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Maybe someone can explain something to me. If the Canucks fired Noonis...why do the Leafs need their permission to speak with him?
................
I definately need some coffee...
Besides that...Maurice is a proven loser and never should have been the coach in the first place.
Coffee...yeah...good idea.

Baun-ded | 05/08/08, 07:57 AM

The Leafs are dumb. Period. But TSN reported this morning that Maurice asked Fletcher to fire him sooner rather than later if it was going to happen. Smart move on Maurice's part, because now he's back in the game with ALL the teams that are looking for a coach still looking. No openings have been filled, so he's got his best chance of getting hired somewhere. I still think the Panthers would be a nice fit for a good coach who got hung out to dry by his inept management, mind you, I don't know how much better the Panther management is...

goCanada! | 05/08/08, 08:00 AM

Hate to say i told ya so.Leafs wont look much different come September. Cliff will still be gm. Barnum and Bailey have nothing on this sideshow. Can you imagine getting Nonis on the presumption Burke will come too? Without tampering? Good for Maurice though hes a good coach who was on the wrong bench at the wrong time.If you go down to the ACC watch out for the elephant poop.

Peter Goezinya | 05/08/08, 08:08 AM

Peter...Of course you realize that by suggesting that Maurice is a good coach...that you are in fact in agreement with the Leaf management that hired him in the first place.
Maurice is a loser...8 of 11 yrs missed the playoffs. I've said this before...he would have a more successful career at Yuk Yuks.
Gocan...Why do the Leafs need permission from the Canucks to speak to Noonis? I expected you to fill me in on this. Seriously...I have no idea.

Baun-ded | 05/08/08, 08:21 AM

Baun - why so much hate towards Paulie? I thought he did a decent job with what he had. And it's not his fault JFJ pressured him to play Raycroft, when you have a sinking GM wanting you to play all of his great "acquisitions" so he can save his job. And I think the need permission because Nonis is still under contract with the Canucks, even though he was fired.

Petey - We've disagreed on this before, but I'll say again - the Leafs will get a new GM - just give it some time.

Bentley00 | 05/08/08, 08:36 AM

Ya Nonis will still be collecting a paycheck from the Nucks. Thats why you always hear "he was offered a job in the head office". What that means is if were paying you were gonna make you wash dishes at least...or scout jr. b in Lower Slobovia.

Peter Goezinya | 05/08/08, 08:55 AM

I know you will get one bentley...eventually. But this act they have going on now is a farce. Maybe im wrong and in the next couple weeks we'll see some buyouts etc. Can you imagine the leverage Burke will have if this is true? "I'll take leafs management for 10 million Alex".

Peter Goezinya | 05/08/08, 08:58 AM

Bentley...Because I've watched this goof on too many interviews...he can't win and playing Raycroft at the beginning of the year was his idea not JFJ's. You think JFJ wanted his best signing of the off season sitting on the bench for game 1?
Clearing the decks is fine with me...The current management is gone now they will work on the players...which will take longer naturally. Finally Bentley...he did not do a decent job at all!
The Leafs were a much better team than how they played. Special Teams were a disaster on both the PP & PK. Shoot outs were a joke. He couldn't motivate any veterans and took his frustrations out on young delveloping talent and injured players.
He was supposed to be a defensive specialist...HA!
He was cocky and I found his tongue in cheek humour a joke and pathetic. The biggest joke he ever cracked played in front of him. Even his best friend fired him...What the Heck was some losing coach from that crap division going to do with the Leafs anyways...HA! Nothing...exactly what I expected from him! Anyone that thinks this guy can coach...Go chat it up with JFJ...I'm sure he'll agree with you! HA! If you can find him!

Baun-ded | 05/08/08, 09:10 AM

This is such a typical Leaf kind of move. Try and reassemble a management team that yielded a bunch of mediocre Canuck teams. Of course they want Nonis. He assembled a team with an elite goalie, a past prime swedish captain and a bunch of loafers filling roster space. Sounds like pretty much every Leaf team created since the start of the Pat Quinn era. I would have figured they would have learned with Quinn that using binned Canucks GMs doesn't really pan out. Guess it's it's like George Bush said, "Fool me once, shame on, shame on you, fool me, can't get fooled again"

modsuperstar | 05/08/08, 09:16 AM

Peter...The Leafs won't look much different come September?
Well lets see...at the moment, there is no full time GM, no Coach, no Captain, 1 Assistant coach...What do you think. Cliff is going to climb behind the bench?
The playoffs are not even over with...Free agents are not all availabe...Bruunstrom is still up in the air as is Sundin and his contract.
Besides...as far as I'm concerned you have just recently agreed with JFJ who hired Maurice...So.
Obviously changes are in the works...and the past does not equell the future. You need to go concern yourself with your Rangers and Jagr and Avery etc...Gomez is an overpriced oportunist as is Drury, Shanny is toast and the best thing about the Rangers future is in net. Looks to me like the Rangers have there own sideshow to take care of this off season...Watch where you step.

Baun-ded | 05/08/08, 09:21 AM

Maybe you should go back to bed.

Peter Goezinya | 05/08/08, 09:29 AM

Maybe.

Baun-ded | 05/08/08, 09:38 AM

Here's a novel idea all you Leaf fans out there. WHy don't we all simply stop buying tickets, tell those losers in MLSE to Foff....and then see how things shape up. NO overpriced free agents, no quick fixes, no BS. Put some money in scouting, go draft some players, teach em how to play team hockey and let's see where that goes. I've been putting up with this crap for too long.

Look at the NFL, it's all about the draft picks and picking players that fit the team system. NOw they're not quite the same, but you know where I'm coming from

Plato's Apprentice | 05/08/08, 09:40 AM

The Leafs problems run deeper than the coach and GM. This team has been rudderless for years, decades even, and there are no signs that they're going to get it straightened out. If this franchise ever got serious about winning - with their cash flow - they'd be frightening but I don't think thats going to happen anytime soon.

Capsfan | 05/08/08, 09:40 AM

It is sad to see this franchise in the shape it's in...same with The Blackhawks
Someone needs to get a clue there...where's Punch Imlach when you need him?

mcelt91 | 05/08/08, 10:04 AM

The leafs were feeling left out of the all the hockey discussions, so they had to do something to get people talking about them. They knew a city like Toronto would suddenly forget the Conference Finals and start every single sports show about the news coming from Leaf land. That's why they fired Maurice yesterday.

Mar Sees | 05/08/08, 10:23 AM

Confusing? Yes! But, what did you expect? This is the Maple Leafs, after all!
Too bad that the inept, incompetent and clueless people at the top (Rick Pidde & Co.) remain in place.
The ghosts of Harold Ballard need to be exorcised before the Maple Leafs regain some semblance of credibility and, with these dudes in charge, it ain't going to happen regardless of who the GM and coach happen to be. They'll continue to be convenient scape-goats!

DCruiser | 05/08/08, 10:34 AM

I also agree that an early firing is better than a late one, for Maurice's sake. Did anyone actually believe the new GM would have kept him anyway? So, there is little to complain about. Steve Simmons wrote the article, and he fancies himself as the Toronto version of Colombo, sniffing around the ACC for scandalous news, so consider the source.

If the Leafs hire Nonis, it definitely will lead everyone to believe they want Burke... maybe Burke wants to force Anaheim's hand to release him if they feel this will be his last year there anyway.

Smells of tampering to me.... Burke arranges a deal with Toronto and it plays like this :

A) Burke refuses to jump ship, as that would make him a hypocrite, as he scoffs at players who force trades or holdouts..
2) Tells the Leafs to hire good buddy Nonis as Asst. GM.
3) Nonis plays GM for a year and awaits Burke next season
OR
4) Anaheim, smelling something rotten in the state of California, cut Burke loose as he refuses to sign an extension and Burke joins the Leafs anyway, only sooner.

I would like to see the Leafs stop the circus and hire a good hockey mind. The world doesn't revolve around Burke. How about Doug Armstrong? He did some great things in Dallas. Neil Smith won a Cup in New York, served as a scout in Detroit (masterminding the Lidstrom, Holmstrom draft) ...

joec | 05/08/08, 01:15 PM

sad but who cares?!

drj0514 | 05/08/08, 01:19 PM

Man,Toronto is a mess. This team has no idea what they're doing. No idea whatsoever.Is there a bigger joke in the NHL right now?The frozen 5 will soon be the frozen 4. Bye Kubina. Raycrap is definately gone. Sundin is 50-50 at best. JFJ may go down as the Maple Leafs' most terrible GM in their history. They should come up with a t-shirt slogan. "blame JFJ" . You know it would sell.

bostongm | 05/08/08, 02:01 PM