You are a typical Toronto Maple Leaf fan. Not the wingnut variety which make up the vast minority. You’re part of the millions of red blooded Canadian hockey fans at home or abroad who are passionate about their devotion to the blue and white.
You watch or listen or read about them anytime you can. You plan your entire life social schedule around the chance to get a coveted ticket to the sold out Air Canada Centre. You accept the players now have insular rock star lifestyles and make millions of dollars in salary. You show up in significant numbers at all 29 other NHL cities when the Leafs visit and you are loud, vocal, and passionate.
You continue this support even though you have seen exactly ONE playoff series since 2004.
You were thrilled when Brendan Shanahan came to town as the President and you were excited about what “Shanny” would have a chance to do with your beloved Maple Leafs.
You even had a press conference for the hiring of a young assistant general manager and you fully embraced the youth of Kyle Dubas and what his analytics background brought to the Leafs.
When Randy Carlyle was fired and replaced by Peter Horachek, you were actually enthused and embraced his overall two-way philosophy; keeping shots on goal to under 30 per game; the five-five-five strategy of having all five players in the three zones of the ice at the same time.
You were actually more enthused and supportive than the majority of the players who decided it wasn’t for them after just a few games.
As much as you embraced and supported the hiring of Brendan Shanahan, it also meant the fourth consecutive year that there was a new head “hockey guy” in charge (Brian Burke in 2011, Dave Nonis in 2012, and Tim Leiweke in 2013).
This provided a somewhat valid excuse that more time is needed for yet another new guy to evaluate exactly what this team and organization was made of.
Tim Leiweke was a very dynamic and engaging speaker. He spoke passionately about “changing the culture”.
The only other Canadian based organization to speak with the same passion on that subject were the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers and the Leafs are now mired near the bottom of the standings, their culture remaining one of losing.
The Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames, and Vancouver Canucks talked very little about “changing the culture”. They just let their actions speak for themselves on the ice as they all maintain solid playoff opportunities.
Then Leiweke announced that he was jumping ship and heading back to where it is warm. He also chose that opportunity to refer to a Leaf player who was blessed with talent but came up short when it came to character.
Who is that player? If he was re-signed to a new long term contract, why? Why wouldn’t a trade have been worked out earlier this season when the Leafs were dealing from a position of strength to move this player (for fair return) if he didn’t fit into the “culture”.
You are a regular home crowd, albeit not as loud as many other venues. That likely being a bi-product of how the tickets are priced and who can really afford them.
You do cheer when the team wins, though, or at least gives an effort. And, when that effort isn’t there, you might choose to boo as they do in EVERY other NHL venue from time to time. A 9-2 loss at home to the Nashville Predators on November 18th was one such opportunity.
Apparently you acted inappropriately. The next Leaf home victory, the Leafs as a team gave you, the customer…the fan, the on-ice version of the middle finger.
Then you had to listen to your old coach Ron Wilson, whose severance as Maple Leafs coach apparently has expired, dump on you about what terrible fans you were and what a terrible place Toronto was to work and play. All because you booed during a 9-2 loss.
After a great winning streak by the Leafs, the losing returned…and got worse…and worse.
At first you were part of the problem, apparently.
The audacity of a few fans throwing theirs Leafs jerseys on the ice. No mention of the 19,000 other fans who endured the loss and weak effort without testing their throwing arms and keeping their high priced Leafs jerseys on their bodies.
It was an affront to the Leaf players and yet another reason why seemingly nobody would want to play here. For future home games Air Canada Centre security pursued any transgressors with a passion and effort that you could only hope was mirrored on the ice.
You are a Leaf fan. You are thrilled that Dave Nonis has figured out a way to do the impossible, move David Clarkson and his contract to Columbus.
As you applaud his ingenuity, you hear more of the lamenting of the “personal” attacks on Clarkson and more questions around who would want to come to Toronto after seeing how this played out. We are talking about a free-agent bust as far as a hockey signing goes but a guy who I feel that fans appreciated as a person off the ice. Yet, Leaf fans were once again at fault for making this an “impossible” environment to succeed in.
Trade deadline comes and goes and you are encouraged by the smaller type moves made by Nonis.
Then Phil Kessel decides to unload on the treatment that Dion Phaneuf receives in Toronto. His tirade is more media directed but Leaf fans can feel further wrath. Actually, Phaneuf had received very little criticism in the previous few weeks as he had been injured for 12 games.
Phaneuf is one of the Leafs I have had the chance to interact with a little bit at a couple of charity events. I have to say that I have been impressed by his character in those situations.
Following a similarly disastrous season like the one the Leafs are having this year, many years ago Toronto Raptors general manager Glen Grunwald took to the microphone at the final Raptors game of the 1997-98 regular season.
As boos rained down upon him, he thanked the crowd for their support and promised better things in the future. He was true to his word (Vince Carter was drafted that off-season), but more importantly, the fans appreciated the gesture.
Will the true Toronto Maple Leaf fans at least get that, A gesture of thanks for their support rather than being told they are part of the problem?
Maple Leafs fans deserve that much.