Brendan Shanahan is reportedly joining the Toronto Maple Leafs.
According to the Toronto Star columnist and Sportsnet contributor Damien Cox, Shanahan will immediately leave his post as director of player safety as soon as Friday with the NHL and join the Leafs as the club’s president.
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As first reported by Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment CEO Tim Leiweke has been looking into the possibility of shaking up the front office of his hockey team after the Leafs’ recent collapse.
Leiweke has publicly defended general manager Dave Nonis many times throughout the season and he is unlikely to lose his job if Shanahan was brought in.
Shanahan, who was born in Toronto, played in the NHL for 22 years and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013.
The 45-year-old retired as a player in 2009 and joined the NHL’s executive as vice president of hockey and business development a month later.
On June 1, 2011, Shanahan replaced Colin Campbell as the league’s chief disciplinarian, helping the NHL crack down on illegal plays.
Toronto is winding down a difficult season that saw the Leafs lose eight games in a row in late March to drop out of the Eastern Conference’s playoff picture.
Shanahan began the use of videos to explain why players were or weren’t suspended for dangerous or illegal plays.
The videos posted to the NHL’s website have been used as an aid for players, fans and officials as the league tries to limit the number of concussions in professional hockey.
Shanahan’s punishments have been playfully called "Shanabans," a portmanteau of his last name and the term "ban," referring to suspensions.
With files from Canadian Press
