Dave Nonis addresses reporters at the news conference announcing his appointment as the new general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday. (VERONICA HENRI/QMI Agency)
TORONTO - So, we’re led to believe that Brian Burke was canned as GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs because the board decided — four days before the start of training camp — that it was time to make a move.
And that the move was made after the MLSE board spent months evaluating the long-term direction of the club. Please.
MLSE president and COO Tom Anselmi sat in the Air Canada Centre media room on Wednesday afternoon feeding that crap to the press like a trainer at Marineland tossing sardines to a herd of trained seals.
Anselmi is a nice man and an able administrator, but clearly something is going on behind the scenes in Leafs Land. The move, at this particular time, simply does not pass the smell test.
First off, it seems highly unlikely that Burke, a man with an ego to match his fiery temper, would accept the professional sports version of the Irving G. Thalberg Award: A senior advisory gig.
