Guest Writer: Lights, Camera, Struggles: the Disadvantage of the Toronto Hockey Market

Nice blog. I for one would like to see a positive story regarding the Leafs one day. A lot of these guys get bashed on a regular basis, so much so that it seems to get to a personal level on occasions. Why is there never positive stories talking about how some of these guys promote charities and donate cashola to the respective charities. Lets hear some of the good things these guys do for communities too. It never happens, its like negativity sells and anything positive gets swept under the rug and forgotten. The media almost forces fans to dislike not only the team, but individual players as well. Its embarrassing as Phil put it

Kessel, JVR, Bozak, Kadri, Lupul, Phaneuf, Reilly, Gardnier, Robidas, Polak, Bernier....

Kessel, an amazing scorer that, lets be honest here, isn't the epitome of defence, also isn't scoring lately... JVR, ditto. Bozak is a 3rd line centre. Deal with it. Kadri too. Lupul, great when he's actually healthy enough to be in the lineup. The guy is incredibly brittle, which is too bad. Phaneuf isn't a number 1, yet the Leafs pay him like a Norris winner. It's not surprising to see him falter in these circumstances. Reilly... that kid is going to be amazing. Gardiner makes the same money as Giordano, and he's done nothing. Think about that. This kid makes the same as a potential Norris winner... Robidas, great defenceman. 5 years ago. Polak, seriously?
Bernier has proven one thing, he's not Carey Price that the media sold to the Leafs fans, (it's also not his fault). He's not a bad goalie, but nobody in the league outside of Price or Rinne could stand up to the defensive lapses Toronto gives up nightly...

If the main villain the Leafs is the media, then their awful general managers giving out contracts is second in command... Which is too bad. As a Habs fan, it's more exciting when the Leafs are there to do battle with...

This is a very open article and to me it squarely put the emphasis on the media. What we have as a hockey media in Toronto is not a Maple Leaf leaning media. We have competing radio and television sport stations on top of 4 daily newspapers and the large majority of these sport announcers/writers see themselves first as sport personalities and not Leaf fans, so their writing is not in support of but rather critical of the Maple Leafs and in that environment we are asking the Leafs to do well.

This was probably the most accurate and accountable post I have ever read on this site and I am sure many will agree. I to am a die hard Leaf Fan but my stomach turns when I see players getting downed by the TO media. They are a bunch of scum sucking cash grabbers who dont deserve to report on a storied frachaise like the Leafs. Wouldnt you think that the NHLPA would be pushing harder for the players rights (not that I am a fan of the NHLPA) where players have the choice to ignor the media if they choose. I feel there is too much freedom (including free entry to the games) given to the media. Here's a thought! Allow the media representatives access to the games and press box but only those voted on by the players in their respective cities. That would divide the professionals from the scum bags.

What a bunch of crap! Once again you don't want to make the players accountable, for that matter, management too! If you can't handle the heat of the kitchen, get out! Sure the media is bad, but it is in a lot of places & their players seem to be better at handling it, most professionals with character can, some pros thrive in the spotlight & others don't, I seen an interview with Dougie Gilmore the other day & that was his thoughts. Sure if you keep playing with the same core, year after year, history will repeat itself, now is the time to make the changes!

All I can say is the media in Torono isn't going anywhere. So according to you it doesn't matter who we sign or draft this team will never get anywhere.

What a bunch of crap! Once again you don't want to make the players accountable, for that matter, management too! If you can't handle the heat of the kitchen, get out! Sure the media is bad, but it is in a lot of places & their players seem to be better at handling it, most professionals with character can, some pros thrive in the spotlight & others don't, I seen an interview with Dougie Gilmore the other day & that was his thoughts. Sure if you keep playing with the same core, year after year, history will repeat itself, now is the time to make the changes!
- Jrw10

The players are held accountable and things are changing in that regard. But it should be a two way street and the media should be held accountable and to some sort of standard of professionalism. Like the idiot that called reimers mother the one time, he still has access to the Leafs. In my mind that's bush league and real low of him to do, wheres his accountability, he should be shunned for such a stunt.

This article cant be serious. Every team's players do charitable things, they all give back to the community.

The fans and media have every right to rip this team. Most expensive tickets in the league, worst product in the league.

for those who whine about how players are treated harshly by fans and media, well the opposite is true too. fans and media will love you if you perform. Doug gilmour and wendel clark are practically Gods in this city and they didnt even make the stanley cup finals.

The team and product has sucked for way too long. take off the leaf colored glasses...unbelievable.

Kessel, JVR, Bozak, Kadri, Lupul, Phaneuf, Reilly, Gardnier, Robidas, Polak, Bernier....

Kessel, an amazing scorer that, lets be honest here, isn't the epitome of defence, also isn't scoring lately... JVR, ditto. Bozak is a 3rd line centre. Deal with it. Kadri too. Lupul, great when he's actually healthy enough to be in the lineup. The guy is incredibly brittle, which is too bad. Phaneuf isn't a number 1, yet the Leafs pay him like a Norris winner. It's not surprising to see him falter in these circumstances. Reilly... that kid is going to be amazing. Gardiner makes the same money as Giordano, and he's done nothing. Think about that. This kid makes the same as a potential Norris winner... Robidas, great defenceman. 5 years ago. Polak, seriously?
Bernier has proven one thing, he's not Carey Price that the media sold to the Leafs fans, (it's also not his fault). He's not a bad goalie, but nobody in the league outside of Price or Rinne could stand up to the defensive lapses Toronto gives up nightly...

If the main villain the Leafs is the media, then their awful general managers giving out contracts is second in command... Which is too bad. As a Habs fan, it's more exciting when the Leafs are there to do battle with...
- Lato649

This is pretty exaggerated..

Kessel, JVR, Bozak, Kadri, Lupul, Phaneuf, Reilly, Gardnier, Robidas, Polak, Bernier....

Kessel, an amazing scorer that, lets be honest here, isn't the epitome of defence, also isn't scoring lately... JVR, ditto. Bozak is a 3rd line centre. Deal with it. Kadri too. Lupul, great when he's actually healthy enough to be in the lineup. The guy is incredibly brittle, which is too bad. Phaneuf isn't a number 1, yet the Leafs pay him like a Norris winner. It's not surprising to see him falter in these circumstances. Reilly... that kid is going to be amazing. Gardiner makes the same money as Giordano, and he's done nothing. Think about that. This kid makes the same as a potential Norris winner... Robidas, great defenceman. 5 years ago. Polak, seriously?
Bernier has proven one thing, he's not Carey Price that the media sold to the Leafs fans, (it's also not his fault). He's not a bad goalie, but nobody in the league outside of Price or Rinne could stand up to the defensive lapses Toronto gives up nightly...

If the main villain the Leafs is the media, then their awful general managers giving out contracts is second in command... Which is too bad. As a Habs fan, it's more exciting when the Leafs are there to do battle with...
- Lato649

wut the hell

This is pretty exaggerated..
- iTOLDu

It's also exaggerated when ppl say we are better than the result. People fall in love with the team and let their hope cloud judgement. If they had a bad year, ok..but when the writer says 'we are by far good enough to contend', has he watched the last 4 years with this core fail every time?

Kessel, JVR, Bozak, Kadri, Lupul, Phaneuf, Reilly, Gardnier, Robidas, Polak, Bernier....

Kessel, an amazing scorer that, lets be honest here, isn't the epitome of defence, also isn't scoring lately... JVR, ditto. Bozak is a 3rd line centre. Deal with it. Kadri too. Lupul, great when he's actually healthy enough to be in the lineup. The guy is incredibly brittle, which is too bad. Phaneuf isn't a number 1, yet the Leafs pay him like a Norris winner. It's not surprising to see him falter in these circumstances. Reilly... that kid is going to be amazing. Gardiner makes the same money as Giordano, and he's done nothing. Think about that. This kid makes the same as a potential Norris winner... Robidas, great defenceman. 5 years ago. Polak, seriously?
Bernier has proven one thing, he's not Carey Price that the media sold to the Leafs fans, (it's also not his fault). He's not a bad goalie, but nobody in the league outside of Price or Rinne could stand up to the defensive lapses Toronto gives up nightly...

If the main villain the Leafs is the media, then their awful general managers giving out contracts is second in command... Which is too bad. As a Habs fan, it's more exciting when the Leafs are there to do battle with...
- Lato649

While I agree that some Toronto media seem to make their paycheck by continually bashing the leafs, it's the same media that was around
-in the Tucker, Roberts, Neiwendyk, Sundin Mogilny era.
-and in the Clark, Gilmour, Tucker, Andreychuk et al. era.
The media hasn't changed. The players have changed.

Yes the leafs have skill to match any team in the league. Skill is not the leafs issue.

To me the fact that the current core players can't handle the media scrutiny, the fact that they aren't conditioned enough and seem to hit a wall in January every year, the fact that certain players won;t go into the corners and others can't seem to stay healthy..... all symptoms of a grass roots issue with this team .
To coin an old wrestling term, the leafs lack "intestinal fortitude".

While you say you've never felt so hopeless, this is where your thinking is ALL wrong.
Finally after screw up after screw up, MLSE is going to do what should have been done 10 years ago coming out of the first lockout that introduced the cap.
They are going to tear it down and do a proper rebuild.
Sure its a few years out, but finally... FINALLY!!!.... we can look forward to something more than a band aid solution aimed at mediocrity.
Finally there is a path laid out in front of fans towards building a championship in Toronto.

While I agree that some Toronto media seem to make the pa ycheck by continually bashing the leafs, it's the same media that was around
-in the Tucker, Roberts, Neiwendyk, Sundin Mogilny era.
-and in the Clark, Gilmour, Tucker, Andreychuk et al. era.
The media hasn't changed. The players have changed.

Yes the leafs have skill to match any team in the league. Skill is not the leafs issue.

To me the fact that the current core players can't handle the media scrutiny, the fact that they aren't conditioned enough and seem to hit a wall in January every year, the fact that certain players won;t go into the corners and others can't seem to stay healthy..... all symptoms of a grass roots issue with this team .
To coin an old wrestling term, the leafs lack "intestinal fortitude".

While you say you've never felt so hopeless, this is where your thinking is ALL wrong.
Finally after screw up after screw up, MLSE is going to do what should have been done 10 years ago coming out of the first lockout that introduced the cap.
They are going to tear it down and do a proper rebuild.
Sure its a few years out, but finally... FINALLY!!!.... we can look forward to something more than a band aid solution aimed at mediocrity.
Finally there is a path laid out in front of fans towards building a championship in Toronto.
- B-Wforever

RIP Gorilla Monsson

As a life-long die-hard Leafs fan, I can confidently say that this is the most hopeless I have ever felt about the state of the team.

As one myself, I can confidently say this is the most hopeful i have ever felt about the state of the team.

What a bunch of crap! Once again you don't want to make the players accountable, for that matter, management too! If you can't handle the heat of the kitchen, get out! Sure the media is bad, but it is in a lot of places & their players seem to be better at handling it, most professionals with character can, some pros thrive in the spotlight & others don't, I seen an interview with Dougie Gilmore the other day & that was his thoughts. Sure if you keep playing with the same core, year after year, history will repeat itself, now is the time to make the changes!
- Jrw10

100% Agree

If you can't handle the media its a red flag that the Core of the team is mentally soft. The Islanders/Red Wings/Lightning all have a much much better D core.

IMO the Leafs are already the New York Yankess of the NHL. The Clarkson deal is proof of that. They generate enough money to the point where they got rid of arguably one of the worst contracts in NHL history. I would wager that only 6-8 other teams could of possibly done the same thing.

The country club culture needs to change before the Leafs will have any consistent success

As one myself, I can confidently say this is the most hopeful i have ever felt about the state of the team.
- senstroll

i'm ecstatic. hated the makeup of this team for over a year now.

It is the most hopeless time, thus it is also the most hopeful time.

The article was so poorly written, and the grammar and spelling so bad, that I couldn't stopped after the first run-on paragraph.

Bad management moves, bad scouting, free agents that were signed to 3 year deals were bad, THe Hockey News has them rated 27th for future prospect, embarrassing for a non playoff team year after year...

When a reporter calls up a player's mother to get medical history

When a player rips into a reporter for being an idiot, and that reporter goes on air saying he's no longer going to protect that player

When a former Leafs Asst GM who gets refused promotion to GM gets a job on Sptsnet and guestslots on this website to spew self biassed disdain and bitterness

When a beat reporter/blogger questions the integrity of a 600 game NHL Headcoach

When a reporter calls out a GM's judgement on a day when the GM is with our Armed Forces

See the pattern here?

When a reporter calls up a player's mother to get medical history

When a player rips into a reporter for being an idiot, and that reporter goes on air saying he's no longer going to protect that player

When a former Leafs Asst GM who gets refused promotion to GM gets a job on Sptsnet and guestslots on this website to spew self biassed disdain and bitterness

When a beat reporter/blogger questions the integrity of a 600 game NHL Headcoach

When a reporter calls out a GM's judgement on a day when the GM is with our Armed Forces

See the pattern here?
- jimi james

Don't forget crappy ex-back-up-goalie Glenn Healy!!

While I agree that some Toronto media seem to make their paycheck by continually bashing the leafs, it's the same media that was around
-in the Tucker, Roberts, Neiwendyk, Sundin Mogilny era.
-and in the Clark, Gilmour, Tucker, Andreychuk et al. era.
The media hasn't changed. The players have changed.

Yes the leafs have skill to match any team in the league. Skill is not the leafs issue.
To me the fact that the current core players can't handle the media scrutiny, the fact that they aren't conditioned enough and seem to hit a wall in January every year, the fact that certain players won;t go into the corners and others can't seem to stay healthy..... all symptoms of a grass roots issue with this team .
To coin an old wrestling term, the leafs lack "intestinal fortitude".

While you say you've never felt so hopeless, this is where your thinking is ALL wrong.
Finally after screw up after screw up, MLSE is going to do what should have been done 10 years ago coming out of the first lockout that introduced the cap.
They are going to tear it down and do a proper rebuild.
Sure its a few years out, but finally... FINALLY!!!.... we can look forward to something more than a band aid solution aimed at mediocrity.
Finally there is a path laid out in front of fans towards building a championship in Toronto.
- B-Wforever

Re: the bolded

The Leafs do not have the skill to compete for a playoff spot, nevermind compete with any team in the league.

The organization has been a complete and utter failure and they are WAY behind the curve in talent level as well as heart, mental toughness etc.

I stopped reading at the part where it said it would be tough to argue the Lightning, Red Wings, and Islanders have a better team on paper than the Leafs... Each and every one of those teams has more depth in every area than the Leafs do. You can argue that Kessel/JVR are a great scoring duo, even if they have been quiet of late, but Phaneuf appears to be the Leafs only legit top 4 defenceman right now and he is more suited to a second line role. Even on paper, the Leafs secondary scoring is almost nonexistent, except for the ever hurt Lupul. On paper they aren't as bad as they have been, but they also aren't as good as has been claimed, and blaming the media, who doesn't manage the team or play any of the games, as the main reason for the team under performing and not competing for a cup is insane.