The failure to call Shanahan as Maple Leaf missed this – Hockey Writer – Toronto Maple Leaf

Toronto Maple Leaf fans are more than just lazy, ignorant news. Fortunately, this is not the norm in the Toronto hockey media, but it does happen. The complexity of the Maple Leafs’ history and organization, the game and all the richness of the team’s relationship with fans and the city, deserve better choices.

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Jacob Punturi yesterday breakthrough (Sports Illustrated), titled “Shanaplan Abject Failed by Maple Leaf”, is a great example of a trend. The ClickBaitish title introduces an article that is about 300 words, which is more like a young man throwing a stone in his neighbor’s window than a solid analysis of Brendan Shanahan’s ten-year tenure as president of the team. It combines Shanahan’s tenure with one metric: No Stanley Cup. Ergo, this must be a “despicable” failure.

Criticism is fair, shallow criticism is not good enough, unfair

This kind of writing is frustrating not because it is crucial, but because it is shallow. Hockey writer There is a long-term rule: articles must have at least 600 words, while many articles must have more than 1,000. Why? Because the sport is complicated. Success and failure do not boil down to a single statistic line. There are some levels – culture, development, identity and history – that should be unpacked. You won’t get there in 300 words.

Maple Leaf fans are also worthy of praise. Toronto is some of the world’s informed and enthusiastic hockey fans. Most people know the difference between a tough playoff loss and a flawed organizational vision. So when a work like Punturi skips all nuances and declares the entire Shanahan era a “despicable failure” it hurts the conversation – Shanahan himself.

No one denies the Maple Leafs fell in the playoffs under Shanahan. This is obvious. It’s not enough to win so many talented teams in the past decade. However, the entire Shanaplan is judged based solely on this metric. The truth is, Shanahan inherited a broken organization and turned it into the most stable, respected franchise in the league.

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And, whether to agree with him, this transformation is worthy of recognition. Whether he is like him or not, Shanahan has made good progress over his decade with the organization.

First, Shanahan helps rebuild credibility and culture

When Shanahan arrived in 2014, the maple leaves were in a mess. The organization lacks a consistent vision, internal leadership or respect for the team’s legacy. Shanahan brings back credibility. As a Hall of Fame member who grew up in the city with a Toronto deep tie, he learned about the weight of the job. More importantly, he brings a long-term vision that has been missing for decades.

Rather than rushing to fix the problem all night, Shanahan focused on building a solid foundation. He hired smart people of trust, embraced modern hockey thinking and demanded professionalism, a huge shift from a chaotic Maple Leaf fan enduring years.

Second, Shanahan reconnects the history and tradition of Maple Leafs

One of Shanahan’s quietest but most meaningful contributions is connecting the team to its history. Before he arrived, Maple Leaf had a tense relationship with their past. Icons like Dave Keon feel ignored or even alienated. Shanahan changed that. He prioritized the commemoration of the team’s legend, brought Keane back to the organization’s discounts and celebrated the team’s roots more truly.

Related: Islanders should add former Maple Leaf President Shanahan to their front desk

Inspired by the 1967 Cup champion team, Jersey’s redesign was another thoughtful nod to tradition. These are not cosmetic changes. They are part of Shanahan’s greater effort to restore pride to the organization and remind fans and players of the weight of sweaters.

Third, Shanahan proposes a new way to build a team

Perhaps Shanahan’s biggest gambling is how to build a team. Instead of pursuing short-term restoration, he focused on drafting, development and analysis. Hiring Kyle Dubas as general manager was a bold move to show that the team is ready to think differently.

It works. The Maple Leafs became the top team in the regular season, with talent cores drafted by the organization – Auston Matthews, Mickey Manner, William Nyland, Matthew Nice, Easton Cowan and others supported by a well-run development pipeline. Toronto’s Maris is one of the best, good American Hockey League (AHL) teams, always producing NHL ready players like Bobby McMann.

Critics say this current group isn’t built for the playoffs, which is probably fair. However, Shanahan’s idea of ​​”failing” is because he didn’t separate the team after each first-round loss. He believes in giving mature core time, and despite the frustrating results, the core is still young and talented. Maple Leaf offers themselves the opportunity to start the Stanley Cup game every season as they consistently make the playoffs.

Related: Maple Leaf Should Keep Core Four (and Add Heart)

[As a note, even the Boston Bruins didn’t make it this past season, although they won the Presidents’ Trophy after the 2022–23 NHL season. Two seasons ago, they set a league record with 65 wins and 135 points, the highest total in NHL history. My point is that even making the playoffs season after season is tough, and the Maple Leafs do it.]

Fourth, Shanahan manages the spotlight in Toronto

Finally, it is impossible to talk about Shanahan’s tenure, if the pressure is not acknowledged, especially for a hometown boy. Toronto is different from any other hockey market. Media glare is constant. The movements were carefully examined. The error is magnified. Shanahan took this pressure, right and wrong, and did it with a consistent vision.

Shanahan is not always a fair statement to make the right call. But he let the team move forward. He brought stability to an organization that was little known. He gave Maple Leaf fans something they had never had in years – hopefully rooted in substance rather than blind faith. Agree or not, the Maple Leafs are the best in the past decade. This progress was achieved under Shanahan’s leadership.

The verdict on Shanahan is complicated, but very positive

So yes, the Maple Leafs didn’t win the Stanley Cup under Brendan Shanahan. But reducing a decade of work to the fact that (called a “debroken defeat”) is lazy journalism. It ignores his help to restore the team’s culture, development, stability and pride.

The real changes in hockey don’t always appear on banners. Sometimes it shows how a team works, how players grow, and what fans believe. Shanahan is now gone, and the next chapter of Maple Leaf is something that others are going to write. But in short, the organization has greatly improved since its inception in 2014.