December 18 and January 29 when he only had a grand total of 2 goals? Oh yeah, "the Leafs are not relying on Kessel to be the only one to score," !
**YAWN** (sorry, i get tired of reading the same posts over for like "1000" times)
and for the record, you have made it very clear with your "pro habs" posts that you are a fan of the habs more than not, so sorry, and respectfully btw, there was no bs in my post what so ever, plus if you read the post carefully i never mentioned you by name, so please stop trying to start a flame war, we are supposed to be past that in this thread, so let it go out of respect to Mod8 , and again, thanks for the info about your thoughts of Kessel, it just goes to show that nobody is right all the time.
and for the record, you have made it very clear with your "pro habs" posts that you are a fan of the habs more than not, so sorry, and respectfully btw, there was no bs in my post what so ever, plus if you read the post carefully i never mentioned you by name, so please stop trying to start a flame war, we are supposed to be past that in this thread, so let it go out of respect to Mod8 , and again, thanks for the info about your thoughts of Kessel, it just goes to show that nobody is right all the time.
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