Leafs Trade Two

It looks like the Toronto Maple Leafs have traded forward Alex Steen and defenceman Carlo Colaiacovo to the St. Louis Blues in return for forward Lee Stempniak. I'll have more on this when I've let the news settle in!

Gilmour Leaving Marlies for Kingston

Doug Gilmour has left the Toronto Marlies to coach take over the head coaching position with his hometown Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League.

Gilmour, a Kingston native, was hired as an assistant coach with the AHL team in August.

He replaces Larry Mavety, who has coached the Kingston franchise since 1997-98.

The Frontenacs have just five wins in their first 23 games and sit last in the 20-team OHL after a 3-1 loss to Oshawa Sunday.

The team has never won a league championships since the original Kingston franchise began play in 1974.

Gilmour, 45, was born and raised in Kingston, though he played for the Cornwall Royals when he was in the OHL. He was player development advisor with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2007-08 before moving to the Marlies as an assistant to Greg Gilbert.

Story @ sportsnet.ca

NHL All Star Voting

Just in case you haven't voted for your NHL All Star team yet, here's a quick reminder for you to vote for the Leafs Tomas Kaberle and Vesa Toakala...

Sundin's 500th Goal

Whilst everyone in the hockey world waits to hear where Mats Sundin has decided to play out the rest of the season, the excellent Torontoist has just published an article reminiscing over Mats Sundin's 500th goal on October 14 2006 against the Calgary Flames. For those of you who where there, and even those of you who weren't, you might want to take a look at the article and video clip of the occasion.

Read the article here, and reminisce over the good old days :-)

A Second NHL Franchise for Toronto?

Yet again the idea of a second NHL franchise being awarded to Toronto seems to be rearing it's head.

The Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail is reporting:

NHL governors are talking informally about placing a second hockey team in Toronto alongside the Maple Leafs, The Globe and Mail has learned.

“Why shouldn't we put another team in the best and biggest market in the world?” one of several NHL governors who spoke with The Globe anonymously said of the Greater Toronto Area.

According to this governor, one idea floated is for prospective owner Jim Balsillie to be rewarded with an expansion team in Toronto after helping to restore financial ballast to the Nashville Predators.“I've heard this exact scenario,” a second governor said.

Calgary Flames co-owner Harley Hotchkiss, a former chairman of the NHL board of governors, is also aware of the Balsillie movement.

“I've heard bits and pieces of this scenario, although not in that kind of detail,” he said. “Our priority is to have the existing franchises
solid.”

“[It is] an interesting scenario,” Mr. Hotchkiss added, “ but I can only speak generally.”

Richard Peddie, president of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, said the organization would not automatically reject the idea of a second team in Toronto.

“When and if the league brings expansion to the table, we'll listen and decide what is best [for hockey],” he said.There's more discussion in the full article which can be found here:

NHL floats notion of second team in Toronto

Whatever the outcome of this, and it's been discussed many times before, it seems like Hamilton is a no no. The NHL board has exprtessed concern that any NHL fanchise in the city of Hamilton would take fans away from the nearby Sabres. I just wonder how many Candian hocke

Luke Schenn In, Mark Bell Out

This is a time of teaching for Ron Wilson, a season in which the head coach will measure progress for the Toronto Maple Leafs by the on-ice growth of his players rather than by wins and losses in the standings.

It's into this environment of learning that 2008 first-round pick Luke Schenn will make his NHL debut.

Although the Maple Leafs won't finalize their roster until Tuesday morning, they confirmed Monday that the 18-year-old defenceman taken fifth overall last June is going to open the season with the big club.

General manager Cliff Fletcher also said that forward Mark Bell has been placed on waivers and will be assigned to the AHL Marlies should he not be claimed, as the roster's paring down neared a conclusion ahead of Thursday's season-opener at Detroit.

"We still have a couple more decisions we have to make," said Fletcher.

More at sportsnet.ca

Will The Leafs Ever Win The Stanley Cup?

The answer it seems, can be found here....