those offices!!! a great peek behind the curtain! When JT first grabbed the sweater in the dressing room, he din't admire his own name, he immediately flipped it over to stare at the Leafs logo PERFECT!
I was just about to comment that. The fact he turned it around, almost uninterested in his name, and stared at the leaf logo shows how die hard of a fan he is and also how much value he places on the crest in the front rather than the name plate on the back.
when you're the richest team in the league and there's a salary cap... gotta spend the money somewhere! (but still won't take ownership of the mastercard centre lol)
You know when Dubas was brought on as the analytics wiz kid I was glad to hear it. When it was suggested he would likely become GM after Lou I was skeptical and when he finally stepped into the position I was a bit leery. But that apprehension quickly faded with the Marlies winning the Calder and now it's completely gone after he landed JT. He has my utmost trust and faith. It still feels like a dream how these past few years have unfolded. Fans have been clamoring for a rebuild since the last lockout but it seemed like it would never happen. When Babs said there would be pain I expected the worse and yet compared to the pain of being a Leaf fan for 37 years the rebuild was relatively painless. Regardless of how things play out over the next few years on the ice I'm proud to be a fan of this team again and it all began with a man who isn't even with the organization anymore. Thanks Tim. Thanks Shanny. Thanks Babs. Thanks Lou. Thanks Kyle. But most of all thanks to the players who make this team what it is today. Is it October yet?
best thing about a young GM like Dubas, is that he does not have a one track mindset like other, older GM's. Being bred to win with actual winners like Shanny and Babcock makes a difference on a young GM.
What a beautiful moment for me as a leaf fan to see this man come here to big T. The last time to got thus excited is when we got "THE KILLER" and Sundin. Ohh yeah this is goin to be somthing
Just feels so right. It gives me goosebumps thinking about growing up in TO playing hockey we all wish to be playing for legendary franchise like Leafs. Remembering watching all those games crying when beloved leafs would lose and being so happy when they would win. Just wishing to see them win the Cup and with our amazing management team led by Shanahan it will happen just hoping it happens soon. Thank you leafs for keep my childhood dreams alive
I never saw that coming. The man has integrity and honour. The next captain debate is over. A local boy must wear the C when he's as good and experienced as JT.
You look at the success John has had under Babcock's ruling (International play) and the fact that he grew up a Leaf fan; you can't blame the guy for chasing after the stars' alignment. Congratulations to Kyle Dubas, this took a lot of balls and I wish success for you. - Sens fan
I'm happy that John Tavares is back home and playing for the Maple Leafs! I'm not happy however, that Air Canada Centre was renamed to Scotiabank Arena. Air Canada made that building unique, but now, it's just another building with a bank's name on it. But regardless, welcome home, John!
The only thing holding the Leafs back was their big 3 didn't have a veteran superstar to lead the way. Pastrnak has Marchand and Bergeron. Laine, Connor and Ehlers have Wheeler and Scheifele. Vegas whole core was 26-30 years old. Matthews, Nylander and Marner now have Tavares to act as their Bergeron/Scheifele. Leafs are a scary team to face.
Let's see. Schwartz-Schenn-Tarasenko versus Marleau-Matthews-Nylander. Most likely a tie by end of season with periods of time where one line outperforms the other. Fabbri-Orielly-Steen versus Hyman-Tavares-Marner...not even close. Leafs take that one. Maroon-Bozak-Perron versus Johnsson-Kadri-Kapanen....gotta give that one to Leafs. Kadri is a 30 goal center. Bozak and Maroon aren't big point producers on their own. Going to have to give edge to Leafs.
Andrew Persaud of course you pick leafs. The third line for the blues is simply better than the leafs. Who are kapanen and johnsson? I looked up kapanen and he has 10 points in 55 career games. Both those guys are like 22-23 years old and still aren't producing. Maybe they will put connor brown and Tyler ennis on that line which improves it. Kadri scored 32 goals for the second year in a row which is impressive, but he won't keep that up. 40% of those goals are on the power play and you can't account for his pp time now that tavares is there. He also shot at 16% which is well above his 12% average. Kadri is also bad at face offs while bozak consistently well above 50% from the circle. Add in the fact the blues line are veterans who averaged 50 points each last season they will outscore the leafs third line even if they regressed to a 40-45 point average. That's a terrific third line, which can also be mixed around with steen and fabbri. Gotta go with stlouis
Brandon Elliott well you definitely got big faith in the Blues!! they look good on paper tho, cant lie. their dcore is impressive. Yall wanna swap Gardiner for Parayko tho? lol
Gillie DaKid I'm not a blues fan. Just people aren't following what they've done this offseason. It's all about the leafs improvements but the blues look real good on paper. Vegas has them 2500 odds so I'm taking a flyer on them.
Made the most sense because he will just be one piece in this team. Having Matthews, Marner, Marleau, Kapanen, Gardiner, Reilly, and hopefully Nylander soon as a supporting cast is huge. Two years ago he would have said no because he would have been expected to carry the team.
Yeah we Western Canadians crap on you Leafs fans all the time. Just do good, win a cup for the country. 1993? C'mon, someone has to bring it home and you're our best shot (after you build a defense).
I remember 3 seasons ago when our top line centre in the season opener was Peter Holland lol. I'd say we've come a long way since those dark days. Come on October!
Dear JT. You do realize that as Leafs fans we now expect all the First Overall Picks that join the Leafs to score 4 goals in their first game, right? Don't disappoint us now. ;p
Marjorie Malley they had a preview, yes but you know it's the leafs, they'll only show u as much as they want u to see lol. We won't know probably anything else that happened in that interview till years down the line. Or never rrwwewqq
I'm a Canucks fan (cry for me) but anyone who doesn't feel great with the Tavares story has no heart. Tavares as a person is beyond reproach, so he followed his boyhood dream to go home? So what? It makes him and Leafs fan happy, it FEELS right, and it's the kind of thing any hometown would want of a superstar exiled to some gulag somewhere in the USA.
I just noticed something and I don’t know if I’m the only one but at 2:20 when John is walking into the dressing room on the opposite wall above the lockers, you see the words Privilege not a Right. Idk why but that kinda made me emotional. After so long of this organization being the joke of the league it has been brought back to respectability by staff and players who bleed blue and white and who recognize that to wear that maple leaf on your chest is the biggest honour you could ever have. It’s not about being drafted to the Leafs anymore, we now have a whole roster full of players who recognize the importance and honour of donning the blue and white and want to be here. Idk man, I just got chills seeing that.
Notice where his Jersey is in that locker room? Number 16 next to him and 34 right next to that... We all know know that there is going to be a bond between these guys.
Still can’t believe it so exciting can’t wait probably even better 49-26-7 105 PTS with JT and probably 50W with him Let’s Go Leafs Go 🥋🥋🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🚨🔥🔥👍🏿🚨👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿🐐🔥🔥🔥🔥🚨🔥
Babcock looked like a kid that opened the greatest Christmas present ever. Probably a lot of us Leaf fans feeling that way right now. Like others have posted, it still doesn't seem real.
I am an Islanders fan I was sad to see him leave and I had a T-shirt with his name on the back and the Islander's yearbook from 14-15 threw them in the trash. Matt Barzal is my guy now and Wahlstrom. I doubt Tavares finishes that contract in Toronto but I wished him well. I think he made a mistake in leaving but he will be 35 when that contract runs out that is old for hockey.
Gord Miller: Tavares is coming home, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!!!!! Pierre McGuire: I can, because of the fact that the islander didn't do much to surround him with the talent/pieces needed to succeed! Look at the islanders body language now, they are crushed! Tavares had to step up and make a magical play. The crowd loves it!! Tavares magical play!!!
