MLSE Chief Commercial Officer Dave Hopkinson believes the Maple Leafs still "have something to sell their season-ticket holders that hasn’t been there in recent years," and that is "real, long-term hope that things will improve," according to James Mirtle of the GLOBE & MAIL. Hopkinson said of the team's rebuild, "What’s amazing to me is in talking to our fans over the last eight, nine days since [President Brendan Shanahan] made the changes, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. They get where this is going. That this is not a small change. This is not a half-measure. That this is broad organizational change. And that’s what they want to see.” Hopkinson said that 99% of season-ticket holders "have renewed for next season, meaning most of those who bought last year and weren’t showing up to games late in the season haven’t been scared off." He said, “We’ve had other years that were very frustrating. ... This was the year where it felt like it boiled over. ... I think (the relationship with the fans) has been really strained." Mirtle writes the rebuilding plan is "unlike anything the Leafs have undergone in their nearly 100-year history." Shanahan has essentially told the MLSE board that he "intends to rip out the foundation of the staff and roster and start again, pursuing a path that almost guarantees they will struggle mightily in the short term." Hopkinson: “He told us, ‘This is going to be hard.' We’re living it right now and it is hard. He’s right. But he’s committed. And we’re committed to doing what it takes to have a winner." Mirtle notes the team is "attempting to sell that lack of success as a positive." Instead of "being bad aimlessly," it is "now with a purpose" (GLOBE & MAIL, 4/24).
WRITING ON THE WALL: Former Leafs GM Dave Nonis, in his first interview since being fired, said that he figured his meeting with Shanahan the day after the season ended "would be business as usual." Nonis: "A part of me thought we were going to move on to the next phase of our plan. That was my first thought, but a part of me knew it was coming." Nonis added, "He told me he was making a change. I pretty much knew what he was thinking ... I understand the reasons behind it. I’m not mad at Brendan. He’s still a friend of mine. But still, I was disappointed." Nonis "calls his time in Toronto a mostly positive experience." Nonis: "It’s pretty hard to understand the level of commitment from the fans. The loyalty and interest in unmatched anywhere. And from an ownership standpoint, everything was exceptional. I know people don’t believe this, but the owners want to win. [MLSE Chair] Larry Tanenbaum is one of the most supportive and generous owners I’ve ever met." He added, "I believe the team can win in Toronto. It’s just going to take some patience and some time" (TORONTO SUN, 4/24).
