MLSE President & CEO Keith Pelley discussed fan attendance, tanking, the path back to contention, and the Leafs’ search for the next head of hockey operations.
Fan attendance has gone down. Ticket prices are up. Are you pushing your fans to the limit in certain ways, given how the season has gone?
Pelley: I don’t think tickets are down, to be honest with you, at this particular time. Our renewals are very strong. We went in with only a small increase. Some were flat. Some were less than inflationary increases compared to the year before. But renewals are quite strong. We are now trying to understand the task of the secondary market from the government last week.
I think Leafs fans deserve a better product. We are going to work in every way we possibly can to do that.
What is it about this team that makes you think this season is maybe a one-off, and you could be back in the mix next year?
Pelley: I think we have some foundational pieces. We have generational pieces in #34, #88, #23, and #91. We have strong goaltending. There are a lot of positives. We now just have to surround those individuals with better pieces. That will be the decision and task of the new head of hockey operations.
If the foundational pieces have been here for 10 years and the team hasn’t won anything, why are they still so important going forward?
Pelley: I don’t think you can pin that on the foundational pieces. To be successful, you need a fully rounded team, and Florida is a perfect example of it. Tampa is an example of that. You can’t just have one or two superstars and expect to win a Cup. Everything has to be firing on all cylinders. That means everything from on ice to off ice. We’re not there yet.
Is the goal to return to competitiveness immediately next season, or is maybe a step back necessary first to build a stronger foundation for long-term success?
Pelley: As I said earlier, a lot of those strategies, in terms of exactly what transpires next year, will be the task of the new head of hockey. The reality is that we create a strategy, but then tactics come on top of that. Depending on what the tactics are and how we can implement them, it will determine our success.
The one thing is, and I was quite surprised to see an article a couple of weeks ago about resources — there are no challenges with resources. We are currently undeniably the team that spends the most on hockey expenditures in the league. That should provide us with an opportunity and an advantage to be stronger.
I strongly believe that we don’t use data as well as we need to use data right now. And that will change.
Have you spoken to any candidates from other teams yet?
Pelley: I have not.
In the past, the Leafs have been able to overpay and steal someone from another organization for a prominent position. Is that something you would entertain doing, if it were necessary to put the right person in place?
Pelley: I hadn’t thought about it, but if the right person is in place and wants to come here…
First and foremost, you have to want to come here. One of the pure table stakes is that you want to be a part of this storied franchise, and you want to be the person who heads up the operations to bring a Stanley Cup here for the first time since 1967. If there is any doubt in your mind about whether you want this job, you won’t be interviewed.
If you want that opportunity — and there are a plethora of people who will; that’s why it will be an exhaustive search — then you will be interviewed. Anything is possible.
Do you have a timeline in place for when you want the hiring process to be complete?
Pelley: Nirvana would be the middle of May. The end of May, prior to the combine, would be good. If not, very early June, because you need to prep for the draft.
From a personal perspective, what has it been like to see the season unravel as it has?
Pelley: From a personal perspective, it is rollercoasters. In every single game, you get a high and a low. It determines your sleep quality. I probably haven’t slept as well as I have in previous years.
With some of the Raptors’ wins and with TFC now on the right trajectory, I am getting more sleep.
Was there any point in the season when you were asked to replace Craig Berube?
Pelley: No.
You spoke about the Canadiens and Sabres in your press conference. What was it about Buffalo and Montreal that stood out to you as emerging powers?
Pelley: Well, Buffalo had 10 first-round top-10 picks from 2012 to 2022. That is why. They should be that good. Montreal has had a lot of picks. They have great depth in Michael Hage, their defenseman Adam Engstrom, their goalie Jacob Fowler, and David Reinbacher. It goes on and on; Slafkovsky. Buffalo has Helenius. Helenius and Mrtka are two top 15 picks. Buffalo and Montreal are going to be strong for a long period of time. We have to get better and get better quickly to compete in the Atlantic Division.
You’ve mentioned the draft success of the Sabres and Habs. Don’t you see value in trying to get your first-round pick this year by doing everything possible to fall into the bottom five?
Pelley: No, I really don’t. I totally disagree with that. We won’t do that. That’s not what I believe sport is all about. Everyone who knows me knows I have a fierce opinion on that. That, in my opinion, changes the integrity of sport and the integrity of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
If fans are angry with that, I respect that, but we will not tank.
Will there be some consultation with the core players in the upcoming decisions, especially with a player such as Matthews, who has a big stake in the team?
Pelley: I would imagine at some point that there will be a conversation with Auston.
