Word has it that the Leaf players, many of them playing in Europe and Russia this season due to the NHL lock-out, refused to ratify the new NHLPA contract if they had to come back and play under the same management.
Who can blame them? Better to be a contender in the Trans-Siberia Hockey League than miss the playoffs again under Burkie's stewardship.
Burke has been rebuilding the team for four seasons and it was an arguably better team before he started rebuilding. At the rate he was rebuilding it could easily have been another four years before the next playoff appearance.
Building a team around Phil Kessel and Dionne Phaneuf seemed like a no-brainer all along, as in only somebody with no brain would go down that road, but go down it he did, with disastrous results.
So here's to a fresh start for the Leafs. I give them this season to undo the damage Burke wrought. By next year I want to see a contender, or dammit I'm gonna be a Red Wings fan again.
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