Deadspin: Toronto Maple Leafs

A Fine Example Of The Rare Post-Goal Hockey Fight

Barry Petchesky — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:40:22 EST

This is the sort of thing you don't see every day, which could also be said about Scott Gomez's goal tonight. But this was fun too! More »

"Somebody Fucking Go": Broadcaster Mocks Dion Phaneuf's Girly Voice When He Thinks He's In Commercial

Barry Petchesky — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:30:32 EST

Ray Ferraro called TSN's broadcast of Leafs/Penguins tonight, and as sometimes happens with online streams (in this case, the NHL's GameCenter Live), viewers watching during televised ad breaks were treated to a live mic. And while we've heard announcers swear before, hearing Ferraro take a stab at a high-pitched Dion Phaneuf impression was a new one. More »

Please Don't Keep Your Concussion A Secret

Barry Petchesky — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:25:30 EST

On Saturday, Maple Leafs pest Colby Armstrong collided with Ryan Kesler. Armstrong was diagnosed with a broken toe. On Monday, he was throwing up and had blurred vision. Previously questionable for last night's game, Armstrong is now out indefinitely with a concussion, one he kept to himself for nearly 48 hours. More »

Dion Phaneuf's Dad Gets High Fives After His Son Decapitates A Ranger

Barry Petchesky — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:35:09 EST

The NHL's radical realignment means four conferences that will need names, so how about the Michael Sauer Memorial Conference after the late Rangers defenseman, taken in the prime of his life by this clean hit from last night. Just kidding! He's not dead. He's being evaluated by doctors with an "upper body injury," which is hockey speak for anything from a hangnail to a coma. More »

There's A Great Salad Bar At Maple Leaf Gardens: The Second And Third Lives Of The Original Six Arenas

Barry Petchesky — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:40:50 EST

While we're on the topic of the sad fates of arenas without teams, it's worth noting that this week saw the beginning of a rebirth for the old Maple Leaf Gardens. The art deco masterpiece, which the Leafs abandoned for new downtown digs in 1999, is a National Historic Site. But lying largely dormant for a decade, the Cavern on Carlton had become an actual cavern: dark, dingy and full of C.H.U.D.s. More »

Brian Burke Was Going To Rent A Barn To Fight Kevin Lowe Until Gary Bettman Intervened

Barry Petchesky — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 13:10:00 EST

Brian Burke has rapidly become one of the most stand-up guys in hockey, after his unqualified support for his out-of-the-closet son Brendan and his own anti-bullying campaign in Brendan's memory. He wasn't always so cuddly—in a great interview with The Score, Burke relates how he nearly came to blows with Edmonton GM Kevin Lowe. Of all things, it was over Dustin Penner. More »

Predators Player Breaks Away On Empty Net, Sends Puck Flying Over The Crossbar

Emma Carmichael — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 12:25:00 EST

Craig Smith channeled Patrik Stefan in the third period of the Predators' 4-1 win in Nashville last night. Sometimes, I guess, the net just looks that big. More »

Maybe Justin Bieber Isn't The Most Loyal Maple Leafs Fan After All

Barry Petchesky — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 18:30:00 EDT

Yesterday Bieber went on the radio and gushed about his Leafs fandom, being from Ontario and all. No bandwagoner he. Today he's rocking the Blackhawks cap. More »

Justin Bieber Is A More Dedicated Sports Fan Than You

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:31:00 EDT

Every morning, the fine folks at Sports Radio Interviews sift through the a.m. drive-time chatter to bring you the best interviews with coaches, players, and personalities across the sports landscape. Today: the Biebs is a Maple Leafs fan, so he can't be a bandwagoner, right? More »

Wade Belak, Another NHL Enforcer, Found Dead (UPDATE: A Suicide, According To Toronto Sun)

Jack Dickey — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:05:00 EDT

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Longtime NHL defenseman Wade Belak, who spent much of his career with the Maple Leafs, was found dead at 35 today in his Toronto hotel, according to a report from QMI Agency in Canada. More »

Maple Leafs' Swedish Goalie Prospect Is A Terrible Rapper

Emma Carmichael — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 12:29:00 EDT

Toronto signed Mark "In Da Park" Owuya, a 21-year-old goalie prospect from Sweden, to an entry-level contract on Thursday. Last season, Da Park had a 2.18 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage in goal for Djurgarden, of the Swedish Elite League. More »

One Ref's Fall Over A Ceremonial Carpet Is Another Ref's Fall Over The Same Ceremonial Carpet

Emma Carmichael — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 15:20:00 EDT

We're not sure where this clip came from, as the Leafs missed out on the playoffs for the sixth straight year this season, but sometimes — like when two men whose job it is to be alert on ice fail to observe and avoid the same ceremonial carpet laid out in front of them, for example — context just doesn't really matter. More »

Here's What Happens When A Same-Sex Couple Considers Kissing On Kiss-Cam

Luke O'Brien — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 14:50:28 EDT

Now that the world has deemed the humorous display of two people of the same gender not kissing on the kiss-cam to be homophobic, what will the world make of the kiss-cam cutting away when two people of the same gender are poised to kiss? Is it homophobic? Is it funny? Does it make you angry? More »

The Hardest Hit In Last Night's Maple Leafs-Flyers Game Was In Warm-Ups

Emma Carmichael — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 10:30:00 EST

Dion Phaneuf and Mike Komisarek were dutifully going through their warm-ups before last night's game in Philadelhpia when they collided. Hard. Neither player was injured, and the Leafs went on to win, 3-2, which I guess is why the announcers are so comfortable giggling about it on-air. More »

Checking Back In With Those Ridiculous NHL Superheroes

Barry Petchesky — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 13:15:00 EST

They're rolling out the remainder of the NHL's Guardian Project, and yes, our worst fears are realized. The Maple Leaf superhero is a tree. More »

Hockey Fans Throw The Darndest Things Onto The Ice

Brian Hickey — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 15:30:00 EST

After the Philadelphia Flyers got done beating up on the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night, a disgruntled fan threw waffles onto the ice. This confused winger Colby Armstrong. More »

Hockey Agent Gets 10 Percent Of His Client's Goalie Mask

Barry Petchesky — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 16:45:00 EDT

Maple Leafs prospect Jussi Rynnäs's mask features, among other oddities, a photo of his agent. He would have named his kid after him, but Rynnäs's firstborn was sacrificed to his death metal band of choice, as per Finnish law. [Globe and Mail] More »

Jonas Gustavsson, IR-Upper Body (Heart Surgery)

Barry Petchesky — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:45:00 EST

Toronto's Monster will have his second procedure in three months to fix an irregular heartbeat. Wouldn't be the first time Leafs fans questions their players' hearts. [Toronto Star] More »

Chris Bosh Now Owns The Internet

Barry Petchesky — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 06:30:00 EDT

Because no one reads the newspaper, and SportsCenter's anchors are too perky for this early in the morning, Deadspin combs the best of the broadsheets and the blogosphere to bring you everything you need to know to start your day. More »

Gretzky Heads To Toronto In 46-Player Trade?

Dashiell Bennett — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:50:19 EDT

A new book claims former Leafs owner Harold Ballard once tried to trade his entire franchise to Edmonton. (He wanted to swap cities with the Oilers in exchange for $50 million.) Then Janet Jones would have married Darryl Sittler. [TorontoStar] More »

A Peek Inside The Mind Of An NHL Head Coach

Dashiell Bennett — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:30:33 EDT

Spoiler....There's not much there. Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson inadvertently gave TV viewers a look at his super-secret game notes and as Orland Kurtenblog says: "this kinda destroys the illusion that an nhl coach works on a higher level." [Kurtenblog] More »

Think That Helmet Will Protect You, Boy?

Barry Petchesky — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:50:00 EDT

Courtesy of Puck Daddy, here's the Leafs' Jason Allison ripping open a helmet to get to the sweet, sweet brains inside. More »

Tough Actin' Keith Acton Is The Only Lucky Maple Leaf

Barry Petchesky — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:30:00 EDT

The good news: The former player won nearly $100,000 in Canada's national lottery. The bad news: $100k isn't nearly enough to quit his job as Toronto's assistant coach. [Toronto Star] More »

What Hockey Really Needs Is Better Manners

Dashiell Bennett — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:15:40 EST

Did you see this shootout goal from Toronto's Jason Blake? Awesome, right? If you like cheating jerks! More »

Brian Burke Officially In As President, GM of Terrible Hockey Team

Gourmet Spud — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 17:00:24 EST

Starting today, the Toronto Maple Leafs can scratch "incompetent and/or old GM" off the list of reasons why they never win anything. Yes, in the least surprising news to come out of the NHL since Gary Bettman admitted he didn't know how to read or write, the Leafs announced that Brian Burke will take over for interim GM Cliff Fletcher, who will be staying on with the team as a consultant. Mr. Burke, let the superlatives fly: More »

Mike Van Ryn Is Having A Rough Year

Dashiell Bennett — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 12:30:08 EST

The NHL season is only a few weeks old, but for Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Mike Van Ryn it probably feels like an eternity. Back in October, he removed a pane of glass from the boards in Boston with his face and on Saturday night he was on the receiving end of this rather nasty boarding penalty from Montreal's Tom Kostopoulous. I think he's going to feel that one in the morning. More »

Toronto Writer To Maple Leaf Fans: It's All Your Fault

Dashiell Bennett — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 16:30:59 EST

It's still early in the NHL season, but the Toronto Maple Leafs are solidly in 4th place—right where they've belonged for the past three seasons. If you're not familiar with the rules of ice hockey, that's bad. However, the organization that owns the team—Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment—is doing just dandy. Every game is sold out, blue and white jerseys sell like hot cakes, and in a survey that ranked all 122 major professional sports teams based on their willingness and ability to reward fans ... they came in 121st. (They pass the savings on to no one!) But at least one person who covers the Leafs has an explanation. The fans are to blame. More »

About Last Night...

Christmas Ape — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 09:50:38 EDT

What you missed while making the jump into academia... More »

They Sure Do Follow Orders In Toronto

Leitch — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:10:54 EST

Whatever you want to say about the Toronto Maple Leafs, you can't say they're not diligently on message. More »

That'll Be All For The Leafs

Leitch — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 09:15:37 EST

It's the NHL Closer. We pass the mic to the kids at Orland Kurtenblog. Their NHL Closer is written by Canadians for Americans. More »

Welcome To The NHL, Kid

Leitch — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 13:05:36 EST

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Jiri Tlusty is one of the top young prospects in the NHL, and he scored two goals a couple weeks ago despite only being 19 years old. So how is he welcomed to the big time? Some Canadian Perez Hilton knockoff site keeps calling him gay. More »

Gay Hockey Players? Now We've Seen EVERYTHING

Leitch — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:05:56 EDT

As we learned from "ESPN Hollywood," the line between the entertainment industry and the sports industry is a blurry one. But one delineation is clear: Hollywood is a lot cooler with the gays. More »

Blogdom's Best: Hating The Maple Leafs

Leitch — Thu, 05 Jan 2006 13:00:52 EST

Imagine the most hateful sports fans you can think of, stuck indoors because of the frigid weather, allowing their fury to boil. Now give them large sticks. That's your typical NHL fan, just looking for a reason to hate the opposing team. Throw in that whole Canada-USA rivalry thing, and you've got a festival of enmity. So let's sit back and enjoy some of the great NHL hater blogs, shall we, you hosers? More »