‘Leave Us Alone’: Maple Leafs with Statement on Search Firm Hiring

The Toronto Maple Leafs appear to be tired of the scrutiny they’re under as they go through the process of hiring a new President of Hockey Ops or a GM. Since the news that they hired Neil Glasberg and The Coaches Agency, there’s been interest in who the candidates are, and if any are Glasberg’s clients.

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Likely tired of hearing the opinions of those who argue there might be a conflict of interest, the Maple Leafs released a statement on Thursday, explaining that they wouldn’t be divulging any information to fans or anyone else.

“We appreciate the interest in the Maple Leafs’ Head of Hockey Operations search. Neil Glasberg, President of The Coaches Agency, has been retained to assist in the search. The organization’s top priority is to respect the integrity of the process, and we will not be providing updates or confirmations on potential candidates during the process. We’re pleased by the progress to date and will provide a formal update once the search is complete.”

In other words, the Leafs are saying that they understand fans and analysts have opinions on the hiring, but they don’t care. And, while the search is ongoing and Glasberg does what he’s going to do, the Maple Leafs have no interest in sharing the details of their process while it’s underway.

‘We get it, but leave us alone,’ is essentially the message here.

Is There a Good Reason for the Maple Leafs Not to Talk About This?

There is a counterargument here. The Maple Leafs may not want it to be public knowledge that they are interviewing certain candidates. That could be for several reasons, not the least of which is competition from another NHL franchise for a candidate. For example, both the Leafs and New Jersey Devils are said to be meeting with Sunny Mehta. The more New Jersey knows about the Leafs’ interview process, the worse it is for the Maple Leafs.

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