In a world where athletes have become nothing more than over-paid, glorified cry babies that don't have loyalties to the city in which they play I have to commend Mats Sundin on dealing with his unrestricted free agency.

The fact is this shouldn't have been the case for Sundin, who wore his heart on his sleeve for the Toronto Maple Leafs for 13 years.

Mats Sundin should have been given the option to retire a Leaf; he deserved better treatment for his services to the hockey team, plain and simple.

This is just yet another reason the Toronto Maple Leafs may never compete for the Stanley Cup as they continue to make bad decisions.

Take a look at the successful teams over the past years, Detroit with Steve Yzerman, Dallas with Mike Modano, and Colorado with Joe Sakic just to name a few. There franchise players all staying in the fold.

It isn't like Mats Sundin has slowed down at all either; he had yet another solid season, scoring 32 goals and 46 assists in 74 games.

If anything, Sundin is having a hard time making his decision not on the basis that he can play, but if he wants to play for another club.

So for those Leaf fans that were angry at him for not waiving his no-trade clause at the deadline this year, I hope you remember this incident when Luke Schenn decides to sign elsewhere for big bucks at 27-years-old.

Maybe then it will sink in...Mats Sundin loved playing in Toronto, and wanted to win there for those same fans that turned on him.

Now who can be angry at that?