Senior executive advisor Mats Sundin discussed the importance of building a close-knit team, the support system surrounding Gavin McKenna, and his pride in returning to the organization in a management role.
John Tavares recently credited you and John Chayka for helping bring together a roster with so many new faces. How important is building chemistry during a shortened training camp?
Sundin: At the end of the day, you obviously need talent. From the goaltenders to the defensemen and forwards, you need good enough players to be competitive in this league. It is so competitive.
But there is no doubt that the best hockey teams are close teams. They create a brotherhood. They become as close to a family as they can be. It is very important.
As John said, the team has already been here for a few weeks, skating on its own. The players have been out socializing and getting to know each other.
It is a short camp, but creating those bonds as quickly as possible is critical.
What advantage does Gavin McKenna have in learning from established Leafs such as Auston Matthews, John Tavares, William Nylander, and Morgan Rielly?
Sundin: I think it is really good for him.
If you look at Auston and the career he has had, he is one of the absolute best goal scorers in the game. To have that kind of experience and quality of player around McKenna is certainly going to help him.
It is a great situation for him to enter. There is a lot of experience in the room and players who have been in the same position as him as first-overall picks. It is all good for him.
What does it mean to be back with the Maple Leafs and directly involved in the organization’s decisions for the first time since you were a player in 2007?
Sundin: I am extremely proud to be part of this with John, Jim, and the rest of the group.
I feel fortunate to represent the Toronto Maple Leafs again. I felt fortunate when I played here. It is the greatest hockey market in the world.
Börje Salming told me when I signed here that I was coming to the best place to be as a player, and he was right. I still carry that with me. I spent 13 years here as a player.
It is very easy to have opinions from the outside about what is good or bad, but it is impossible to understand the reality until you are in the position we are in now and have gone through a full summer.
I feel very fortunate to be part of the management group and the team. There is a lot of experience from the past regarding what has been done well with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Some mistakes have been made, and hopefully, together, we can correct some of them and help with the process.
I am very glad to be back and to join this group.
