Maple Leafs execs to fans: sorry this season (and last one, and the one before that…) sucked

Maple Leafs execs to fans: sorry this season (and last one, and the one before that…) sucked

(Image: Dustin Hall)

The Toronto Maple Leafs brass have released an open letter apologizing for the team’s dismal performance this season. It’s not an original move (the Raptors and Canucks have both begged forgiveness in the past), but perhaps it was a necessary one, given that the Leafs missed the playoffs this year for the seventh straight season—and their fans are losing patience.

The full letter:

Dear Leafs Fans:

On behalf of the ownership of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, we want to thank you for your unwavering passion and loyalty. Like every fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs, we are disappointed with the results of this season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are a public trust with the greatest fans in the world. We have fallen short of everyone’s expectations, and for that we are sorry. We take full responsibility for how this team performs on the ice, and we make no excuses. The way this year ended was unacceptable. Results are the only measure of success in sports, and the results speak for themselves.

Ownership believes in the plan for the Maple Leafs. All of the resources at our disposal will be used to make sure that the entire organization is focused on making the Leafs a successful playoff team. We are 100 per cent committed to ensuring we ice a team that competes with the NHL’s best. Passion, hard work and accountability will always be the hallmarks of our organization.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are privileged to have such passionate and loyal fans. We do not take that for granted. Our entire organization wants nothing more than to deliver a team that makes you proud.

Yours sincerely,

Lawrence M. Tanenbaum, O.C.
Chairman of the Board
Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment

Good thing we now know who to blame—just in case we were thinking of chalking up all those losses to some sort of ancient curse or something.