The Toronto Maple Leafs will part ways with president Brendan Shanahan after the team announced on Thursday that it will not renew his contract.
It marks the end of an 11-year run for Toronto native Shanahan, during which time the Maple Leafs reached the postseason each of the last nine seasons. Prior to his arrival, Toronto qualified for the playoffs just once in nine years.
“Over the past 11 seasons, Brendan Shanahan has made countless contributions to the Toronto Maple Leafs on the ice, off the ice and in the community,” Keith Pelley, MLSE president and CEO, said in a statement. “Brendan is one of the most respected leaders in the game and he has instilled many of the traits that were the signature of his Hall of Fame career throughout the organization, uniting this storied franchise in the ‘Honour, Pride and Courage’ that it was founded on.
“Our responsibility and driving motivation, however, is to add a new chapter to the Maple Leafs’ championship history, and it was determined that a new voice was required to take the team to the next level in the years ahead. The franchise will be forever grateful for Brendan’s contributions and wish him and his family every success and happiness in the future.”
The six most successful seasons in Maple Leafs history in terms of victories occurred under Shanahan’s watch. Postseason success, however, did not follow. Toronto won just two playoff series during his tenure, never advancing past the second round. The Leafs fell to the Florida Panthers in the second round on Sunday.
The Maple Leafs have not won the Stanley Cup since 1967 — the longest such drought in the NHL.
“While I am proud of the rebuild we embarked on starting in 2014, ultimately, I came here to help win the Stanley Cup, and we did not,” Shanahan, 56, said in a statement. “There is nothing more I wanted to deliver to our fans, and my biggest regret is that we could not finish the job.”
–Field Level Media
