Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment President & CEO Tim Leiweke said that Maple Leafs home games "could have a different feel in the future," as the team's recent trend of pregame ceremonies celebrating past achievements "doesn't coincide with the culture Leiweke says he is trying to create in Toronto," according to Mike Johnston of SPORTSNET.ca. Speaking with Toronto's CJCL-AM yesterday, Leiweke said, "I don't think what motivates [Maple Leafs LW] Joffrey Lupul is another celebration on the ice, while he sits on the bench, celebrating 50 years ago and something that happened in 1962 or 1963." While Leiweke did not say he would do away completely with nostalgic pregame ceremonies, he suggested that "things will be different going forward." Leiweke: "At some point we have to find a balance of turning around to these guys and saying, 'Let's build our own history here, let's build our own championship run, let's put it on your shoulders, let's make this about you and what you can accomplish, and let's not hide behind that great, brilliant history of the Maple Leafs.'" He added, "Let's embrace it, let's honour it, but let's start right now that we all want to put on our shoulders the responsibility, the risk, the obligation that we want to win Stanley Cups, we want to build a new championship regime and we don't want to hide or make excuses" (SPORTSNET.ca, 8/13).
