The Maple Leafs’ new Senior Executive Advisor of Hockey Operations, Mats Sundin, discussed his decision to move back to Toronto to join the Leafs’ management and what he can bring to the organization’s front office.
Opening Statements
Sundin: I am extremely proud and excited to be sitting here today. I am very emotionally connected to the team and to the city. It has been my home for 13 years, 11 years as a captain. I have known John (Chayka) for a long time. I think we have the same vision of what a winning team looks like. I think we are going to complement each other perfectly.
After 18 years of playing in the NHL and on the international stage, following the Toronto Maple Leafs over the last 10 years very closely, and on the international level with prospects, I am really looking forward to the challenge. The experience for MLSE and Keith Pelley to bring in the earlier generations of the Maple Leafs and bring it into the mix as a complement to John… There are some things that have been done really well in the past for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and there are some things that should be learned from that were maybe mistakes. That is in regard to the locker room, management, and so forth.
With that experience, I hope to contribute and represent other generations of players, like Wendel sitting here, Darcy, and Doug. I am very proud to have the opportunity to represent earlier generations of Toronto Maple Leafs players.
I am really looking forward to this. The Toronto fan base is the greatest fan base in the world, and this is the hockey capital of the world. We are going to do everything we can to get a winning team here and make you guys proud.
Q&A
You’ve come to this position as a former long-time captain and, up until this year, the most prolific goal scorer in team history. You are well revered among the fan base. Do you feel you’ve put any of that at risk now, depending on the results of your management tenure? If so, why did you want to put that at risk?
Sundin: I don’t think so. I don’t worry about the risk to start with.
I think I have knowledge and experience from being a player and the captain here during an era, too, where we went to the Conference Finals a couple of times. I was lucky to play with guys like Doug Gilmour, Wendel, and Darcy when I broke in.
As I’ve said before, I think great organizations also learn from earlier generations on what has been done well and mistakes you don’t want to repeat. With that experience, I hope to contribute at all of the levels in terms of players, coaches, the people in the dressing room, and also with management.
I don’t feel it that way. I feel really fortunate to be able to work for MLSE again, and especially for this fan base, who we all think deserve better and a team that is contending. I am really looking forward to putting in the work and trying to bring the experience I have to help the team.
Could you describe the process by which you were hired? Who called whom? How long did it take?
Sundin: I’ve had contact with Keith since probably a year and a half ago, from the first meeting with him here in Toronto. It was the same as John — a lot of extensive interviews with different stakeholders, and not only Keith. It has been a good process.
In watching the team for many, many years, there is experience and knowledge I have that can help the team. When we started the discussion, I think it was a mutual discussion of whether I could help or not.
You made a passing reference to the locker room. You have a lot of experience as a long-time captain. For you, do you think the culture of this team needs to change? What, if anything, needs to change about the culture?
Sundin: I haven’t been in there, so it is an impossible question to answer now. I think all former players can agree that everyone talks about a good locker room, but they don’t really know it until they’re in one that is actually a winning one.
Any time that is winning and has success has a really strong locker room. There is a buy into a bigger vision of what we’re going to do together. That is very important, I think.
