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The Toronto Maple Leafs will be looking to hire a “data-centric” visionary as they move on from a disappointing NHL season that led to the firing of general manager Brad Treliving.
Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment president and chief executive officer Keith Pelley faced the media Tuesday to answer for a season gone wrong and give an idea of how the Leafs will move on in an increasingly competitive Atlantic Division.
Pelley said the misfortunes of the Maple Leafs, who entered the day in third-last place in the Eastern Conference standings, could not be placed solely on Treliving’s shoulders.
But after firing him Monday following three seasons on the job, Pelley said the team must “chart a new course” under different leadership, calling Treliving a “good man” and an “excellent hockey executive.”
Pelley said the search for the Maple Leafs’ new head of hockey operations will begin immediately, but assistant general managers Brandon Pridham and Ryan Hardy will share the duties on an interim basis for the rest of the season.
Pelley did not say whether the Leafs’ hockey operations would be led by a president, a general manager or a combination of the roles, but emphasized that whoever runs the ship must understand the importance of data and that all decisions must be evidence-based.
