Maple Leafs Woes: No Quick Fixes in Toronto

As the Maple Leafs sit supposedly attempting to find someone to replace John Ferguson Jr.. it’s interesting to hear the names being talked about—including Ken Holland form Detroit, Brian Burke from Anaheim, and Jim Rutherford from Carolina. 

The question shouldn’t be how to get these guys here, but should rather why are they successful?  

Take Holland. He answers to the team Sr. Vice President Jim Devellano (a hockey guy), he has a special advisor in Scotty Bowman, an assistant GM in Jim Nill (a GM in waiting), and Vice President Steve Yzerman.

Holland has two senior guys and two younger guys to bounce ideas off of and has the final say on any and all decisions.

Ferguson on the other hand answers to Richard Peddie (not a hockey guy), he has one assistant in Mike Penny who has some experience, another assistant in Jeff Jackson with little experience and Player Development Advisor Doug Gilmour with little experience.

Ferguson has one guy with some experience and two guys with little experience to bounce ideas off of and any decisions must go through Richard Peddie and MLSE Board.

Hmm, what team makes better decisions and has more success?

Ferguson or any other GM for that matter is destined to fail under the Leafs current hierarchy. 

People scoffed at the idea last summer of MLSE bringing in someone to oversee John Ferguson, which would be humiliating and undermining. Yet this is how Detroit operates and the reigning Stanley Cup champions Anaheim Ducks operate with GM Brian Burke working under Al Coates, an experienced hockey executive.

Adding experienced personnel to your hockey club is not just a good thing but also a necessity.

If Peddie could ever step aside, allow someone to step in, and run things without question, then Ferguson as GM would not be a bad thing.

Bringing in one person like Cliff Fletcher to replace Ferguson, even though he has significantly more experience is still in effect one person making decisions.

As Detroit and Anaheim have shown, it takes teamwork even in the front office to be the most effective. 

Unfortunately for Leaf Nation, Peddie stepping aside is almost unthinkable.

The only notoriety Peddie would get as being the moneymaker for the MLSE board would be from the shareholders, but when you add President of the Toronto Maple Leafs to your credentials you could almost say you reach Rock Star status; everybody knows who you are, and when your team struggles your always in the forefront.

You can’t buy that kind of publicity, and there is no such thing as bad publicity as long as you are making money, and that is exactly what Peddie does for MLSE. 

Remember when Ferguson was hired he was to be the next best thing. Unfortunately, he has had no help, not given the freedom to do things as he has wanted to do, and has had a gun pointed at his head the past three years to make the playoffs.

With that kind of leadership form the top of MLSE it’s no wonder why so many mistakes have been made and why we are in the mess we are in today.