Say this for new Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving – the man doesn’t waste time leaving his imprint on his new team. Treliving was hired as Leafs GM on May 31, and a little more than one week later, as per an ESPN report Thursday, he has hired longtime NHL star forward Shane Doan to serve as assistant to the GM.
In only eight days, Treliving has changed the face of Leafs management, which had already had major change when Treliving took over for former Buds GM Kyle Dubas. Former special- assistant-to-Dubas Jason Spezza resigned when Toronto parted ways with Dubas, so there was clearly an opening in the mix of team brass for the Leafs. And Doan comes into the job with sparkling credentials.
For starters, there’s Doan’s 21-year NHL career, which was spent entirely with the same organization. He earned the prize of playing only for one team through consistently excellent on-ice play, and through an impeccable off-ice reputation for connecting with his city. Unfortunately, he was the cornerstone of the Winnipeg Jets/Arizona Coyotes franchise, which hasn’t done much of anything at the Stanley Cup level of competition.
But don’t pin that organizational failure on Doan. In 13 of his 21 seasons, Doan was good for at least 20 goals, and in eight seasons, he generated 25 goals or more. In 14 seasons, he posted at least 47 points, and in 11 seasons, he registered 50 points or more. On sub-par Coyotes teams, Doan was the heart and soul of the team, ever the good soldier, ever the solid citizen. And after Doan was done playing in 2017, it didn’t take long for him to branch out into management; in January of 2021, the Coyotes named Doan its chief hockey development officer – a fancy way of saying there were few people in Arizona’s management structure that had more say in the workings of the franchise than Doan did.
You can say Doan has never been a part of a winning team, but that would be ignoring the success he’s had at the international level of the game: Doan was on Canada’s 2004 World-Cup-winning team, and he’s won a pair of IIHF gold medals for his country. He knows what winning feels like, and he’s also been loyal, probably to a fault, for every team he’s ever played on. And Treliving doesn’t have to worry about Doan angling to take over. If you talk to those who know him, Doan may have a hunger to win, but not at the expense of being someone who would angle to take over the job of the guy who hired him.
That said, Doan’s appointment Thursday is only the first step Treliving has taken as Leafs GM. Undoubtedly, as he settles into the position, Treliving will install other hockey people who will be loyal to him. That’s just a natural function of people who hold the power Treliving now holds.
In the weeks ahead, leading up to the NHL entry draft and free agency, you should expect the Leafs to look significantly different than they do as you read this. In his introductory press conference, Treliving seemed to give Buds head coach a chance to win him over. But, other than that, just about every Leafs management job is up for debate and discussion.
The Treliving Era has truly begun in Toronto. Change isn’t just coming in the future – change is at hand, right now, and it is coming to a much greater degree. Treliving and Doan bring with them a different perspective, and after the flame-out of the Leafs in the second round of this year’s playoffs, a different perspective is probably just what they need.
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