NEWS OF MAPLE LEAFS
Last Update: Wednesday June 30, 1999 12:28AM EST
Tuesday June 29, 1999 Kamensky on Toronto's shopping list
There is nothing terribly free about free agents -- especially if you happen to be the buyer.
But buoyed by the success of last summer's two major pickups -- Curtis Joseph and Steve Thomas -- the Maple Leafs hope to sign at least one quality free agent.
While teams officially can't bid for a player until Thursday, the Leafs are expected to pursue Colorado Avalanche winger Valeri Kamensky as a possible linemate for captain Mats Sundin.
Kamensky, 33, and Sundin were teammates with the Quebec Nordiques from 1991-94.
Kamensky last season had 14 goals and 44 points in 65 games while making $1.9 million.
Other unfettered free agents the Leafs may attempt to sign include Ottawa defencemen Lance Pitlick, Steve Smith, who launched a successful comeback with the Calgary Flames after overcoming a chronic back injury, and Greg Andrusak of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Dallas Stars winger Dave Reid also could get an offer from Toronto. Reid, 35, who played with the Leafs from 1988-91, shares the single-season franchise record for short-handed goals (eight) with Dave Keon.
The Leafs have a lesser interest in Wendel Clark, who was released by the Red Wings after the playoffs. Clark had 32 goals last season with Tampa and Detroit.
Sunday June 27, 1999 Leafs used first pick on Swiss centre
Luca Cereda, a 17-year-old centre from Switzerland, was the first player to pull on a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey at the NHL entry draft Saturday.
Toronto picked 24th, and for the second year in a row selected a European not considered by the league's scouting service to be a premier candidate. Nikolai Antropov was the Leafs' first pick last year.
Cereda earned only 16 points, including six goals, in 37 games for Ambri of Switzerland last season. The six-foot-two, 200-pound Cereda turns 18 on Sept. 7.
"I didn't think I would be in the first round," he said. "This is a surprise."
He had no idea Toronto was interested in him, he said.
Anders Hedberg, the Leafs' director of player development, said his scouts had watched Cereda play about 25 games.
Cereda is from Logano near the Italian border. His mother tongue is Italian, and he also speaks English, French and German. Both his parents are teachers. He expects to play in Switzerland again next winter.
There have been 12 Swiss teens drafted by NHL teams over the years, and none has made an impact in the top pro league. Cereda will try to break the mould.
"Ten years ago in Switzerland there was the mentality that you earn a lot of money in Switzerland and so the players weren't ready to pay the price to play in the NHL," Cereda said. "But now a lot of young players are ready to sacrifice.
"There is another mentality now."
Cereda would be required to serve in the Swiss armed forces should he remain at home.
"If I'm here, I won't have to do that," he said. "I hope I am here."
With their second pick, 60th overall, the Leafs took 6-3 defenceman Peter Reynolds of Waterloo, Ont., who earned 27 points, including two goals, in 59 games with the OHL London Knights last season.
Toronto did not have a third-round pick. The Leafs had traded it to the Los Angeles Kings in the late-season deal that brought them Yanic Perreault.
The Leafs had two fourth-round picks, 108th and 110th overall. They selected left-winger Mirko Murovic, who had 54 points, including 33 goals, in 69 QMJHL games with Moncton; and defenceman Jonathan Zion, who had 41 points, including eight goals, in 60 OHL games with Ottawa.
In the fifth round, Toronto took 6-3 defenceman Vaclav Zavoral of the Czech Republic.
In the sixth round, Toronto took Czech forward Jan Sochor.
Friday June 25, 1999 Quinn wants answers
If Pat Quinn can take an ugly-duckling kind of team to the final four, maybe he can fix the latest crisis to rock the front-office, too.
But last night the Maple Leafs coach clearly was too upset to throw a lifeline to club president/general manager Ken Dryden.
In fact, he might have been tempted to strangle his boss with it.
Quinn, in Toronto for the National Hockey League Awards, said he was "shocked and disappointed" to learn the Leafs had turfed associate general manager Mike Smith on Wednesday.
CONTRADICTION
While Dryden said during a media conference that his coach had been kept abreast of the Smith negotiations, Quinn said that wasn't true.
"I had one phone call (from Dryden) on Sunday suggesting there might be a problem," Quinn said. "But it was still my understanding this was going to get done. Obviously something went off the rails."
The negotiations fell apart after Smith insisted on reporting to Richard Peddie, CEO of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment Ltd., rather than Dryden.
Smith also wanted to be the club's alternate governor, a position Dryden relishes a lot more than his title as GM.
Quinn had reported directly to Smith since he was hired last summer. Their working relations, he said, "was excellent."
"It's about trust. I use that word a lot because I believe it," Quinn said. "That is a very important word for a player. It's just as important in a vertical organization. I had that with Mike. That worked all year. I had little to do with Ken."
While Quinn was aware that Smith had locked horns with Dryden and assistant general manager Anders Hedberg on many occasions, he since had been told (probably by Peddie or Smith) those problems had been resolved.
"When Ken called me (Wednesday morning about Smith's exit) I told Ken, 'I'm shocked' because I hadn't anticipated or expected this," Quinn said.
"There's a little bit more to this than I know about and I'm trying to find out what it is. A GM normally hires the coach so I have a little apprehension about my own job, too."
Dryden, who sat beside Quinn last night at the NHL awards at the Air Canada Centre, plans to meet with Quinn and the other members of his management team today in Boston, where the club is preparing for the entry draft tomorrow.
"I talked to Pat twice through this," Dryden told The Toronto Sun last night. "I think if you had asked me a few days ago, I would have been surprised, (to find out Smith was leaving), too. We thought we would be able to work this out."
Dryden's challenge, now, is to find a capable GM willing to work within the constraints that Smith found so onerous, and at the same time be acceptable to Quinn.
While Hedberg, former Flames GM Doug Risebrough and player-agent Don Meehan have been mentioned as potential candidates, Quinn himself is clearly the best man for the job.
The problem is, someone has to convince him to take it.
"I came here to coach," Quinn said. "Maybe that's the reason I had so much fun this year. I was one guy up from the players in the room.
LET'S TALK
"In theory it makes sense. (But) I don't know if it's practical. I never had that intention and nobody has asked me to think about it. That's one of those questions like 'Have you stopped beating your wife?' "
Dryden planned to explore the issue further with the coach.
"I talked to Pat again (on Tuesday), and told him the kind of people I've started to put on the list," Dryden said.
"If Pat (is interested,), sure I'd love to talk to him about it."
Wednesday June 23, 1999 Smith out as Leafs' associate GM
The Toronto Maple Leafs parted ways with Mike Smith today, saying they had withdrawn a contract offer to their associate general manager.
Dryden confirmed that he and Smith had had their problems working together, although he said they made the best of it.
"Yes there was a difficult relationship there," Dryden told a news conference. "Those things can happen . . . Difficulties were there but my sense was always 'how I can help overcome those."'
The Leafs said they will begin looking for a general manager immediately. Smith's contract with the NHL club expired this month.
Dryden said he would be "acting GM" but added that he did not expect that would last too long.
Smith joined the Leafs as associate GM on Aug. 17, 1997, after serving as a consultant to several NHL clubs the previous two seasons.
Smith had said he would return to Toronto only if given the general manager's portfolio. Leafs president Ken Dryden has also held the GM's title since joining the club two years ago.
The title of GM was not something he wanted, Dryden said, but something he had held on to because the people he had hired were not yet ready for the task.
Instead it was GM by committee with Smith, assistant general manager Anders Hedberg and Bill Watters, assistant to the president.
Dryden and Smith are both cerebral types, having authored a slew of books between them. But they rarely sat together at games, with Smith opting to sit in the seats during the Leafs playoff ran while Dryden watched from a box.
And in recent days, the gap between them was played out in the media with stories about whether Smith would get sole control of GM duties.
In their first season in the Eastern Conference, the Leafs surprised many by finishing with the third-best record (45-30-7, 97 points). Toronto followed that up in the playoffs by reaching the conference final before losing to Buffalo.
"The decision wasn't easy," said Dryden, who will retain his role as club president. "We have made some progress as a team in the past two years and Mike has done his part, as others have done theirs.
"This past season was exciting, but more than 'a season to remember,' it was for us 'a year to build on,' for we still have a long way to go to become the team we want to be. We're more likely to get there, I believe, if we take another path."
Wednesday June 23, 1999 Domi not going anywhere
A day that began with Thrash talkin' from Tie Domi ended on a conciliatory note from associate general manager Mike Smith.
Domi, the Maple Leafs' truculent winger, was stunned when informed by The Toronto Sun that his name was on the club's unprotected list for Friday's expansion draft. The lists were submitted late Sunday and released yesterday, with Domi's name alongside that of defenceman Yannick Tremblay, the Leaf whom the Atlanta Thrashers intend to take.
"Wow," a flustered, angry Domi said of the perceived slight by Smith. "I have to call my agent (Don Meehan)."
But it turned out Smith had a good reason for not reaching the heart-and-soul Leaf to explain the paper move. Smith's wife, Judy, is having cancer treatments in the Boston area and Smith said he had spent most of the previous 48 hours at the hospital.
"It was my fault Tie wasn't informed and I know it probably bothered him a lot," Smith said. "I just didn't get a chance to call or talk to many people."
That included club president/general manager Ken Dryden. Smith says his threat to leave the organization unless he gets Dryden's GM title is "status quo," at least until they meet in Boston for the expansion and amateur drafts this weekend.
Domi was a lot calmer later yesterday when Smith's family problems were made known and it became apparent the Thrashers were more interested in Tremblay at $400,000 US this year than picking up the bulk of Domi's $7.1-million US deal that goes through 2001-02.
The Thrashers, the NHL's 28th team, will select 26 players, one from every team except Nashville, a 1998-99 expansion team. They must take at least three goaltenders, eight defencemen and 13 forwards.
"I realize it's a business and the Leafs had to protect guys like Mike Johnson, Todd Warriner and Fredrik Modin," Domi said.
But Domi feared leaving Toronto, considering himself a part of the Leafs' rebuilding effort, as well as the designated policeman. He also has a strong community and charity profile.
"I don't think there's a chance in hell I would have gone there (Atlanta) and tried to start all over," Domi said.
Tremblay is an offensive defenceman who fits the attack-oriented team the Thrashers plan to build. He had nine points in 35 games this season, losing his chances of full-time employment when the Leafs traded for Bryan Berard.
The Leafs gave Tremblay, 23, a new contract on Monday, fulfilling the requirement of exposing one signed defenceman. The alternative was exposing veteran Sylvain Cote.
The Leafs also will dangle wingers Derek King and Kris King, but the former is making $1.6 million US and had a poor playoff, while the latter is making close to $1 million US with no scoring touch.
Scanning the other unprotected lists, the Thrashers were intrigued to find Edmonton left winger Rem Murray, a 21-goal scorer. They had been thinking of plucking Edmonton captain Kelly Buchberger.
Thursday June 17, 1999 Smith staying put?
The great Maple Leafs front office title tussle continues, but most signs point to Mike Smith staying with the club.
Smith and club president Ken Dryden were to talk yesterday, presumably about a new contract that would see Smith get his wish to have the associate tag removed from his general manager's title.
During the NHL general manager's meetings in Buffalo on Tuesday, Dryden professed he was "not attached to holding two titles (president and general manager)" and he was ready to discuss a new contract with Smith in that regard. That cleared a major hurdle for Smith, who had vowed not to come back to the Leafs without the full general manager's portfolio.
Dryden and Smith expected a meeting on the contract to have taken place late yesterday, but Smith forewarned a reporter that he would have no comment on its outcome.
Dryden did not return the Toronto Sun's calls yesterday.
Richard Peddie, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd., would not comment directly on the negotiations, referring all questions to Dryden. But Peddie did nothing to dampen the spirit of cooperation between Dryden and Smith that came out of Buffalo.
"I like the direction things are going in," Peddie said. " (General manager) Glen Grunwald gave his presentation on his plans for the Raptors this week and the (MLSEL board) passed it without changes. Ken will make his presentation shortly and I expect it will be the same case. They know their own departments the best."
There were some other moves in the executive offices of MLSEL yesterday, with three vice-presidents promoted to senior positions.
Tom Anselmi, project director for the Air Canada Centre, becomes senior vice-president, business, and will oversee ticketing and service for the Leafs and Raptors. He will also be in charge of retail sales, corporate partnership and marketing services. Bob Hunter, the ACC's general manager, becomes a senior vice-president for the building and the Gardens, with responsibility for food and beverage and management of luxury suites. Ian Clarke moves to senior vice-president of finance and administration.
Saturday June 12, 1999 End may be near for Smith
Mike Smith's fate could be decided as early as next week, but for sure before the June 26 NHL entry draft.
Smith, the Maple Leafs associate general manager, met Thursday with Ken Dryden in New York.
But Dryden, the club's president and GM, said the five-hour meeting was used only to review the Leafs' progress during the past two years.
The two will engage in another round of meetings next week and "that's when we will start" determining Smith's fate, Dryden said.
Smith told The Toronto Sun on June 2 that he will return to the Leafs only if he gains the club's general manager title.
But it's unlikely Dryden will relinquish his GM portfolio to Smith. So unless Smith has a change of heart, he will play out the final 18 days of his two-year contract, in which he has been responsible for the day-to-day operations of player movement.
Dryden, who was in New York to attend a dinner that honoured Islanders legend Mike Bossy, was asked yesterday whether this problem will be solved by the June 26 draft in Boston.
"Oh, I would expect so," Dryden said.
How about by next week?
"I really couldn't say," Dryden said.
Dryden, however, felt the initial meeting went well.
"It was a good meeting," he said. "We wanted to see where we had been over a period of two years and where we are and where we aren't and where we want things to go."
Smith said Thursday that he didn't feel any differently about his future than he did last week when he said, "I will stick to what I told Ken when he hired me. I told him, 'I'm coming here for two years, but then I want to be managing a hockey team somewhere.'
"I'm not saying anything new. I either will be managing here or somewhere else or I will go back to my life on Martha's Vineyard. Ken made no promises two years ago. I'm just telling you what I told him. It's not intended as a threat, that's how I feel."
If Smith departs, don't expect Dryden to replace him. Dryden is ready to take a more active role as the club's GM and assistant GM Anders Hedberg likely will have his duties increased as will as Dryden's assistant, Bill Watters. Leafs coach Pat Quinn also could become more involved in personnel decisions.
Hedberg refused yesterday to comment on whether he was ready for an increased role.
Smith was named Leafs associate GM on Aug. 20, 1997. Dryden earlier tried to hire Dallas GM Bob Gainey, then made serious pitches to Nashville general manager David Poile and Rangers coach John Muckler before settling on Smith.
Friday June 11, 1999 Charges dropped against Bohonos
Assault charges against Toronto Maple Leafs forward Lonny Bohonos have been dropped.
Bohonos apologized for his actions in an incident in a St. John's bar on May 1 which resulted in Bohonos being charged with assaulting then-Fredericton Canadiens coach Michel Therrien.
"I may have misinterpreted Mr. Therrien's comments and I would like to take this opportunity to wish him the best of luck coaching the (AHL) Quebec Citadelles."
At the time, Bohonos was playing for the AHL's St. John's Maple Leafs in a playoff series against Fredericton. He was called up by the NHL Leafs shortly after.
"I accept Mr. Bohonos' apology and now better understand his situation," said Therrien in a statement released by the St. John's Maple Leafs.
"I am relieved for all concerned that this incident is now behind us."
Monday June 7, 1999 Cujo up for Pearson award
Dominik Hasek, Jaromir Jagr, Curtis Joseph Teemu Selanne and Alexei Yashin are the finalists for the Lester B. Pearson Award, given by the NHL Players' Association to the league's most outstanding player.
The winner will be announced on June 24 at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. NHL players vote on the award, which was first presented after the 1970-71 season.
Hasek, who helped the Buffalo Sabres reach the Stanley Cup final with nine shutouts and a 1.87 goals against average this season, has won the award the past two years.
Jagr had 44 goals and a league-best 83 assists for the Pittsburgh Penguins and led the NHL with 127 points; Toronto's Joseph had 35 wins and three shutouts with a career-best 2.56 goals against average; Selanne had 47 goals an 60 assists for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks; and Yashin 44 goals and 50 assists for the Ottawa Senators.
Friday June 4, 1999 Mike wants boss' job
Mike Smith doesn't want to be an associate any more.
The only way Smith will return to the Maple Leafs fold after his contract expires at the end of the month will be if he gains the general manager's title, a position his boss Ken Dryden currently retains.
Smith, named the Leafs associate GM on Aug. 20, 1997, confirmed yesterday that he wants the Leafs' full GM portfolio and title.
"I will stick to what I told Ken when he hired me. I told him 'I'm coming here for two years, but then I want to be managing a hockey team somewhere,' " Smith told The Toronto Sun, following his state-of-the-team address yesterday at the Air Canada Centre.
"I'm not saying anything new. I either will be managing here or somewhere else or I will go back to my life on Martha's Vineyard.
"Ken made me no promises two years ago. I'm just telling you what I told him. It's not intended as a threat, that's how I feel."
However, Dryden, the Leafs president and GM, could interpret Smith's remarks as a threat. Although the decision is solely Dryden's, there has been growing pressure to retain Smith.
It is widely considered that the 53-year-old Smith did a solid job this season. But upon further review, the Leafs' trip to the final four of the Stanley Cup playoffs was a group effort.
Dryden played a big part in signing free-agent goalie Curtis Joseph. Pro scouts Nick Beverley and Joe Yannetti rated winger Steve Thomas high on their list of potential free agents before he was signed by Toronto last July.
Smith did sign unheralded Garry Valk last summer and acquired defenceman Bryan Berard in a trade for unhappy goalie Felix Potvin. He also dealt for defenceman Chris McAllister late in the season and faceoff specialist Yanic Perreault at the trade deadline.
But it should be pointed out that Smith turned down a trade with Florida that would have brought defenceman Rhett Warrener and centre Rob Niedermayer in exchange for Potvin. Although the Leafs brass continues to say Berard has tremendous upside, Warrener, now with the Sabres, was a physical force against Toronto in the Eastern Conference final.
Both Smith and Dryden yesterday were vague about whether their differences could be worked out.
"We need to talk, we need a chance to talk about the past and the future," Dryden said. "We haven't set up a meeting at this point. But it won't be too long."
Smith's two-year contract expires in 27 days.
Dryden and Smith don't have a strong relationship.
"I had never met Ken Dryden until the day before I started working here and I had a working relationship with him for two years," is all Smith would say when asked about his relationship with Dryden.
Dryden would not reveal his gut feeling on whether the two could resolve their differences.
Smith, however, did hint he would like to stay. He called Toronto a "world-class city" and alluded to the loyalty he displayed to Winnipeg during his 14 years with the Jets despite an offer to move.
Smith said he hasn't been contacted by any other NHL teams about a job for next season.
Tuesday June 1, 1999 Next season brings great expectations
The trouble with Cinderella seasons is that instead of the fairy tale -- where everyone lives happily ever after -- you raise fan expectations for next year.
"There are lots of cautionary tales around about teams making big strides one year and having a hard time the next year," Maple Leafs president Ken Dryden said last night after his team was eliminated by Buffalo. "A few of them from last year didn't make the playoffs this year."
The hope, among the Leafs brass, is that there was more substance to this club than, say, the Los Angeles Kings, of a year ago.
For starters, Toronto a borderline superstar in Mats Sundin, and Curtis Joseph in goal.
"One of the great things about winning is losing feels worse," Dryden, the Leafs philosopher king, said. "You get a taste of what winning feels like and you don't want it to stop.
"We knew we were going to be better but who knew we were going to lead the league in scoring? That's one of the things we'll take into next season. The other is the Philly series -- when we couldn't score and took the pounding and hung in there."
The Leafs then disposed of Pittsburgh in Round 2 after spotting the Penguins a 2-1 series lead.
"We had some significant injuries ... not many teams could have handled losing as many centres in the playoffs as we did," Dryden said, referring to Igor Korolev (broken leg), Alyn McCauley (concussion) and Todd Warriner (charley horse).
"We had a strong enough core of players that we could bring in Kevyn Adams and Adam Mair and not have to ask too much of them.
"There were an awful lot of players at the start of this year who were big, big question marks and I think because of the year we had, a lot of those question marks have disappeared."
While Dryden's plate was full this season with the closing of the Gardens and the opening of the Air Canada Centre, he felt fresh when the post-season started.
"I was surprised that the playoffs upstairs felt like the playoffs in the goal crease," the Hall of Famer said. "It was agonizing but it felt great.
"I remember on the Sunday after the regular season ended you felt like you were 100 years old. But the next morning you felt like 20 because the playoffs were starting. It was very energizing."
Tuesday June 1, 1999 Sabres end Leafs' run
Watch that second-last step up the Stanley Cup staircase, it's a doozy.
The Maple Leafs last night stumbled on it for the third time in six years, bringing down their hopes -- and those of a hockey-mad city -- for Toronto's first Cup since 1967.
The Buffalo Sabres, who figured largely in both of Toronto's three-game losing streaks this season, won the Eastern Conference final with a 4-2 win last night, taking the series in five and moving to their first final since 1975.
They will face the winner of the Western final between Colorado and Dallas.
"It's hard now, but we have to remember this feeling," winger Garry Valk said in a sombre Leafs dressing room. "Buffalo was in this position last year and learned from it. There are a a lot of positives we can take into next year."
For the Leafs, an amazing rebound that featured a 28-point regular-season jump and post-season triumphs over the Flyers and Penguins, ran out of gas about 90 minutes before the calendar flipped to Stanley's magic month of June.
Their trademark resiliency, which kept them from the downward spiral that had dogged this franchise since the spring of 1994, surfaced in only dribs and drabs in this series.
The Leafs' league-leading offence, a product of new coach Pat Quinn's positive influences, never got rolling against the superb-checking Sabres. Goalie Curtis Joseph had a rough series by his standards as the Leafs gave up a club-record 24 goals for a five-game series, nine in the last two games.
"Curtis has been a rock all year," Quinn said. "He was determined all series, but we weren't as good as we needed to be.
"(Next year) I think we need to be a team that pays a bit more attention to the defensive game. That'll be something that we start working on right from the start."
Buffalo, not man for man better than the Leafs but certainly more focused, made them pay for not winning when Dominik Hasek was out with an injury in Game 1 and for a horrendous Game 4. Last night, the Sabres easily survived the anticipated Leafs emotional burst when the puck was dropped and overcame two one-goal deficits. They produced a typically Sabre-style winning goal by Erik Rasmussen with 8:25 to play, cutting off a clearing attempt, then beating a defenceman to bury a rebound on a tough backhander.
"They were 20 guys who came at you in waves," winger Steve Thomas said of Buffalo. "I've never seen a guy such as Geoff Sanderson play that well in my life. But it was a good learning experience for us. This was the most fun I've ever had in my career."
The future of the Leafs as the millennium approaches looks bright, with youth a growing force on the club, a Vezina-calibre goaltender in Joseph and Mats Sundin maturing with each season into the role of captain. Sundin's 16 points in 17 games was indicative of his hungry play as the playoffs progressed.
Quinn gave Fredrik Modin and Derek King the second chance they wanted in what became the last night of the Leafs season, sitting Lonny Bohonos and Adam Mair. But neither forward provided the big game the team needed.
"I can't really say much now because we just lost a game, but I'll evaluate things in a few days," Modin said of his future. "I experienced playoffs for the first time in my career and that's a positive."
Steve Sullivan, granted a new life under Quinn, opened the scoring on the power play and Kris King made it 2-1 midway through the second. But six other power plays went awry for Toronto, including an Alexei Zhitnik minor with 2:39 to play.
Curtis Brown, Vaclav Varada, Rasmussen and Dixon Ward scored for the Sabres, the latter in an empty net.
"We had a good year, but we aren't satisfied," Toronto defenceman Bryan Berard said. "I think we'll be back."