Keith Pelley blaming Buffalo and Montreal for the Leafs’ problems is exactly why fans don’t trust MLSE
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Today, MLSE CEO Keith Pelley spoke to the media for the first time since firing Brad Treliving and is under fire for his comments.
Last night, the Toronto Maple Leafs decided to fire GM Brad Treliving ending his short tenure in charge of the team.
The Maple Leafs are currently on pace to have their worst season since 2016 and have failed in every metric when it comes to building the team.
This afternoon, Pelley tried to explain what happened but in the process angered fans even more.
At one point during the press conference, Pelley straight up admits the Maple Leafs believed they’d have an easy path to the playoffs and were shocked when the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens became competitive.
We definitely didn’t see the train coming which was the Buffalo Sabres and the Montreal Canadiens and how strong those two teams are. The Atlantic Division is really strong and we are going to have to improve and be good to compete.
This quote has now come to backfire on Pelley as it has shown that the Maple Leafs just weren’t paying attention.
Keith Pelley told on himself and didn’t even realize it
While Pelley was surprised to see the Sabres and Canadiens in the playoff race he certainly shouldn’t have been.
The Sabres to begin with made multiple big moves this offseason trading away JJ Peterka for Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring.
They then went out and shored up their goaltending with Alex Lyon and followed that up with a trade to acquire former Maple Leaf Connor Timmins.
As for the Canadiens, they made the big move for star defenseman Noah Dobson at the NHL Draft.
The Canadiens would also be getting a full season of Ivan Demidov and another expected jump from Lane Hutson.
The fact that Pelley and those he decided to employ in the scouting department did not see the Sabres and Canadiens as a threat is a failure on its own.
Leafs fans aren’t angry about losing, they’re angry about the excuses
Now, all Maple Leafs fans are left with are excuses of unexpected teams stepping up and they have had enough of it.
While losing is frustrating for the fans the clear ineptitude and amount of excuses made by those in charge is more frustrating than any loss could be.
Now, Pelley and the rest of MLSE will have a huge mountain to climb when earning back the trust of the fans and that will begin with who they choose as the team’s next General Manager.
Also read on House Of Hockey :
New details emerge on Brad Treliving exit as Leafs power shift unfolds
New details emerge on Brad Treliving exit as Leafs power shift unfolds