Sportsnet.ca -- Embattled Maple Leafs general manager John Ferguson brushed off a newspaper report in which his boss called his hiring a mistake, saying it's all part of the background noise that comes with running the team.

Speaking to Sportsnet's Hockeycentral at Noon, Ferguson said the constant stories about his and coach Paul Maurice's future will not distract him from his job of winning hockey games. Unfortunately for the pair, that has been difficult lately as the Leafs have lost six of seven games going into Tuesday’s match-up with the Montreal Canadiens at the Air Canada Centre and sit near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

"We are focusing on our game tonight, as amazing as that might sound," Ferguson said, adding he hadn't yet read the article. "I've been apprised of what's out there. My focus is on the team. The rest of it is background noise."

The front page of Tuesday's Toronto Sun quoted Maple Leafs president Richard Peddie, saying the organization erred in hiring a first-time general manager in a market such as Toronto.

Of hiring Ferguson in 2003, Peddie told the Sun's Mike Zeisberger: "It was a mistake on my part for not fully understanding at the time what the job of being (the Leafs GM) in market fully entailed.

"Let's face it, it probably was the wrong place for a rookie general manager to start."

Peddie also spoke with HC at Noon and defended both his words and his general manager.

"I don't retract what I said," Peddie said. "The writer put the words in context. The headline was sensationalized."

Peddie said the frenzy is an example of what he was talking about when he said that putting a rookie GM into a market like Toronto might have been unfair, but he said if Ferguson was inexperienced when hired in 2003, he's not now.

"John is an experienced person right now," Peddie said.

Speculation about Ferguson's and Maurice's futures has been rampant almost since the season's beginning and has increased with the team's current slide. The list of rumoured replacements is full of people who also haven't held a GM post before, from Hall of Famers Mark Messier, Steve Yzerman and Ron Francis to TV analyst Glenn Healy.

"I see the names (rumoured to be replacements for Ferguson) and other than their having a real nice on-ice pedigree, are they really equipped to run a franchise?" Peddie said.

Ferguson was sanguine about the attention and acknowledged that stories of his future are a product of the massive interest in the job he holds.

"There is without a doubt (an agenda) and that comes into play all the time with the proliferation of media (in Toronto)," he said. "There is always an agenda and subterfuge and that comes with the territory of being the GM of the Leafs."

This article only solidifies the fact that Peddie should also be fired with Ferguson and Maurice.

Garrett Dennie

you don't say Peddie, if there's anyone who deserves to get the boot for this mess-is you! Pal. I've traded in my leafs jersey for a sens jersey.

D Conn

Here we go again, why not hire someone like Pat Quinn who was a lawyer, has tons of hockey experience, only on a short term contract with option, at least he might be able to get things in order before it is too late.Get rid of the cement booted defensemen and bring in some younger and faster players who can move and keep up.Because the Corp. is rolling in profits, in spite of themselves doing nothing about the hockey situation they might find themselves in a sorry state if by chance another franchise is granted in Southern Ontario and a large share of the ticket base flies the coop.

john Wilken

Now all he has to admit is he has no idea what he's doing and resign.To not understand the market your business is in shows how completely unsuited Peddie is for his "job". Bring in Bowman and lets get the turnaround started!

ShrtFuse

Here is the problem. If you allow JFJ and Maurice to stay 'under contract' even when they clearly have showed that their contributions are ineffective, ie. keeping an inconsistent team inconsistent, then there is no ergency in the club for change. Look at Atlanta, starting 0-6 and fired their head coach to become one of the hottest teams in the league now. Same deal with Dallas (case in where both coach and management was given the hook) and Washington, etc. Management needs to bring down the hammer and hard to fire up the emotions and heart this team is capable of playing with.

Hemant

You know, usually when someone makes that BIG of a mistake, HE GETS FIRED!!! An organization like the Maple Leafs, the most valuable franchise in the NHL, should have the best possible people running the show. JFJ was cheap fix, and in the end, fatter wallets for Mr Peddie and company. What should be done is clear the whole bunch of them out. Bring in a guy to take full control (SCOTTY BOWMAN ANYONE), and see how quickly this ship turns around. It happened with the Raptors, why not try it with the Maple Leafs? In all honesty, at least we were still making the playoffs when Pat Quin was around!!!!

Abu Shaikh

When will toronto get their heads out of their posteriors? Biggest hockey market there is, gimme a break. The habs have 24 stanley cups, including one as recently as 1993, and hold the nhl record for attendance (a record thats still going because the habs are still selling out every single game, in the biggest arena in the nhl). Maybe if peddie took his head out his posterior long enough he would learn a thing or two about running a hockey team, and maybe humbling himself and the leafs a bit is a good way to start.

jonathan p