It was just last week that MLSE president Richard Peddie called the vacant head coaching position with the Toronto Maple Leafs the "plum" gig in the NHL. If it's so plum, then why is it that only three of the last 17 coaches in Toronto have ever coached another game in the NHL? That's not "plum," Dick, that's career suicide. And the statement was pure arrogance.

Is the job in Toronto "plummer" than being the head coach of the New York Rangers, an original six team, in what's commonly referred to as the greatest city in the world? How about the one in Montreal, where the head coach is charged with guiding one of the most successful franchises in North American sports history? Detroit anyone? Who on earth would want to work for one of the most respected and consistently successful NHL franchises over the past decade and a half?

If the Leafs are attempting to create an artificial demand for the vacant positions with the hope that an avalanche of resumes will land in their mailbox as a result, there's no harm in trying, I suppose.

Never mind all this business about the coach, we are led to believe that the alleged candidates for the vacant general manager's position are waiting anxiously by their Blackberry's to receive the life-altering news that they have won the right to be the newest pawn in what is hands-down, the most dysfunctional operational structure the NHL has ever known. How else can you possibly describe the six fans at the top of the MLSE pecking order who are currently masquerading as board members? Perhaps their backgrounds in private banking, broadcasting, education, and discount furniture have become more crucially indispensable in building professional hockey powerhouses than we think.

The headlines in Toronto would have us believe that we're not just talking about candidates here, but the best of the best -- the cream of the crop. They include the likes of Brian Burke, Ken Holland, Doug Wilson, Lou Lamoriello, and even Wayne Gretzky (if not for star power alone). And these names are just the ones that are gainfully employed! Which begs the question: Who the hell would quit his job to work for this team? Maybe Dave Nonis is closer to getting the keys to the franchise than we think.

In the business world, they say the best companies attract the best people. Hockey is a business, right?



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