Toronto Maple Leafs

Nobody Wants To Touch Toronto… Yet

So Ron Wilson showed up for his much trumpeted interview with the Leafs earlier today. The brass made him the offer I assume was being talked about prolifically in the media (and here)… and Ron said… *drum-roll please*… he’ll have to think about it.

Say what? You need to THINK ABOUT IT? But WHY? Toronto is the centre of the HOCKEY UNIVERSE! Why WOULDN’T you (or anyone else that isn’t a retarded, three legged, dog named Sugar Packets) want ANY job working for the Leafs???!!! Who do you think you are? Dave Nonis???

I mean come ON Ron - this is a step up from that shoddy gig we offered you back in the late 70’s where you got a cup of coffee and made it on the ice for 64 games over 3 seasons on our blue line. Those were the Harold Ballard days. Nobody likes those days. These are the Larry and Dick days! EVERYONE LOVES LARRY AND DICK! (Except for Pat Quinn, John Ferguson Jr., and well… most Toronto Maple Leafs fans).

Kidding aside - the Leafs have offered Wilson a deal through 2012, and I’m guessing the pay scale is quite competitive. Believe it or not, the Toronto media market is not one people FLOCK towards if they don’t have roots in the area. Ron Wilson is on the record as saying the following to Howard Berger, back during the All-Star game in Atlanta:

“I’ve talked to a few of our players — names I won’t mention — and have said, ‘Hey, if you want attention, it would be something to play in Toronto,’ ” said Wilson, who broke into the NHL as a defenceman with the Leafs in 1978. “They tell me, ‘No chance — there’s no way I’ll ever go up there and be put through that.’ Unless you knew you could absolutely win the whole thing, it’s awful tough to survive in that atmosphere.”

“My P.R. people show me everything and highlight it if [a newspaper] says I’m getting fired,” Wilson said. “But, guys like Paul Maurice and Mike Babcock — in bigger markets — need things sanitized so they never have to read they’re an idiot. It’s hard to see that stuff about yourself.”

Maybe he isn’t certain the Toronto job is the right gig for him. He is actually Canadian by birth - having been born in Windsor, Ontario - but he took out American citizeship at the age of 18 while he was attending Providence University, and has since represented the United States many times as both a player and coach. His most significant moment in those roles being as head coach of the World Cup winning US team of 1996. Wilson has often taken opportunities in the past to thumb his nose at the Canada’s perceived ownership of hockey… perhaps if he decides against taking this job he’ll just be doing it again.

On the other hand, it is also entirely likely that this is just a matter of waiting until the Stanley Cup is over before formalizing anything, so as to not tick off the league’s front office. I know if I was the Leafs and I didn’t want to be accused of tampering with Brian Burke, I would be doing everything I could to stay in Bettman’s good books. We’ll see how things pan out over the next week.

Stay Tuned Leafs fans.

*Quick note: on the front of people griping about Ron Wilson’s playoff coaching experience, his career record is 47-48. His record with Anaheim was 4-7; in Washington it was 15-17; and in San Jose was 30-24. Not stellar, but his 95 playoff games coached is a fair sight beyond the 17-18 record in 35 playoff games for Paul Maurice. Just remember that the next time you’re sitting there thinking what a jerk Ron Wilson is while waxing philosophical about how NICE Paul Maurice is. Just remember, nice guys finish last.