When Brian Burke opted to rip apart the face of the U.S. Olympic hockey team for the Vancouver winter games, the whining from the critics could be heard from Pittsburgh to Portland.
No Mike Modano. Or Keith Tkachuk. Or Doug Weight. All players who had formed the foundation of the American squad dating back to 1998 in Nagano.
How could Team USA possibly be competitive this time around without the presence of that veteran core, the skeptics argued?
Burke ignored the naysayers. He went for younger players. Hungrier players. Faster players.
And Sunday, the new-looked Americans, the team that supposedly was too inexperienced, too raw, too green, will play in the gold medal game. At worst, Team USA will go home will a silver, which is the best Modano and Co. could accomplish during their reign in red-white-and-blue at the Winter Games.
In the end, whether the Americans win Sunday or not, Burke’s Olympic makeover must be considered successful.
Which brings us to his beloved Maple Leafs.
Believe it or not, Burke, broom in hand, is trying to do the same type of housecleaning with his NHL squad that he admirably completed with Team USA.
Once the final horn has sounded and the medals — whatever colour they might be — are dangling around the necks of his American players, Burke and his right-hand man, Dave Nonis, will turn their attention to resuming their facelift of a Toronto franchise that has not hoisted a Stanley Cup since 1967. With the NHL’s roster freeze lifted at the conclusion of the Olympics Sunday, Burke has vowed to be “busy” as the clock clicks down to the league’s March 3 trade deadline.
Burke wants to bring the average age of his Leafs down while bringing its intensity up. He wants to change the culture both inside the dressing room and out on the ice.
To this point, he has partially accomplished that, bringing in the likes of Tyler Bozak from the college ranks and acquiring Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf in blockbuster deals. In the process, thirty-somethings Niklas Hagman, Jason Blake, Jamal Mayers and Vesa Toskala were sent packing.
Burke also traded for veteran J-S Giguere, whose leadership already is evident behind closed doors, according to the coaching staff.
While the argument that two first rounders and a second-round pick was too much to give up for Kessel is legit, Phaneuf’s positive impact on his teammates has been quite pleasing for management.
Friday, for example, the Leafs held a 3-on-3 game to break up the monotony of Olympic break practices. Throughout the contest and subsequent stretching exercises, Phaneuf was the vocal leader, consistently encouraging and prodding the other players.
“That’s part of my game,” said Phaneuf. “I’m a vocal guy. I don’t mean any disrespect or want to step on anyone’s toes but, at the same time, it’s the way I play.
“Guys have been great here. Today was a lot of fun.”
When Burke took over as Leafs president on Nov. 29, 2008, his team defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2. Today, only nine of the 20 players who dressed that night are still with the organization.
If Burke has his way, that number will dwindle even further by the time Wednesday’s trade deadline arrives. He can only hope the facelift of his Leafs proves to be as successful as that of Team USA.
mike.zeisberger@sunmedia.ca
