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With the recent announcement that Brendan Shanahan was named as team president and alternate governor, there was much excitement being projected by the mass media in Toronto.
While I can understand some of the enthusiasm toward this decision, given the name of said former player, there is still much uncertainty as to whether or not adding Brendan to the list of “hockey minds…, will in fact do any good for the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. That being said, it depends on how you view this decision, I suppose.
What you're being offered is a man who has had years of direct involvement with the NHL both as a player and also within head office. Shanahan’s life, if you will, has been directly related toward nothing else but hockey and as such, he has taken in a whole lot of experience and potential contacts around the league.
Whether or not the above can translate into a strong hockey mind in terms of running a hockey club and making decisions toward player personnel, is left to be seen. What the hockey world needs to keep in mind is that while Shanahan does have a lot of experience in and around the league, he has zero…I repeat zero…experience in this type of role.
Now, the point of this blog wasn’t to argue that Mr. Shanahan has nothing to offer to the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, because I feel that he does; however what I would like to offer as an opinion is that perhaps those who try and make an assessment toward the decision, at least at this point in time, remain composed.
The reason I say this is that the pundits will try and spin this story in a direction of inveterate positivity, or one of complete obscurity in that Brendan Shanahan is nothing but a new face for the Maple Leafs organization.
Where do I personally sit when it comes to weighing in on this announcement? Well let’s put it this way - The Toronto Maple Leafs have introduced a great local hockey mind, one who has won several Stanley Cups and awards while playing in the NHL. They have brought in a name which many around the league associated with “winner… or “success…, one which makes it rather hard to fret upon.
There is likely a list of pros and cons for many who try and break down this decision for the Leafs organization, and there are likely several reasons why some should consider this as nothing more than another move to try and alleviate the pressure off some of upper management after another disappointing season.
However, why not just leave it at this –Brendan Shanahan is being given the opportunity to try and suspend any further anguish from fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. Thanks for reading.