Analysis: Maurice firing came three months too late
Paul Maurice had a 76-66-22 record over two seasons with the Leafs. (Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)
Adam Proteau
2008-05-07 12:11:38
From the moment John Ferguson was fired in late January as GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs, head coach Paul Maurice was a dead man walking.
So why did it take nearly four months for the coroner to show up and declare him a goner?
According to Leafs interim GM Cliff Fletcher, it was all about timing – specifically, the chance to give Maurice and now-former Toronto assistant coach Randy Ladouceur the chance to find another job as early as possible.
But that’s not the timing Fletcher should’ve been concerned with.
For the record, the affable Maurice was officially shown the door Wednesday morning. However, the noose had been fashioned for him long before then.
He’d only held the job for a year-and-a-half when Ferguson was dismissed, but it was clear to many NHL observers that whomever replaced Fletcher would want his own candidate behind Toronto’s bench, thus leaving Maurice on borrowed time.
“I think it was obvious that new management would want new coaching,” Fletcher said at a news conference announcing Maurice’s dismissal.
My question is, if it was obvious today new management would want new coaching, why wasn’t it obvious the moment Fletcher took over from Ferguson?
What the Leafs should’ve done then was cleared out both the GM and coaching positions at the same time and installed an interim coach alongside Fletcher whose strings management could easily pull with an eye toward improving the franchise long-term.
Instead, by leaving Maurice in charge for the remainder of the season, they created a situation where he was coaching to hang onto his job – hence his insane insistence of playing goalie Vesa Toskala for 30 straight games before Toronto was eliminated from playoff contention – rather than doing the smart thing and positioning the team for a better draft slot.
Now, rather than drafting in the top five of a deep draft, the Leafs will choose seventh overall, and Maurice is gone anyway. It’s small moves like this that add up to the reason why Toronto has been pining for a Stanley Cup championship for the last 41 years.
But that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill for churning out scenarios that grow more fantastic by the minute. The latest gossip at the press conference had Leafs ownership asking permission to speak with former Vancouver GM Dave Nonis for the position.
Nonis carries none of the qualifications (i.e. being a proven winner in the position) the Leafs have said they’re looking for, but the whispers were that Nonis would hold onto the position for a single year and then hand over the reins to Ducks GM Brian Burke after his contract expires at the end of next season.
So, if you’re following, Nonis plays babysitter for his good friend and mentor Burke, then nobly steps aside so the real architect could step in and get his plan up and running. Any more twists and turns in this tale and Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment will be dropping down breadcrumbs to counter the convolution.
It also sounds a whole lot to me like the Leafs would be “spinning their wheels in sand,” contrary to Fletcher’s insistence Wednesday, under such a plan.
Enough of that talk for now. Today’s story is about Maurice. Don’t shed a tear for him, as he’ll land on his feet with relative ease either with another NHL team or as a TV analyst.
Save those tears for a Leafs franchise and fan base that has a lot of rebuilding – and probably another coaching change or two – in the cards before they ever get close to hockey’s holiest of grails.
Bruce (Posted 2008-05-08 16:48:39)
"As the Leafs Turn" is not a soap opera that I spend my time watching, but since it is the NHL media's (ahem, Toronto's NHL media's...) favorite topic, here we go again. First of all, suggesting that Maurice should have tanked to get a better draft pick is really beyond responding to. Not only is it reprehensible on its face, but its absurd. Nobody gets better by losing. One draft pick is not going to turn a franchise around whose problems are so entrenched that the ownership and the media has no idea what to do other than to fire people on a biannual basis. A few months ago it was all about why core players like Tucker and Sundin wouldn't break their no trade clauses, today it is why the Leafs didn't clean house (again) more thoroughly and earlier. Breaking things is easy, it comes from a lack of patience. Building things is much harder because it takes not only patience, but a plan. As long as the ownership, media and fans surrounding the Leafs organization keeps smashing their toys like frustrated children, they're going to keep getting the same results no matter how many players. coaches, and GMs they trade, waive, fire or hire.
Riley (Posted 2008-05-08 14:32:29)
Why is Maurice getting a free ride? When Quinn was coach there were numerous knocks on him, overly loyal to veterans, not a tactician, not alot of systems in place. When I heard Maurice was hired, while sad to see Quinn go, I expected the new look leafs to improve in their preparedness for games. I thought they were short on talent, but I fully expected them to not be outworked by their opponents, to play sound defensively and to play within systems of this new coach. One can knock JFJ for the talent level on this team, but in the past two years I have been astounded by the inconsistency, lack of work ethic and poor team defense (Brian McCabe aside) that the leafs have displayed. Maurice sure seems classy, presents well in the media, but while some say he didnt have the horses, I think he could have alot more with what he had. Futhermore, his loyalty to his veterans seems to be on par with Quinns, except that Quinn got his veterans to play well enough to get to the playoffs.
Peter Riley (Posted 2008-05-08 14:11:18)
1) It is NOT utter nonsense. If that was the case then any team unloading players at the deadline would be accused of bad sportamanship, however that action is very much a fabric of how the NHL operates, AND makes trade deadline day one of the most compelling times of the season. A logical extension is to play Raycroft and see if he can put a decent string together to increase his marketability, play the kids more to give them valuable experience, bring pogge up for a few starts, etc.
2) How is Maurice, playing to save his job considered good sportsmanship. If he tanked games he would be fired, if he tried really hard and just missed the playoffs, he would be fired, if he made the playoffs, he might be able to keep his job. His behavior was not about sportsmanship, it was about self preservation.
Bernard Davidoff (Posted 2008-05-08 13:31:24)
You do not play to lose at any level. Do you tell your team to throw the game in order to achieve a higher pick? Do players now forgo all their training and not compete?
Do you tell the ticket buying public that the games don't count because we no longer want to win.
Do you fire Maurice and bring in a new coach and tell him to lose?
What utter nonsense.
Doug (Posted 2008-05-08 12:56:58)
Proteau, you should be the All World G.M., with you superior insights. I am not now, nor ever been a Leafs fan but I wish to acknowledge , that despite the turmoil Maurice had to endure he still had a winning record. Let's face facts, Cliff fletcher is Yesterdays man and it is sad that Today's coach was let go for this. Leaf hierarchy, Get Real and find another Maurice and a G.M. with the same ideals and you shall suceed. If Not, be prepared for Cliff Fletcher's insight, which by the way, has accomplished nothing in the last two decades
Rob Carter (Posted 2008-05-08 12:10:54)
Brian - nice attitude. Last I checked, it's not the coach's job to trade players.
Brian Harvey (Posted 2008-05-08 11:59:05)
Rob Carter.... you're an idiot!!
Good sportsmanship?? That's why the Leafs haven't won the Stanley Cup in 41 years. This team isn't good enough to win a playoff series, never mind win the Stanley Cup. It needs to go to the bottom, rebuild with youth and start over. Tampa Bay realized it wasn't going anywhere and traded Richards, now they have the first pick. Unfortunately the Leafs don't have the intelligence to mastermind such a plan. This team is a bunch of third and fourth line players and is devoid of any top line talent. Regrettably Leaf management is only interested in soaking every last nickel out of Leaf fans instead of providing them with a top-level team.
Rob Carter (Posted 2008-05-08 11:21:09)
"...rather than doing the smart thing and positioning the team for a better draft slot." That would have been a shameful thing to do. Teams are supposed to try to win games. When you play in a game, you try to win it. When you coach a game, you try to win it. I know hockey is a business, but it's also a sport. Good for Maurice for showing that sportsmanship isn't dead.
Peter Richard (Posted 2008-05-08 10:58:11)
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a joke. Have been for almost half a century and will continue to be for another 50 years. They're not even a hockey team, they're a circus with no interest in anything but making money so who cares if they fire another coach? Just put another monkey in a suit and put him behind the bench to oversee the clowns skating around. The most embarrasing thing for this sorry excuse for an NHL franchise? Seeing all those empty platinum section seats on TV at the beginning of the 2nd and 3rd periods. The Leafs are so... insignificant.
Jay R (Posted 2008-05-08 10:26:30)
MLSE is pathetic.What company has an "interim" GM?? Who would want to work on this sinking ship anyway? As long as the suits keep paying for seats nothing will change in Laugh nation.
bob moris (Posted 2008-05-08 10:17:38)
In many cases, firing the coach is the most easy and most stupid way to solve a clubs problems. In Paul Maurice's case it is the stupid way. As a former hockeycoach I do not understand how an organisation like the Maple Leafs can be so amateur. It looks like people with no hockey knowledge at all are taking the decisions and on top of it the media fill their pages with a lot of nonsens. Remember that all coaches all over the world depend on the capacity of their players. Remember also that no one, and especially the media, knows what is going on in a team. Sometimes it looks like the best coaches in the world only work in the media !!??! Although I do not know Paul Maurice I am convinced he is a good coach and I hope another intelligent organisation hires him.
I'll say more: it is not because you win a lot of games that you are a good coach. And of course a lot of people are laughing now but real coaches do understand what I am saying...
JoeW (Posted 2008-05-08 09:42:35)
It is apparent to me that MLSE only cares about $$$$$ instead of winning. How ironic it is that in the city which considers itself the center of the Hockey Universe its team is owned by people who don`t have a clue about the game. Hockey people win hockey games, business people don`t. It is bad enough that we have someone like Gary (bottom line ) Bettman trying his damndest to ruin the game.
Mike Gruchy (Posted 2008-05-08 07:35:27)
Maurice is a class act. He was never at a loss for words with the media, and he never threw his players under the bus. I think he was what both the franchise and the city needed as the coach of their team. It really is too bad they never gave him his third year, but he is better off away from this sinking ship...the stress and sleepless nights are not worth it. I've been a leafs fan since '86, and this is the first time in almost 23 years that my devotion is wavering...
Andy (Posted 2008-05-08 03:09:47)
Who in their right mind would want this job??? No decent forwards, a very questionable defence, one NHL quality goaltender, a captain who hums and haws whether he wants to play for this circus, and an ownership that can't agree to disagree! Unless there are seven zeroes in that annual salary, I can't see anyone wanting this job. Thank God I am a Habs fan! PS. Maurice is a good coach and will lead a team to a Stanley within a few years, maybe even Ottawa!
Brian (Posted 2008-05-07 20:56:11)
Look for Keith Acton to be the number one canidate for the job- great experience as an assistant/associate coach; if not, then look for Ron Wilson's name to be in the mix, especially if Burke will be the GM a year from now (he and wilson are best friends). Toronto needs a proven coach with certain criteria to recruit players.
Vinny (Posted 2008-05-07 19:33:56)
When management clearly has no clue what they are doing...its too bad the coach has to get canned..but hey thats professional sports I guess.
Best of luck to Paul Maurice, hopefully he will get a job with a real hockey team with some real bonifide Players...who areant overpaid like all these bums in toronto...
Richard Tardif (Posted 2008-05-07 18:23:30)
The Leafs problems start at the top. Maybe Jim Balsillie would buy them once the team is less profitable. Sounds like even die-hard Leafs fans are nearing the end of their rope.
Blu Liner (Posted 2008-05-07 17:59:38)
Paul Maurice has too much class to work for an organization like MLSE.
Joe (Posted 2008-05-07 17:41:54)
It's about time, why didn't they can him long ago. They need to make some big changes this summer.
Kevin I (Posted 2008-05-07 17:31:15)
Adam have you ever been asked to tank an article by your superiors? Honestly, it's a good thing the leafs made this move, you guy must be going crazy trying to write about something else.
Craig (Posted 2008-05-07 17:18:10)
Any one else ammused that the man who kicked off the now finnished Matt Sundin era is announcing the "New Era" for the Maple leafs, and how they will take a new and fresh aproach (like rehiring the GM who failed to deliver a cup over a decade ago)? Isn't this like Bush annoucning a new public speaking forum? MLSE, truly the greatest joke in sports.
JCattera (Posted 2008-05-07 16:20:06)
I thought Maurice did a half decent job. I just can't phathom why a Organization the size of the Leafs would bring an old over the hill guy like Fletcher back to try and right a wrong! Why didn't they just let the season end and then clean house with both JFJ and the coach??
PJ (Posted 2008-05-07 15:47:45)
Well well, no coach, no gm, no captain??? The leafs are in a pretty bad state right now but even though there is a bit of logic to the firing of Paul Maurice mainly because it gives the eventual new GM a clean slate to which to start with, it was gonna happen. Maurice is a smart coach and he'll land on his feet. The leafs better find a DARN good replacement. Leafs fans are the laughing stock of the NHL (I am a Die-hard LEAF fan myself) because the leafs seem to be the hockey equivalent of the Boston Red Sox (before the world series rings). They can't seem to get over that hump. Its easy to point fingers at what the problems of the team are and laugh at fans who year after year cheer for the blue and white. But lets be honest this is why we love sports, because anything can happen. Who thought a 4OT game would occur during the playoffs? Or Frazen would become a playoff performer? The question now is do they draft Hodgson or Boychuk? or do they sign Rolston? how bout re-signing Moore? Trading Kubina? So many questions not enough answers.
brad (Posted 2008-05-07 15:43:45)
"positioning the team for a better draft slot". Sounds a lot like "losing on purpose"?
Steve (Posted 2008-05-07 15:19:24)
Richard. Unless the Leafs want to somehow steal Hakan Andersson from Detroit, the way for a declining team to get better in a salary cap NHL is to lose.
whatsthatsmell (Posted 2008-05-07 14:57:41)
The Leafs are gonna be screwed for years.
Pat Stewart (Posted 2008-05-07 14:36:18)
First off, I am no Leafs fan - in fact, their steady decline has been a treat for me to watch. However, I do not like this move. Maurice is a good coach, who is known for his ability to coach youth. The Leafs need to go young, which means they should be all about this guy. And I want to get something else straight...are you saying that Maurice was wrong for not tanking the rest of the season? Wouldn't that be a disgrace to the NHL, and the league in general, completely undermining the integrity of not only hockey, but sports in general? I can't agree with that - what kind of coach would purposely LOSE games? Not one I would want, that's for sure. Maurice's integrity and ability will ensure that he lands on his feet
Craig (Posted 2008-05-07 14:13:24)
While I recognise that Maurice was on borrowed time the moment Ferguson bought the farm, I don't understand this assinine logic that the Coach must go with the GM. It's tantanmount to the old addage "throwing out the baby with the bath water". Everyone and their dog agree that the Leafs roster, as assembled by JFJ, was about as solid as a fiber board Ikea Desk. If you agree with this, then doesn't it then serve that Maurice was performing Miracles just getting the Maple Leafs to within spitting distance of the Playoffs. Lesser men with better rosters continue to be gainfully employed by teams that don't even have playoff aspirations (Mark Crawford, Don Waddel, Tortorella) At least MLSE is consistant, just that they are consistantly wrong. On top of that if the plan is to wait for Burke and let Fletcher run the show for a year, how in the sweet christmas will you find a coach, after all, what even moderately decent bench boss would sign on for one year, knowing he'll be back at TSN when Fletcher leaves. And to that extent what quality free agent would sign on to play for an unknown coach? Good Luck Leafs Fans, hope your Marlies do well.
Brian (Posted 2008-05-07 14:01:54)
Shoot this dead horse of a hockey team already.
They are a pathetic mess and have been ever since McDonald went to Colorado and Salming and Sittler left... and that's a looooong time ago.
Could you or I ruin this franchise any more effectively if we actually TRIED to wreck it?
Brutal.
Angelo (Posted 2008-05-07 13:26:37)
The Toronto Maple Leafs organization has been in shambles ever since the NHL expansion in the late 1960s. MLSE and previous owners have opted to make a quick "buck", rather than invest in the future. Hockey popularity was at a peak in the early 1990s and teams began to shovel in bigger profits than ever. Toronto, bieng one of the biggest cities in North America, had the biggest wallet and was able to buy big names, Sundin, Mogilny, Joseph, to name a few. The 1990' and early 2000s were the best years the Leafs have had since there last cup run in 1967. Smaller market teams could not afford the big names and the Leafs organization took advantage, but they made all the wrong moves, signing has beens and and including ridiculous clauses. When reality hit the NHL with the new CBA in 2005, things went back to the way it always has been in Toronto, that is, terrible management, and owners that seek dollars more than anything else. MLSE does not care about its fans like other organizations do. They simply want to put on a show, and if it sells tickets, then they will use the same formula year after year. Well, its to bad Leafs Nation (which is another creation by MLSE), the team is operated by a bunch of white collar men that know nothing about building a hockey team.
Craig Lowe (Posted 2008-05-07 13:10:56)
Hey Waddell, Here you go. First fire yourself as coach and get Maurice. While you are at it get some D-men that can clear the puck. How about a few scoring wingers, and center that can win face-offs and a goalie that knows how to streach out his groin. After all that fire yourself as GM.
Cassandra Tran (Posted 2008-05-07 12:58:08)
Everyone saw it coming when Ferguson was shown the door but it shouldn't have happened either way. Maurice was as good as any other and was a bright light in a management system that's covered in darkness.
Kudos, Maurice.
Cath (Posted 2008-05-07 12:50:34)
So who's going to replace coach Pual Maurice???
MLSE need to let Larry Tennebaum go. I think that's how you spell his name, and Richard Pettie. Those at the HEAD of MLSE.
We will NEVER make it into the post season. *sigh*
Rob Matheson (Posted 2008-05-07 12:48:55)
What a waste of a good Coach. The one bright light around the leafs last year was Maurice. A shame the Leafs made such a shortsighted move. I can only hope Bryan Murray and the Sens pick up the phone and give this young talented Coach a call.
Jay R (Posted 2008-05-07 12:27:30)
Typical MLSE! The organization has more issues than Lohan in a bathroom stall.
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