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by Paul on 12/04/08 at 07:23 PM ET
Comments (5)
Brian Burke’s certification as Maple Leafs monarch has plural positives for Toronto. For the first time since the Conn Smythe-Punch Imlach Eras, Toronto boasts a commanding leader who gives a face to the franchise.
Smythe and Imlach have 10 Stanley Cups between them. Now an eleventh will be possible once Burke gets the house in order; and that will only take a year.
-Stan Fishchler at the Hockey Journal where you can read more hockey notes from The Maven.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Toronto Maple Leafs | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Brian+Burke,
Comments
A Stanley Cup for Toronto in the not-too-distant future is now a distinct possibility.
Someone needs to monitor your meds, Hockey Hermit. Your waaaaaay overdosing on the uppers. 
Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 12/04/08 at 11:37 PM ET
Well, by not too distant future I’m talking within 5 years, not this season or next. With the parity in the league, good responsible team management goes a long way, and Burke brings that. If anyone can get this franchise on the winning track it will be him. I’m not saying I want to see it, since I’m about as far away from being a Leaf fan as is humanly possible
Posted by Hockey Hermit on 12/05/08 at 01:40 AM ET
As usual, Stan is snorting something good before he writes his “columns”. Stan, take a look at Burke’s ACTUAL record—not what Bryan Murray started so well and left Burke to finish off.
I agree with HH that Burke has the right mentality to handle the Toronto circus, but I see him doing something similar with the Leafs to what he did with the Canucks—build a decent team that’s in the playoffs every season, but never quite has what it takes to burst into the elite echelon of the league.
Posted by Nathan on 12/05/08 at 08:46 AM ET
The problem Burke had when he was in Vancouver is that he was, in effect, already operating in a salary cap world while most of the rest of the NHL was not. Now that the playing field is even, and Burke will have the freedom to spend right up to the limit the situation should be different this time around.
One thing about Burke’s time in Vancouver that I cannot defend, however, was his stubborn loyalty to goaltender Dan Cloutier. Everybody else seemed to realize early on that the Canucks could not be a cup contender with Cloutier between the pipes, but for some reason Brian Burke was blind to the truth.
Posted by Hockey Hermit's Hockey Blog from Canada on 12/05/08 at 02:04 PM ET
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I can’t think of anyone better than Brian Burke to lead the Toronto Maple Leafs. Lou Lamoriello or Ken Holland might arguably be better GMs, but for such a media intense atmosphere Brian Burke’s brash style will keep the spotlight on him and his young players under the radar, allowing them to achieve their potential with a minimum of distractions. A Stanley Cup for Toronto in the not-too-distant future is now a distinct possibility. Before it seemed like a silly dream.
Posted by Hockey Hermit on 12/04/08 at 08:58 PM ET