Maple Leafs fired Brad Treliving early to avoid leaks, per Elliotte Friedman
The Toronto Maple Leafs struggled to regain momentum after the Olympic break, and that slide led to major changes before the end of the NHL regular season. The team is still hanging in playoff contention, but has failed to build consistency when it mattered most. Even coach Craig Berube has admitted the group did not perform well enough after the break.
“Just coming out of it, we didn’t perform well enough, obviously, to put ourselves in a better position,” Berube said. “We worked hard on the break and got ourselves prepared, but it didn’t translate to the ice. ” That stretch raised questions about leadership and direction, eventually leading to the dismissal of general manager Brad Treliving.
MORE: Major changes possible for Maple Leafs & nobody is ‘safe’ During a Sportsnet broadcast, analyst Elliotte Friedman explained why the decision came suddenly. He said discussions had already started behind the scenes, with CEO Keith Pelley meeting several people. According to Friedman, Treliving did not want uncertainty hanging over him and pushed for clarity.
“There had been a lot of reports that Keith Pelley was conducting meetings and talking to people, and I think Brad Treliving just didn’t want this to hang over him,” Friedman said. “He [Treliving] said, ‘If you’re going to make the decision, make the decision. ’ And I think that’s what the Maple Leafs decided to do.
It was weird. ” Friedman said the Leafs acted quickly because they believed news would leak. “Apparently, Craig Berube told the team about two hours before the game tonight, and I think a lot of people were surprised by the timing.