Toronto Maple Leafs: Nine Tips for the Media

With upwards of 30 reporters covering the Leafs, I think we can all agree that there certainly couldn't be much more coverage. To put that in perspective, the entire media contingent covering Queen's Park (the Province of Ontario's legislature) totals out at 31 reporters.

In addition to having their own TV channel, the Leafs are the lead item on each and every TSN and Sportsnet broadcast. Each paper has columnists and staff reporters covering the team. There are lunchtime radio broadcasts devoted to all things blue and white.

Then there are the comments at the Globe and Mail, filled by people who seem to spend more time complaining about the amount of Leaf coverage than they do cheering for their own teams.

The quantity is unarguably there, but the quality side seems to be a bit lacking. How hard is it for a reporter or editorial staff to use a search function to scan the NHL CBA? How many times are reporters going to miss that both Tucker and McCabe have NMCs?

If the media are unsure about a no-movement clause, why not phone the NHLPA or ask the agent or player? Isn't that one of the benefits of being a trained professional with full access to sources?

That said, I do feel some sympathy for the media who cover the Leafs. There's so much competition in this town (and with this team) that I can't imagine the pressure they're under from their editors and producers to cultivate sources and land big scoops.

Still, given the pressures and competition, it's hard to believe the amount of misinformation, poor fact checking, and general lack of imagination that permeates so much of the Leafs media coverage.

I'd like to think with their access, the reporters who file day in day out on all things Leaf might be able to come up with something more compelling than who's wearing the red jersey at practice, fake trade rumors, or faux panic over the lack of formal job interviews conducted by MLSE.

Rather than just bitch and moan about the state of Leaf coverage, here are nine ideas off the top of my head that I'd love to see followed-up by those who cover hockey and/or the Leafs.

1. More first person source reporting.

One of my favorite articles last year was a Brian Burke first-person diary during the trade deadline. Could we get something similar from anyone at MLSE? Please?

If not, I'd settle for any first-person insight at the GM level.

2. Use your access to really take readers behind the scenes.

The consensus is that the Leafs need to hold on to their draft choices and draft wisely. Can fans maybe get a profile (or two or three) of the Leaf scouts who will be helping make the decisions on draft day? What gems have they discovered? What do their peers on other clubs think of them? What's the hierarchy in the scouting department, and how do draft day decisions get made?

Maybe a day in the life of a Leaf scout...or a day in the life of a top OHL prospect.

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