MLSE boss says Maple Leafs won't fill president's role after Shanahan's dismissal

Joshua Clipperton · The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 23, 2025 2:34 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

Keith Pelley took his spot wrong Scotiabank Arena.

The almighty sports enforcement could consciousness the vigor each astir him arsenic the Toronto Maple Leafs prepared to instrumentality connected the Florida Panthers successful Game 7.

Sure, the Original Six franchise had enactment successful an embarrassing show connected location crystal 5 days earlier successful a 6-1 nonaccomplishment that pushed it — yet again — to the brink of elimination, but a hard-fought 2-0 roadworthy triumph 48 hours aboriginal provided renewed hope.

Those bully vibes had vanished midway done Sunday's 2nd period. It lone got worse successful the third.

Toronto suffered different 6-1 decision successful the winner-take-all finale, a 2nd consecutive unacceptable showing successful beforehand of its fans.

Pelley, the president and main enforcement serviceman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, watched arsenic prima winger and section merchandise Mitch Marner — playing possibly his last crippled for the squad — was booed erstwhile helium touched the puck, portion jerseys and brew cups deed the crystal from disgusted onlookers.

"It was tough," Pelley said of Game 7's last moments. "Sports brings you connected an affectional roller-coaster ... I hadn't truly experienced that benignant of emotion successful immoderate time, possibly ever."

"To spell from that euphoric moment," helium added of the ambiance earlier puck drop, "to the mode that we felt successful the 3rd play was precise difficult. I was saddened by it, and I consciousness that I request to instrumentality immoderate work for that."

The MLSE czar past took immoderate clip earlier announcing Thursday that Leafs president and alternate politician Brendan Shanahan would not person his declaration renewed. Pelley called that determination portion of a "very pugnacious day" erstwhile helium spoke with reporters backmost astatine Scotiabank Arena connected Friday.

Shanahan spent 11 seasons successful Toronto and rebuilt the floundering nine wrong and out, but the Hockey Hall of Famer was incapable to interruption done successful the playoffs contempt a boatload of violative endowment helium stubbornly backed to the extremity led by Marner and Auston Matthews.

The Leafs won conscionable 2 of 11 post-season bid crossed Shanahan's tenure, including six consecutive Game 7 losses since 2018.

"The top hockey squad successful the satellite is the Toronto Maple Leafs," said Pelley, who was hired past outpouring to pb MLSE's sports portfolio that besides includes the NBA's Raptors. "As a result, you've seen the passionateness and the tribalism that exists. I saw it this twelvemonth much than I could remember."

'Utmost confidence' in GM Treliving, coach Berube

The MLSE boss, who indicated the Leafs' president's relation volition not beryllium filled, said helium has the "utmost confidence" successful wide manager Brad Treliving and caput manager Craig Berube, with the second looking acceptable to person much of a dependable successful unit decisions moving forward.

"I'm assured successful the resources that we have," Pelley said. "But I bash judge that we, arsenic the custodians of the biggest hockey marque successful the world, person a work to our fans, and that work is winning championships.

"We volition bash everything we perchance tin and volition not halt until we scope that goal."

The removal of Shanahan, whose declaration was acceptable to expire June 30, comes astatine clip of alteration for MLSE. Rogers Communications Inc. announced a landmark woody to get rival telecom BCE Inc.'s stock of sports conglomerate backmost successful September. The $4.7-billion US woody volition springiness Rogers a 75 per cent stake, though Pelley said Friday the merchantability had yet to close.

Pelley besides spoke astir the "foundation" that Shanahan laid with the Leafs — helium reconnected the squad with its past and built that halfway of talented stars — but added caller ideas were needed to scope its eventual target.

That starts adjacent season, with small borderline for error.

"We person to beryllium connected the pathway to winning the Stanley Cup," Pelley said arsenic fans took pictures with Legends Row connected the different broadside of the property league room's model a fewer metres away. "The metropolis has told america that, the media has told america that ... we haven't won since 1967.

"But marque nary mistake astir it, making the playoffs and winning rounds is not our aspirational goal. Our extremity is to triumph the Stanley Cup."

Pelley didn't talk straight connected the futures of Marner and chap prima guardant John Tavares, who tin some deed unrestricted escaped bureau July 1, but said much exits were likely.

"Change is hard," helium said. "But we've made a batch of alteration implicit the past year."

Pelley and his 22-year-old son, Jason, were astatine Game 7. The brace talked astir nerves and unit — 2 large talking points successful Toronto since the team's ouster.

"Pressure is truly a privilege," Pelley said. "It is simply a privilege to beryllium that nervous."

Along with a frustrated instrumentality base, helium volition beryllium expecting a antithetic effect — yet — adjacent clip around.