[Lefty Noob]

In news that I'm sure will make our own blueandwhite VERY happy, the Toronto Maple Leafs have fired GM John Ferguson. Ferguson's firing, as well as the hiring of Cliff Fletcher as his replacement on an interim basis, will be announced at a press conference this afternoon.

TheStar.com | Sports | Leafs fire GM Ferguson

[blueandwhite]

Hey lefty you stepped on my story

Not a big surprise, Fletcher's name has been thrown about around here for the last month. They've put the blame on ferguson's shoulders - I personally thinks it falls on the shoulders of many.
Alot of fans will like this, alot of fans will say, So what?
press conference at 1.

[blueandwhite]

there's an interesting column in the paper by Damien Cox about what did Fletcher do for us last time he was here (summer 1991)?:
"In September (Fletcher) swung a deal with Edmonton to bring in three veterans - goalie Grant Fuhr, winger Glenn Anderson and forward Craig Berube - in a whopper of a deal. Fuhr was coming off a shortened year due to a drug suspension, but Fletcher proclaimed him to be the "cornerstone to a new foundation."
In exchange, the Leafs surrendered a package of young players including 23-year-old Vince Damphousse, Luke Richardson (22), Scott Thornton (20) and goalie Peter Ing (22).
Damphousse retired in 2004 with a Stanley Cup ring from Montreal and 432 NHL goals, 314 for teams other than the Leafs.
Richardson has played 1,385 NHL games and is still skating for Ottawa. Thornton is also still playing and gunning for 1,000 games-played.
And what about the three players the Leafs received?
Berube was moved four months later in the monstrously successful Doug Gilmour deal with Calgary. Fuhr was peddled 18 months later in another deal that brought short-term help to the Leafs in sniper Dave Andreychuk. Anderson lasted all the way until March, 1994 before being traded to New York.
As of today, Fletcher now runs the Leafs again. But will he take the same approach?
Stay tuned."

He has to do one big thing IMMEDIATELY, I say. One major move.

[Lefty Noob]

Sorry, blue! Was just surfing when I found the news.

So you don't expect this to have much play with fans? At least the team's trying something to right the ship. But yeah, like you say, this guy's got to do something pretty quick to show that the team means business, and that Ferguson isn't just the fall guy here.

[blueandwhite]

There was a survey done a while back and more than half of the people surveyed said the changes needed were more off the ice than on the ice.
so I think a lot of fans will be happy they did this.
i just think the changes need to be on ice - but ferguson was a guy who didn't get great deals made. So i guess the idea is we get someone else in who will get great deals made- I'm just not sure if fletcher is the guy.
like cox said - stay tuned.

[blueandwhite]

classy mats sundin has said this:
"As players, and everyone below him, you feel guilty that you didn't come out with the performance that he gave you the responsibility and gave you the trust you were going to come up with and be in a position we all expected to be in. "Players and coaches and GMs, we're all in the same boat and it's always tough for everybody when something like this happens and I think we all feel for John."

The Swede takes it upon himself again - he only ever blames himself.