Bobby McMann exposes the Maple Leafs in press conference after trade to Seattle
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Now ex-Maple Leafs forward Bobby McMann, who was traded to the Seattle Kraken, exposes how difficult it can be to play in Toronto because of the pressure.
The Toronto Maple Leafs traded away both Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton to the Seattle Kraken and Los Angeles Kings at the trade deadline last week.
McMann, who had a career-best 19 goals at the time of his trade, is now on a Kraken team trying to return to the playoffs while the Maple Leafs are all but officially assured of not making the playoffs.
Now that he's with the Kraken, McMann talked about the pressures of playing in Toronto with the kind of media and fan scrutiny that players in Maple Leafs sweaters face in the biggest hockey media market in the world.
Does McMann think there's added pressure? He said he thinks there is.
Yeah, it can be. When things aren't going well, it's that much harder to play there, I think. We're all human, and I think all NHL players at times get put on a pedestal. Everybody lets things get to them to a certain extent, some more than others.
When things aren't going well, a lot of us are so critical of ourselves already that then when you start hearing it from things like media, people around town, the people that you aren't as connected to, oftentimes you try and brush it off. But it's hard because you're human, and eventually it gets to you and it starts to wear on you. And you also understand the magnitude of the Leafs in that city and how important hockey is there. So I think a lot of the guys who were really big competitors wear that on their shoulders and wear the weight of the city on their shoulders a lot because of how important the sport is there. - Bobby McMann
When things aren't going well, a lot of us are so critical of ourselves already that then when you start hearing it from things like media, people around town, the people that you aren't as connected to, oftentimes you try and brush it off. But it's hard because you're human, and eventually it gets to you and it starts to wear on you. And you also understand the magnitude of the Leafs in that city and how important hockey is there. So I think a lot of the guys who were really big competitors wear that on their shoulders and wear the weight of the city on their shoulders a lot because of how important the sport is there. - Bobby McMann
Bobby McMann Is Now With The Kraken
McMann was never drafted into the NHL and eventually signed an entry level contract with the American Hockey League affiliate Toronto Marlies after multiple years with Colgate University.
He would then later make his NHL debut in 2022-23.
So far this year, McMann has 32 points (19G, 13A) in 60 games.
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| POLL | ||
MARS 11|348 ANSWERS Bobby McMann exposes the Maple Leafs in press conference after trade to Seattle Will more players try and leave Toronto because of their media? | ||
| Yes | 318 | 91.4 % |
| No | 30 | 8.6 % |
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