Jaime Sifers
Now that the 2008-09 regular season has officially ended, it's time to take a look back over the roster to assess each of the Maple Leafs' players.
Note that I'm only including players who finished the season with at least one game played for the Maple Leafs, and am excluding those traded away during the course of the season.
Statistics for those who were acquired mid-season reflect games played as members of the Maple Leafs only.
The American Hockey League has released the 2008-09 Clear Day Period lists for each of its 29 member clubs.
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John Mitchell capturing fastest skater honours was the revelation of today's team skills competition. I could've predicted the team with Jason Blake and Dominic Moore would've won the event but I'm surprised Mitchell clocked in with the best individual time. Here's the team press release containing the results:
March 5th will be a significant date for Anton Stralman.
Why?
He's going to be re-inserted into the Leafs' lineup, and finally serve the role he was intended to grasp as an offensive defenseman in the NHL.
I don't care where in the tanking/playoff spectrum you stand, beating the Ottawa Senators is always sweet. Especially in a game riddled with physicality and controversy, against a rival considered at season's dawn a contender vastly more talented than the re-building Maple Leafs.
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The Maple Leafs look to extend their two game winning streak Tuesday night as they entertain the New Jersey Devils sans Martin Brodeur. Rookie Jeremy Williams looks to continue a streak of his own having scored in each of his first two appearances this season.
Anton Stralman has been sent down to the Marlies presumably to accommodate the return of Jonas Frogren off the injury reserve come Tuesday against New Jersey (or possibly because he was sitting the press box & not playing). In keeping with the "if you come to play you stay" mantra that Ron Wilson has been preaching, Jaime Sifers' run with the big club has been extended.
Stralman was outwardly displeased last time he was demoted to the AHL, which makes one a little uneasy about his potential reaction this time around. Due to waiver restrictions, it was going to have to be one of Sifers or Stralman, and there's no doubt Sifers is deserving of an extended stay with the big club based on his performance so far.
"Jeff Jackson, General Manager of the Toronto Marlies, announced today that the club has signed defenceman Joe Ryan to a professional try-out contract. In keeping with club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.
Ryan, 21, is in his first professional season with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL. In 20 games this season with the Cyclones, he’s collected seven points (one goal, six assists) and 31 penalty minutes. The 6’1, 204-pound defenceman ranks second (tie) on the club’s defence with six assists."
-Toronto Marlies.com [more…]
Williams & White score to rally Leafs to 2-1 win at the HSBC
The Maple Leafs escaped from the House of Pain with two points tonight and, better yet, their two call-ups were superlative in the process. Jeremy Williams sniped his second in as many games from the half boards to even the game at ones late in the second frame before Ian White beat Ryan Miller with a seeing eye double to give the Leafs the edge in the third. Fellow call-up Jaime Sifers was a physical force on the blue-line, throwing a team-leading three hits and finishing second only to Jeff Finger in terms of ice-time (a resounding 21 minutes including 5 minutes of short-handed time). Sifers played a role in a critical penalty kill in the late stages.
Be sure to check out Scot Louck's post-game thoughts below.
After enjoying his much-deserved holiday, Cliff Fletcher will sit down with Brian Burke in early January to structure his new role within the organization as per the man himself. It is expected he'll assume a role in the senior adviser capacity.
Mark Bell's career in Toronto seems to be all but over. The 28-year old from Ontario joined the Leafs along with Vesa Toskala at last year's draft shrouded under the cloud of an impending DUI sentence. With that cleared up this past summer, many Leaf fans hoped for a revival of the Mark Bell that scored 25 goals in Chicago during the 2005-2006 season. However, it was quite evident that Bell never managed to put it together in training camp or in the exhibition games that the Leafs played. [more…]
The Leafs waive, demote and start rumors.
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