Monday June 29, 1998 Review of the 1998 Entry Draft
Round Pick Name Position League
1 10 Nikolai Antropov Left Wing Russia
2 35 Petr Svoboda Defenseman Czech Republic
3 69 Jamie Hodson Goalie OHL
4 87 Alexei Ponkardovsky Winger Russia
5 126 Morgan Warren Right Wing QMJHL
6 154 Allan Rourke Defenseman OHL
7 181 Jonathon Gagnon Center QMJHL
8 215 Dwight Wolfe Defenseman QMJHL
8 228 Mihail Travnicek Winger Czech Republic
9 236 Sergei Rostov Defenseman N/A
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Friday June 26, 1998 Quinn gets Maple Leafs job
TORONTO -- Pat Quinn has been the No. 1 candidate for the Toronto Maple Leafs' coaching job since Mike Murphy was fired earlier this week -- some say the only candidate.
On Friday, he got the job. The NHL club called a morning news conference to make the announcement.
The Globe and Mail said the two parties discussed money and division of power on Thursday, and only last-second hitches in these issues stood in the way of Quinn's hiring.
The newspaper said Leafs president Ken Dryden negotiated by cellphone during the NHL's awards banquet with Quinn, who was secluded in a Toronto hotel.
Quinn, 55, still has $1.2 million owed to him from his contract with the Vancouver Canucks, who fired him from the general manager's post last November. He would be paid the difference between that figure and his salary as a head coach for another organization.
He was president, GM and head coach of the Canucks when they made it to the Stanley Cup final in 1994. Quinn has a 357-285-102 coaching record in the NHL.
Thursday June 25, 1998 Leafs close to hiring Quinn
TORONTO -- The Toronto Maple Leafs could name Pat Quinn as the team's new head coach as early as Thursday, the Toronto Star reported.
The newspaper reported in Thursday's editions that Quinn flew to Toronto on Wednesday for discussions with the NHL team.
Quinn, 55, was fired from his post as president and general manager of the Vancouver Canucks early last season.
The Star reported that money is still the sticking point between Quinn and the Maple Leafs. He is still due $1.2 million for the 1998-99 season from his contract with the Canucks.
Former coach Mike Murphy was fired by the Maple Leafs on Tuesday.
Thursday June 25, 1998 Tiger Williams pleads guilty to assault
BURNABY, British Columbia -- Retired hockey enforcer Dave "Tiger" Williams, who had his greatest success with the Toronto Maple Leafs, pleaded guilty Wednesday to assault.
The incident occurred last year following an old-timers hockey game in which Williams played. The longtime NHL player was fined $300 and put on probation for a year.
He was ordered to take any anger management training suggested by his probation officer.
Williams, who now lives in the Vancouver area, and another player scuffled outside the rink following an on-ice confrontation during the game. The man said Williams punched him in the eye and he later needed four stitches.
Williams, who also played for Vancouver, Los Angeles and Hartford, said the man's wife intervened by swinging a hockey stick and hitting her husband.
Ill feelings at the game started after the man charged a small 62-year-old member of his team, Williams told the court.
Tuesday June 23, 1998 Murphy's law: If Leafs can fire you, they will
TORONTO -- After an agonizing, two-month review of his performance, Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Murphy was finally fired Tuesday.
"We did some good things, but in the end we didn't make it," Leafs president and general manager Ken Dryden said. "We have to get better."
Dryden said he hopes to have a coach in place for Saturday's draft, but wouldn't discuss specific names.
Pat Quinn was seen as a top candidate after meeting with Dryden over the weekend, but was noncommital when reached at his home in Vancouver on Tuesday.
"I don't think I can verify anything for you," Quinn said.
Dryden said he had met with Quinn, but said nothing had been finalized in terms of a replacement for Murphy.
Dryden has also talked to Terry Murray, who was hired by the Florida Panthers last weekend, and considered former Colorado coach Marc Crawford. The steep compensation due to the Avalanche -- a first-round draft choice and cash from a successful team -- cooled the Leafs' interest in him.
"I never thought this would happen until this morning when I talked to Ken," Murphy said during his own news conference Tuesday. "I always thought there would be light at the end of the tunnel. That's one of the reasons I didn't say anything. I didn't want to hurt my chances of coming back."
Murphy, who had one year remaining on his contract, acknowledged the protracted review was trying. "It's been a difficult time for the last four weeks and I'm kind of glad its over."
He had kind words for Dryden.
"I think Ken Dryden is a very fair and very nice man. I like Ken Dryden. He really cares, he wants to make the Leafs better.
"I hope the team gets a lot better, and quickly."
He said he has no jobs lined up, and admitted some opportunities have passed him by while the uncertainty over his status lingered.
He described the Leafs as a hard-working team in need of more first-line players.
"More young players are needed and more better players are needed. When those holes are filled, this will be a pretty good team."
Murphy, 47, didn't get the Leafs into the playoffs in either of his two seasons in charge. His team was 30-43-9 in 1997-98 and 30-44-8 in 1996-97.
Dryden said Murphy was hard-working and dedicated and said he enjoyed working with him.
"I do regret how this vigil played itself out for Mike and for his family," Dryden said. "I wanted to see who else might be available. That really is what has been going on for the last six, eight weeks or so."
Murphy was an assistant with the Leafs from 1991 to 1994 and with the New York Rangers in 1995 and 1996. He was named coach of the Leafs on July 3, 1996.
Monday June 22, 1998 Leafs out of the running for Crawford
The Maple Leafs, who still have Mike Murphy as their head coach, reportedly have taken themselves out of the Marc Crawford sweepstakes.
"We decided that it would be too expensive," Maple Leafs associate general manager Mike Smith said Sunday.
Friday June 19, 1998 Fans to pay more to see Leafs:
Ticket prices to be hiked with move to new stadium
The Toronto Maple Leafs, finally, are first at something - finding new ways of raising prices.
The club that hasn't made the playoffs the past two years announced yesterday fans are going to have to pay more to watch the same old team when it moves to a brand new stadium next February.
On top of that, the Leafs will be the first club in the National Hockey League to charge a $15,000 ``licence fee'' for the best seats in the house - 1,500 Platinum Club seats in the first nine rows circling the ice.
As well as the one-time licence fee, Platinum Club members will also have to pay a $2,500 annual membership before they can get around to buying the actual tickets - which will be up to $4,380 for a 42-game schedule.
Prices for the 17,800 other hockey seats in the new Air Canada Centre going up at the foot of Bay St. will also be higher than the comparable seat at Maple Leaf Gardens.
And, thanks to a new decorating scheme, the grays will disappear to make way for - the purples.
The good news is that price increases for the cheaper seats have been limited to about 10 per cent, meaning a $22 gray at the Gardens becomes a $24 purple at ``the Hangar.''
Even better news is that the average purple seat will be three metres closer to the ice, more comfortable - some seven centimetres wider - and provide more legroom.
Mike Seiden, a Toronto accountant who's had season tickets for 20 years in the grays, appreciates the effort.
He plans to invest in a couple of purples at the new arena and isn't bothered by the extra $2 per seat per game - he's just relieved he won't have to pay for personal seat licences.
``I think (owner Steve Stavros) has been fair,'' Seiden said.
``He's assuming that corporations can buy the expensive seats with the PSLs and write a lot of it off to taxes.
``That's good for the working guys.''
Fans, Seiden said, will get more bang for their buck next season because the Leafs are moving to the Northeast division, which will mean several teams will be appearing in Toronto more often.
``We'll see Montreal and Buffalo more often and Ottawa is becoming a powerhouse.''
The additional revenue, said Leafs general manager Ken Dryden, is badly needed to help the team compete with the mighty U.S. dollar, which yesterday closed at $1.47.
``If we didn't have 1,500 seat licences, everyone else in the building would be paying more.''
``This helps us considerably,'' Dryden said.
``Our budget this year (98-99) will be significantly higher.''
Some of the extra money will help pay the cost of building the new stadium, which had a $250-million price tag before hockey's belated move forced designers to make $33 million in renovations.
The club expects to raise about $22.5 million through seat licences.
The Raptors, which have already sold about 4,000 of the licences at $8,000 each, have used the method to raise some $32 million.
Last year, the Leafs' budget was about $33 million, in the bottom half of the NHL. And yet, Leafs ticket prices remain in the bottom one-quarter of the NHL's prices, Dryden said.
The Leafs will open a special office to look after people transfering seats and no one will be asked to pay for the new ones until they've had a chance to see where they're located.
Friday June 19, 1998 Murray talking with Dryden
Former Flyers coach Terry Murray is in high demand these days, including the Maple Leafs.
Murray met this week with Maple Leafs president Ken Dryden to interview for the head coaching position that hasn't been vacated by Mike Murphy. Yet.
Thursday June 18, 1998 Leafs take on Habs in Air Canada opener
The Toronto Maple Leafs will play the Montreal Canadiens in the first hockey game at the Air Canada Centre on Feb. 20, 1999, the NHL team said Wednesday.
The Toronto Raptors will face the Vancouver Grizzlies the next day, in the arena's first basketball game. The Maple Leafs will play their final game at Maple Leaf Gardens, the NHL's oldest building, on Feb. 13, 1999, against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Friday June 5, 1998 Leafs to institute play-for-pay bonuses
TORONTO -- It may sound more communistic than capitalistic, but the Toronto Maple Leafs exploring ways to tie team success with incentive bonuses. The play-for-pay method has been tossed about in different sports as a way to cut down on undeserving players pulling in unwarranted millions, but it has yet to really take hold.
"If we win three games in a row, there's a bonus," BIll Watters told the Toronto Sun. "If we get a shutout, there's a bonus. If we give up only one goal..."
Watters, executive assistant to president Ken Dryden, also said all players will be entitled to the same bonuses for winning season-end awards. For example, all players -- from Sergei Berezin to Mats Sundin -- would be eligible for the same bonus for winning the MVP award.
Wednesday June 3, 1998 Leafs re-sign Smith, Dempsey
Defenseman Jason Smith, who established career highs in goals, assists, points and games played this season, agreed to terms on a new multi-year contract.
Smith recorded three goals and 13 assists in 81 games in 1997-98, his first full season with Toronto. He also ranked fourth on the team with 100 penalty minutes, and was an even or plus in 50 contests.
The Leafs also re-signed right wing/defenseman Nathan Dempsey, who totaled 12 goals and 16 assists in 68 games with St. John's of the American Hockey League last season. He appeared in 14 games with Toronto in 1996-97, collecting a goal and an assist.
Wednesday June 3, 1998 Gardens to have a new tenant?
The St. Michael's Majors of the Ontario Hockey League hope to move into Maple Leaf Gardens once the Maple Leafs vacate the building for the Air Canada Centre next February, according to the Toronto Sun.
But Majors director of hockey operations Reg Quinn said that no sale of the OHL team to the NHL team is imminent.
"The team is not being sold to the Maple Leafs under any circumstances," Quinn said. "Yes, we are trying to make an arrangement with the Leafs that would allow us to use the Gardens as a tenant. "But the agreement would not, in any way, shape or form, involve a sale of the team to the Leafs."
Monday June 1, 1998 Kypreos: We need to respect each other
If NHL players were to start showing respect for each other as human beings there would be fewer concussions in the NHL, Maple Leafs winger Nick Kypreos said.
Kypreos, whose 1997-98 season was washed out after he suffered a concussion during a fight in an exhibition game last September, was speaking at a hockey concussion prevention meeting at the Toronto General Hospital.
"The No. 1 focal point is that we have to bring back the respect level," said Kypreos. "You know, when we first break into the NHL, we're told right away: 'Don't show (your opponents) any respect.'"
Sunday May 31, 1998 Toronto coaching situation unclear
TORONTO -- Mike Murphy is almost definitely sort of not really coming back, but it is certain that it is doubtful he won't be leaving or coming back, but might not be fired.
Confused? Now you know how Murphy feels.
Toronto Maple Leafs GM Ken Dryden admits Murphy is "dangling in the wind, " but such is life.
"People dangle in the wind until (a review) happens," Dryden said Friday in an interview on The Fan radio station. "That's pretty unpleasant for everybody, Mike included....
"It is unfortunate. Unfair? Maybe it is, I'm not sure."
Murphy has one year left on a three-year contract. Marc Crawford, who recently parted ways with Colorado also has one year left at $800,000 on his contract, which is worth about three times as much as Murphy's. There is widespread rumors that Dryden may make a pitch for Crawford, a pitch that would also result in the Leafs forfeiting a draft pick to Colorado.
Also likely candidates in Toronto are Terry Murray, Craig Hartsburg and Ted Nolan, with a darkhorse group with names such as Terry Crisp, Andy Murray and Bill Stewart.
Crawford, a native of Belleville, Ontario, is still thought to consider Toronto the NHL's dream job as he did in a 1996 interview with the Denver Post.
"One day I'd love to coach the Maple Leafs," Crawford said at the height of his success with the Avalanche. "That's a team I grew up idolizing as a kid and it's no different than a great baseball coach wanting one day to coach the Yankees."
Friday May 29, 1998 Crawford eyeing Toronto
DENVER -- Marc Crawford once stated in an interview that coaching the Toronto Maple Leafs would be his dream job. He's one step closer to getting that opportunity.
Crawford, who led the Colorado Avalanche to a Stanley Cup title just two years ago, stunned the team Wednesday, turning down general manager Pierre Lacroix's offer of a one-year contract extension to "pursue whatever opportunities there may be for me."
By walking away from an NHL job worth almost $2 million, Crawford leaves the Avalanche with a coaching void. Assistants Joel Quenneville and Jacques Martin departed in the last 2� years for coaching jobs with St. Louis and Ottawa, respectively.
Bob Hartley, coach of the Avalanche's top farm team, the Hershey Bears, is the acknowledged front-runner to succeed Crawford.
"I wouldn't say he's a slam dunk," Lacroix said Wednesday, "but I would say he deserves good consideration. He's been with the organization over five years and he has a winning track record."
Hartley, 37, led the Bears to the American Hockey League championship in 1997.
If Lacroix looks beyond Hartley, other candidates are expected to include former Buffalo Sabres coach Ted Nolan, former New Jersey Devils coach Jacques Lemaire, and Detroit Red Wings assistants Dave Lewis and Barry Smith.
Lacroix did not reveal a timetable for replacing Crawford. The NHL entry draft is June 27, but Lacroix apparently has no mandate to have a coach in place by then. He hired Crawford on July 6, 1994 -- after the draft that year.
Of more immediate concern is resolution of Crawford's contract with Colorado, which has a year remaining and would pay him $800,000.
Until that deal is terminated, any team contacting Crawford about a future job would be guilty of tampering. The Avalanche might also demand compensation from any team signing Crawford.
Crawford, who called the Maple Leafs "the team I grew up idolizing as a kid," does not have a job waiting for him in Toronto. Mike Murphy remains the Maple Leafs' coach, but president Ken Dryden is expected to make a decision on his status in the next two weeks.
The only current NHL coaching vacancy is in Chicago, where Craig Hartsburg was fired a month ago. Florida general manager Bryan Murray, who took over as Panthers coach at midseason for the fired Doug MacLean, is also interviewing coaching candidates.
Crawford, 37, considered one of hockey's brightest young coaches, insisted the Toronto job did not influence his decision to leave Colorado, but said he expects to be coaching next year.
Calling it the most difficult decision he has ever faced, Crawford said he opted to forego the final year of his contract so he could explore challenges elsewhere.
"It's not a decision about money. It's not a decision about stature," Crawford said. "It has come down to that fundamental question, 'Do I want to be here? Do I think I should be here?' Unfortunately, I came to the conclusion that, no, I think that it's time to move on."
Crawford, who won the 1996 Stanley Cup in his second season as an NHL coach, compiled a 165-88-41 record in four years with Colorado, including a 31-21 mark in the playoffs.
His team made a quick exit from the playoffs this year, however, losing to Edmonton in the first round. Lacroix then announced he would "let the dust settle" before launching a sweeping re-evaluation of the team, including Crawford's status.
Three weeks later, Lacroix made his offer to Crawford, which was rejected.
Some critics suggested Lacroix erred by refusing to give Crawford a vote of confidence after the season, leaving him to twist in the wind, then offered him a lukewarm deal to remain.
"After that press conference three weeks ago, I had a gut feeling this would happen," Avs captain Joe Sakic said. "It's too bad. He's a great guy, a great coach. He's definitely the best I've ever played for."
Friday May 29, 1998 Leafs close to netting Robitaille
Goaltender Marc Robitaille is close to becoming a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, according to the Ottawa Sun.
Robitaille, who has spent the last two seasons at Northeastern University, has drawn interest from the Leafs and is expected to sign once he passes the club's physical. Robitaille, 21, was 21-15-3 record and a 3.19 goals-against average with the Huskies last season.
"He's very consistent and can come up with the big save that keeps the team in the game," said Huskies coach Bruce Crowder.
Tuesday May 26, 1998 Crawford whispers getting louder
Despite the fact Marc Crawford is still officially the coach of the Avalanche and Mike Murphy is still the coach of the Maple Leafs, rumors out of both cities suggest Crawford may be in line to become the next coach in Toronto.
The Denver Post suggests that Crawford won't be back next season and that the two teams most intertested in his services are the Leafs and the Blackhawks. Crawford is entering the final year of his contract in Colorado and has yet to hear from general manager Pierre Lacroix, who is on vacation.
Tuesday May 26, 1998 Canadian hockey teams cry foul
TORONTO -- These are not the best of times for Canada's national sport. Not a single Canadian team reached the semifinals of the Stanley Cup, professional hockey's top prize. Canada has not brought home the cup, which goes to the winner of the National Hockey League championship, since the Montreal Canadiens won it in 1993.
Internationally the country has fared little better. The Olympic hockey team, the brightest collection of stars the country could assemble, finished fourth in the Nagano Olympics, losing to the Czech Republic and Finland. Canada did not even reach the medal round in the recent world championships.
While most Canadians acknowledge that Europeans and Americans are getting better at the sport they once dominated, the heads of Canada's six National Hockey League franchises have a different explanation: unfair competition.
In one of the more entertaining shows to come to Canada's parliament recently, the leaders of the hockey establishment told MPs last month that the problems facing hockey in Canada are just like those of the aerospace and other high technology industries.
"We suffer a competitive disadvantage," says Rod Bryden, president of the Ottawa Senators. "Hockey is now a global industry, where cities compete with unfair subsidies to attract the best franchises and players from around the world. Unless Canada provides a level playing field for its hockey teams, they will not likely survive."
Ken Dryden, former star goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens, who won the Stanley Cup six times during the 1970s, is president of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He says the six teams suffer the common handicap of a weak dollar and high taxes. This has brought several franchises to the brink of bankruptcy.
Two cities, Winnipeg and Quebec, have already lost their teams to the U.S. The Edmonton Oilers almost left this spring for Houston before they were rescued by local investors. To the casual fan the biggest problem appears to be the exorbitant salaries earned by NHL stars. The Calgary Flames, for example, had a total payroll of $4 million in 1989 when they won the Stanley Cup; today the figure is $17.8 million. Even that is near the bottom of the league, which is where the Flames have finished in recent years.
The clubs cite two other problems. The first is the exchange rate of the Canadian dollar, which remains below 70 U.S. cents while players' salaries must be paid in U.S. currency. Montreal president Ronald Corey says that whenever the dollar loses a penny, it costs his team $210,000. The league has instituted a Canadian currency equalization plan, under which U.S. teams contribute about $1.7 million annually to each of their beleaguered Canadian brethren.
The second problem is taxes. The six Canadian teams paid around $3 million in property and capital taxes last year compared with the equivalent of about $2.8 million for all 20 U.S. clubs combined. Thirteen American teams paid no taxes at all.
U.S. cities, eager for the prestige that comes with luring a professional sports franchise, have built arenas and offered unlikely places as Florida and Nashville, Tenn. If hockey were covered under the North American Free Trade Agreement, quips parliamentary opposition leader Preston Manning, Canada could probably launch a successful dispute case against unfair U.S. subsidies.
Despite Canadians' love of hockey, the plea for government largesse seems unlikely to win much sympathy from fans who see too many of the stars as overpaid moaners and too many clubs as badly managed. But the owners missed no opportunity to curry sympathy by tugging at the fragile Canadian sense of identity.
Calgary president Harley Hotchkiss grows misty-eyed recounting his childhood in rural Alberta, skating on frozen farm ponds using his boots as goalposts, and huddling around the radio to listen to broadcasts of the Maple Leafs' games.
"Hockey is a unique common bond that helps to identify us and keep us together as Canadians," he says. "It deserves whatever governments can do to save it."
Wednesday May 20, 1998 Gartner back for one final run?
Mike Gartner told the Arizona Republic earlier this week that he was contemplating retirement and definitely won't play for the Coyotes, but he would listen to an offer from his former team, the Maple Leafs.
The 38-year-old, who sits fifth in NHL career goals, is planning to move back to his Toronto-area home.
"If I were leaning one way, it would be just to (retire)," said Gartner. "But I'm also leaving the possibilities open. I know I still have some hockey left in me."
NEWS OF MAPLE LEAFS