Wednesday Could Be The Day
January 21st, 2008 by Nothing But Leafs
By HOWARD BERGER
TORONTO (Jan. 21) ? Unless there is a major snag in negotiations between the Maple Leafs and Cliff Fletcher, expect the veteran hockey executive to re-join the organization ? possibly by the middle of this week. A source familiar with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment told me this evening that the board of directors held a meeting earlier today at the Air Canada Centre, hoping to iron out the details of a contract for Fletcher. And, though almost all of the momentum is on the side of Fletcher returning, the deal must clear some important hurdles. They include:
*A monetary provision that will allow Fletcher to virtually off-set the $300,000 salary he is still earning, this season and next, from the Phoenix Coyotes.
*A deal without the so-called ?interim? tag. Though every person hired by a hockey team is essentially on an interim arrangement, it is believed Fletcher has little enthusiasm for a short-term fix. He is looking to assume a presidential-type role, with full authority to hire the next general manager of the Maple Leafs. Cliff would remain at the top of the hockey department, and would have meaningful input into all matters relating to the team. Final authority, however, would be the domain of the GM, as in all functional organizations.
*A blessing from, or the exclusion of, minority shareholder and company chairman Larry Tanenbaum, who was instrumental in Fletcher being dismissed by the Leafs in May, 1997. Though no one will confirm this, it is believed Tanenbaum does not want Fletcher to return. In the latest round of his on-going internal squabble with CEO Richard Peddie, Tanenbaum is apparently trying to rally enough board members to offset the directors affiliated with Peddie, and the company?s prime shareholder, the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan. The latter group ? having the numbers, and the percentage-base authority to push through any appointment ? is believed to strongly favour Fletcher. With his 13 percent equity in the team, Tanenbaum is unlikely to summon enough clout in this battle.
*Most importantly, a written provision that would largely reduce the involvement of the MLSE board in hockey department matters. The board currently has input on everything from signings and trade proposals, to purchasing band-aids for the trainers? room. Though the directors of all NHL teams approve fiscal budgets, Fletcher is apparently looking for the MLSE board to move aside once a budget is in place. And, fans of the Maple Leafs would gladly shout ?Amen!? to that.
While it?s imperative to stress that the entire arrangement can still be scrapped, and that other candidates may be under consideration for the role, my bird-dogs say that MLSE and Fletcher are closing in on a deal that could be announced on Wednesday, before the Leafs host Washington at the Air Canada Centre. The timing, however, is very difficult to pin down, especially with the political gymnastics in the board room. The NHL is hopeful of the Leafs making their move before the All-Star festivities this weekend in Atlanta, so that nothing of such magnitude up-stages the event.
What remains unclear to me is the future of current GM John Ferguson. It is assumed that if Fletcher gets the deal he?s looking for, Ferguson will no longer have decision-making power in the hockey department, and will be replaced as GM prior to next season. But, no one has yet told me that Ferguson will be fired outright. He could still retain a job within the organization. We?ll have to wait and see.
January 21st, 2008 by Nothing But Leafs
By HOWARD BERGER
TORONTO (Jan. 21) ? Unless there is a major snag in negotiations between the Maple Leafs and Cliff Fletcher, expect the veteran hockey executive to re-join the organization ? possibly by the middle of this week. A source familiar with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment told me this evening that the board of directors held a meeting earlier today at the Air Canada Centre, hoping to iron out the details of a contract for Fletcher. And, though almost all of the momentum is on the side of Fletcher returning, the deal must clear some important hurdles. They include:
*A monetary provision that will allow Fletcher to virtually off-set the $300,000 salary he is still earning, this season and next, from the Phoenix Coyotes.
*A deal without the so-called ?interim? tag. Though every person hired by a hockey team is essentially on an interim arrangement, it is believed Fletcher has little enthusiasm for a short-term fix. He is looking to assume a presidential-type role, with full authority to hire the next general manager of the Maple Leafs. Cliff would remain at the top of the hockey department, and would have meaningful input into all matters relating to the team. Final authority, however, would be the domain of the GM, as in all functional organizations.
*A blessing from, or the exclusion of, minority shareholder and company chairman Larry Tanenbaum, who was instrumental in Fletcher being dismissed by the Leafs in May, 1997. Though no one will confirm this, it is believed Tanenbaum does not want Fletcher to return. In the latest round of his on-going internal squabble with CEO Richard Peddie, Tanenbaum is apparently trying to rally enough board members to offset the directors affiliated with Peddie, and the company?s prime shareholder, the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan. The latter group ? having the numbers, and the percentage-base authority to push through any appointment ? is believed to strongly favour Fletcher. With his 13 percent equity in the team, Tanenbaum is unlikely to summon enough clout in this battle.
*Most importantly, a written provision that would largely reduce the involvement of the MLSE board in hockey department matters. The board currently has input on everything from signings and trade proposals, to purchasing band-aids for the trainers? room. Though the directors of all NHL teams approve fiscal budgets, Fletcher is apparently looking for the MLSE board to move aside once a budget is in place. And, fans of the Maple Leafs would gladly shout ?Amen!? to that.
While it?s imperative to stress that the entire arrangement can still be scrapped, and that other candidates may be under consideration for the role, my bird-dogs say that MLSE and Fletcher are closing in on a deal that could be announced on Wednesday, before the Leafs host Washington at the Air Canada Centre. The timing, however, is very difficult to pin down, especially with the political gymnastics in the board room. The NHL is hopeful of the Leafs making their move before the All-Star festivities this weekend in Atlanta, so that nothing of such magnitude up-stages the event.
What remains unclear to me is the future of current GM John Ferguson. It is assumed that if Fletcher gets the deal he?s looking for, Ferguson will no longer have decision-making power in the hockey department, and will be replaced as GM prior to next season. But, no one has yet told me that Ferguson will be fired outright. He could still retain a job within the organization. We?ll have to wait and see.
