Mr. Fletcher, Passion Please!!
It is so good to hear the news … finally. Although Peddie, Tanenbaum, and the rest of the circus still exist, Mr. Fletcher will have the power required to raise the ship.
Mr. Fletcher, don’t listen to the nimrods trash talking you here in Toronto. These people just need to have their opinions heard to keep their jobs. Listen to the guys at hockeytraderumors.com, they know what is going on.
Mr. Fletcher, I do have a question. Why would you tease us by adding Gilmour, Fuhr, Macoun, and Andreychuk, to an already decent team led by Clark and then follow it up by bringing Sundin to the Camp? Were you planning to build around him?
Then you were fired and MLSE tried to follow in your footsteps with Sundin as Captain. You left us with a good offensive talent that has not broken any NHL records, won any cups, no 50 goal season, 1 –100 point season (with Quebec) and his talent is simply enough to make it bearable to watch, fill the stands, and sell the merchandise, but that is all. No passion.
Now your back! Passion!
Do you know that 19 out of the last 20 Stanley Cup champions have had a Canadian Captain?
Do you know that the Anaheim Ducks, planned and achieved, that around 75% Canadian born players brought them the cup last year and probably will again this year?
Do you know that over half of the NHL is Canadian born.
Do you know that Canadian born hockey players grow up dreaming about winning a Stanley Cup? It is in the blood, in the society, it is the life long dream, the only mission.
In 1994, Mark Messier had to call “win” before the final game of the Rangers Stanley Cup victory, and then he made sure they won! Passion.
Wilkipedia defines Captain as “a locker room leader and … the primary representative of the team to the public (not Sundin’s forte) … represents players concerns to management (if a cup is a desire, wouldn’t Leaf players have something to say to management?)…Captains are selected by management and the selection … can affect the team’s performance” and Princeton defines leader as one who “guides or inspires others.” Passion!
Mats has had 10 years as Captain, to guide, to inspire, and has not completed the only mission in this league, which is to win a Stanley Cup, not “hopefully make the playoffs … and retire as a Leaf.” No Leafs currently come to his rescue when he is beat on. There is guiding, no desire, with the current Leafs, just Sundin trying to earn the title, “Best Leaf Ever”. No Passion!
Mr. Fletcher, it is not 1997, and I know you have a lot of work to do but can you start by finding the right Captain and then build around him. Be it Lecavalier, Carter, Stall, Richards, or Stamkos, or whoever, do it and do it now! Passion!