Reporter Shares Big News Regarding Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
As his contract is reportedly set to expire at the end of the season, Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan may know what his future holds sooner than expected.
Signed to a six-year extension as team President in May of 2019, Brendan Shanahan does not have much success to show for his 11-year tenure with the organization, with just one playoff series win over that span.
The "Shanaplan" was put into place when he first arrived in April of 2014 and has brought with it the likes of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and Matthew Knies.
In April of last year, MLSE introduced a new CEO in Keith Pelley and in his first media appearance in his new role, made a very bold statement about change.
"We're not afraid of change," said Pelley, leading to speculation that Shanahan's job was in jeopardy last spring.
That, however, was not the case as the Hall-of-Famer entered the reported final year of his contract. That being said, according to Luke Fox of Sportsnet, a decision on Shanahan's future may come sooner than many expect if the Leafs fail to go on a meaningful playoff run.
"One playoff series victory over an 11-season tenure as the top executive," wrote Fox in his latest 'Leafs' Mailbag'. "Even a Hall of Fame player like Shanahan would have a hard time surviving that one, particularly now that he has a boss with a face and a name: CEO Keith Pelley, who rolled back into town talking about winning. If - big if - the Leafs do bow out early again, we'll give it six or seven days. And we'll wonder (a) if Pelley eliminates the middle-man position between himself and Treliving altogether, and (b) if Shanahan makes his way back to the New York area for his next job in hockey."
Shanahan certainly has options available to him according to Fox - should he find himself in the unemployment line at the end of April, but given the lack of success with the 'Shanaplan' Leafs Nation may finally get their wish regardless of the length of the Leafs' post-season run.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 15 | 3582 ANSWERS Reporter Shares Big News Regarding Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan Do you want to see Shanahan gone regardless of the Leafs' playoff run? | ||
| Yes please, he's been here for far too long | 1575 | 44 % |
| If the plan finally works, maybe another few years | 1619 | 45.2 % |
| It's long overdue | 388 | 10.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
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