‘We’re here to win’: Pelley backs Leafs brass

TORONTO – The Maple Leafs’ key decision makers spoke with the media today for the first time since the team’s first-round playoff exit.

The message was clear — everything is on the table moving forward, and past results are unacceptable.

New Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment president Keith Pelley, team president Brendan Shanahan and general manager Brad Treliving fielded questions from reporters for roughly 45 minutes on the path forward for an organization that has fallen painfully short of expectations over the last two decades.

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Pelley lauded the “chemistry and unity” he’s seen from Treliving and Shanahan, who has won a solitary playoff round in 10 years at the helm, but added: “We’re not here to sell jerseys, we’re here to win.”

There were also questions about the future of the Leafs’ so-called “Core Four” of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares after the group once again couldn’t get it done in the post-season — this time falling to the Boston Bruins in seven games despite battling back from a 3-1 series deficit.

Marner and Tavares, who have full no-movement clauses in their contracts, each have one season remaining on their current deals and are eligible to sign extensions July 1. But patience with the team’s nucleus appears have run out, with Treliving saying: “Everything needs to be looked at.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 10, 2024.