Earlier in the year, my brother predicted Mark Bell would score 40 goals for the Leafs.  I said he would likely score closer to 13.  Now that Bell is going to jail after this season, I'm feeling pretty good about my prediction. Tonight, Ryan and I made our bet official,

Speaking of major league disappointment, I'm a passionate fan of a sports franchise that hasn't won a championship since 7 years before my birth.  Every fall hope springs eternal and every spring I'm left feeling depressed and unsatisfied.  I feel like Charlie Brown taking another run at the football Lucy

Two years ago today, I was writing about our summer of discontent.  I wasn't happy with a hockey team I felt would need a little luck to make the playoffs.  We ended up missing the playoffs by two points.  Here's what I wrote two years ago. Are you a Leafs

It's July 26 and we're expecting a high of 28° here in the big smoke, a perfect time to talk Leafs.  Paul Hunter suggests in today's Toronto Star that Matt Stajan may have to go if the Leafs want to re-sign Mike Peca.  It's a salary cap issue, and trading

I usually check my RSS feeds first thing in the morning, to take the pulse of the blogosphere.  Today I'm behind schedule and I'm only getting caught up now.  There's an entry on Freddie P's blog that really spoke to me. Fred has forwarded my official Toronto Mike Maple Leafs

The official Toronto Mike Maple Leafs Countdown clock has been launched.  You'll find it at http://www.torontomike.com/countdown.html. There are only 84 days, 5 hours, 42 minutes, and 16 seconds left until the Maple Leafs opener against the Ottawa Senators at the ACC.

Brendan Shanahan said he only wanted to play in New York.  I didn't believe him.  I held out hope the unrestricted free agent would sign with his home town team.  Shanahan was true to his word, however, and he just signed a one year deal with the Rangers.  It's highly

The Toronto Maple Leafs love to sign goaltenders, but only if they're unproven.  This started last summer when we sent Tuukka Rask to Boston for Andrew Raycroft.  Raycroft had one decent season and one horrible season under his belt, and we wanted him in blue and white.  Go figure. About

Our beloved Toronto Maple Leafs and newly acquired netminder Vesa Toskala have agreed to a two-year, $8 million contract extension.  This contract begins after next season. That's some serious cabbage for a 30-year-old who has never been a number one goaltender in this league.  Last season, his best in the

While the kids and I were camping under the stars and fireworks, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed unrestricted free agent Jason Blake.  Blake scored 40 goals for the New York Islanders last season while no Leaf scored 30. I like the signing.  Blake can clearly score, it tough and can

MLSE president Richard Peddie confirmed yesterday that they're looking to hire a senior adviser to work with Toronto Maple Leafs general manager John Ferguson.  JFJ apparently needs some help, a mentor of sorts, as he's still learning the job after four years as GM of Canada's team. That's hilarious.  Only

The Leafs have acquired Vesa Toskala and Mark Bell in a draft day deal with the San Jose Sharks.  This trade isn't about Mark Bell, it's all about Vesa Toskala.  Actually, it's all about Andrew Raycroft. If you've read my Leafs ramblings over the past year, you'll know I'm not

Someone at MLSE was reading my entry this morning about Bryan McCabe.  Is that you John Ferguson, Jr.?

I subscribe to a Toronto Maple Leafs news feed from Yahoo!, and this morning's headline instantly grabbed my attention.  "Redden, McCabe could be available". Toronto Maple Leafs rearguard Bryan McCabe still has four years left on his deal, but the New York Islanders might make a pitch for him if

Who the hell needs a Stanley Cup when we could have Nik Antropov instead? The Maple Leafs have reached agreement with Antropov on a two-year contract extension. Clearly Leafs management had a decision to make.  Do we try and build a team capable of winning it all or do we

This cartoon from Patrick Corrigan was in today's Toronto Star. The opinions expressed in this cartoon may or may not be representative of Torontonians and Toronto Maple Leaf fans.

The CBC's ratings for the NHL playoffs are down.  BBM Nielsen figures show that no playoff game cracked the top 25 in the Toronto area during the week of May 7-13.  Apparently, this ratings slide is all our fault, and we should be proud. "We hope that red fever catches

Alexander Suglobov has left us for SKA-St. Petersburg of the Russian Elite League. After a nice little preseason in which I saw him finish a couple of sweet end-to-end rushes, I wrote this plea to give him a shot.  In hindsight, I was dead wrong and there will be little

Thanks to The Goalie Archive, I am pleased to provide you with a list of every goaltender in Toronto Maple Leafs history. Here are all 75 players to play net for the Leafs, in alphabetical order. Jean-Sebastien AubinTom BarrassoBaz BastienDon BeaupreEd BelfourGord BellTim BernhardtAllan BesterPaul-Emile BibeaultJohnny BowerTurk BrodaSebastien CentomoLorne ChabotEd

I openly acknowledged my weakness back in 2005.  Some Leaf games only air on Leafs TV and I didn't want to miss them, so I ponied up the coin and subscribed to channel 414.  There was instant gratification. According to globesports.com, Leafs TV will air about 25 games next

Forty years ago tonight, on May 2, 1967, Jim Pappin scored the winning goal as the Leafs defeated the Canadiens 3-1 for their 13th Stanley Cup victory and fourth in the last six years.  As you may have heard, the Leafs haven't won since. Humble referenced the 40 year drought

It's do or die for the Raptors tonight, the Jays are second in the AL East and the Leafs haven't been seen in over twenty days, but the big sports story in this city today is the status of Mats Sundin's hip.  According to this article by Steve Simmons, Sundin's

In an interview with George Gross of the Toronto Sun, Toronto Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin drops a tremendous quote. "But I will tell you one thing," he said emphatically. "The Toronto Maple Leafs will win the Stanley Cup while I'm still with the team.That's quite the statement.  Mats

We won't dwell on the obvious.  Yes, it was close.  Yes, John Madden's goal at 19:59 of the third to tie things up was unbelievable.  Yes, Sergei Brylin's pathetic attempt to force another round of shooters in the shootout will not soon be forgotten.  In the end, we finished