It looks as if Claude Loiselle will not be out of work for long, as New York Post columnist Larry Brooks reports that the former Leafs Assistant GM will be named the head of the NHL's Department of Player Safety, replacing current Leafs boss Brendan Shanahan.
Shanahan vacated the post in mid-April to take the position of Team President with Toronto and was replaced on an interim basis by former NHLer Stephane Quintal.
The 51-year-old Loiselle worked for the Leafs for four years as an assistant to Brian Burke and Dave Nonis, but was dismissed by Shanahan along with Dave Poulin on July 22 and was replaced by 28-year-old Soo Greyhounds GM Kyle Dubas.
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Phil Kessel expressed confidence in the additions made by the Maple Leafs this off-season will prevent the club from faltering down the stretch, as they did last season in a post-Olympic collapse that cost Toronto a second straight playoff berth.
"I think we had a good team, we were there last year. We had a bad stretch.… Kessel said after participating in a ball-hockey game with Roger Federer in Toronto on Sunday. "We don’t have that stretch, we’re right in it. This year we made some good additions and I think we improved as a team, and we’re going to be ready to go."
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