33 years ago, Cliff Fletcher was inspired by the Blue Jays and Brad Treliving should follow suit
Thirty-three years ago, the Toronto Blue Jays reminded the city what it was like to be a winner. One person who definitely seemed to realize that winning in Toronto was special was Cliff Fletcher.
Fletcher had already done work for the Maple Leafs in the post-Ballard era with the dramatic franchise move that brought Doug Gilmour from Calgary, a Leafs trade that seemed to follow the path of the Joe Carter and Roberto Alomar trade the Jays made a few years earlier and that would set the stage for their World Series success. Even the Argos had achieved championship success with the high-profile takeover of Rocket Ismail in the early 1990s and Fletcher wanted to contribute to the championship atmosphere in the city.
After the Blue Jays’ first win in the World Series, Fletcher brought in John Cullen from the Hartford Whalers. Cullen was almost a point per player for the Leafs in 1992-93 and had a lot of success in Pittsburgh and initially in Hartford. Cliff swung for the fences and followed that move with acquiring Dave Andreychuk for Grant Fuhr. Andreychuk would score 29 goals in 31 games for the Leafs after his arrival that season and score 53 goals the following year. Fletcher was determined to build a winner.
33 years later, the Jays came within inches of becoming World Series champions. And for a brief moment, the city of Toronto came close to the euphoria experienced by the Raptors’ victory in 2019. The excitement of being so close to a World Championship should not be lost in this market, and while the Conference Finals runs that Cliff Fletcher did his part to provide the city with some of the best hockey the Leafs have played in the past 50+ years in 1993 and 1994, the Maple Leafs still appear nowhere close to Toronto. features the sports moment it seemingly longs for most: a Stanley Cup run.
It’s in that vein that you’d hope Brad Treliving would summon his inner Cliff Fletcher and also take note of what a legitimate contender means to this city. In some ways, Treliving has already done half the job of shedding its Gary Leeman link to the past in Mitch Marner, but at no point has Treliving entertained the idea of bringing in a player of Doug Gilmour level. A player at John Cullen level. A Dave Andreychuk level player. And certainly, the Leafs aren’t in Mats Sundin territory yet either. It’s hard to take the Leafs’ interest in a cup run seriously when the last four signings are bottom-six forwards on non-playoff teams.
The Broken Record continues to play the same lines over and over again, but Treliving needs to aim higher, take some risks and be willing to put a target on his back. There may only be 32 GM jobs in the NHL, but having a fortune to fall back on seems like an opportunity to do more than view the Scott Laughton and Joel Edmundson trades as bold moves.
When you look at Toronto’s best teams, you’ll see that bold moves preceded successful runs. In the NHL, you can see Bill Zito, Kelly McCrimmon and Steve Yzerman from the Tampa era as General Managers who are not afraid to make bold moves and pick up Stanley Cup rings as a result. Being timid and thinking small can get you to the playoffs every year, and not much else. And if the Blue Jays just showed what an extended playoff run looks like in Toronto, you’d hope Treliving is a GM who wants to make that moment happen for the Maple Leafs.
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offering a unique dining and social experience just steps away from public transportation and the
arena – perfect for pre-game meals before tip-off. Open on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.,
TABLE serves morning treats, creative food and lively after-work events. Immediately
private terrace overlooking Toronto’s elevated park, guests enjoy beautiful views
in addition to year-round programming with food tastings, cooking classes and live
music and pop-up events designed to inspire connection and creativity.
Follow @Tablefood hall of tablefoodhall.com
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