Latest news with #WendelClark
National Post
10 hours ago
- Sport
- National Post
SIMMONS: The mystery of Mitch Marner - the greatest unpopular player in Leafs history
How did it happen that one of the great, uncanny talents in the modern history of Maple Leafs will walk away from the team in a few days time with the circumstances surrounded by difficulty, indifference and disdain? Article content We should have loved Mitch Marner, we in the broad sense, the way we once loved Doug Gilmour or Darryl Sittler or Wendel Clark or, long before that, Dave Keon. Article content Article content We should have celebrated all that he was and could have been. But the marriage between athlete and community got lost in playoff instability, the relationship between star and its hopeful fanbase tripped all over itself until time ran out and there was no place to go for counselling. Article content Toronto adored the best of little Gilmour because of all he gave and because he was never better or bigger than when circumstances required him the most. Article content Toronto adored the fight in Clark, the combustion in his game. He would scrap with anyone, hit anyone and score on anyone. Article content Article content In Marner there was everything that should have translated to local celebrity, the kind of Leaf who walks around for the rest of his life just being applauded for being a Leaf. Article content He was undersized and Toronto always has had a certain hockey affection for the little guy. He was from here, one of us, and we love our own. Article content His on-ice vision was near Gretzky-Kucherov-like. His skating has always been exemplary. His side-to-side movement has been almost Crosby-like. Article content Article content His scoring numbers — he's the first Leafs winger to score 100 points, the first Leafs winger to average 90 points in his first nine seasons as a Leaf, never once missing the playoffs. Article content Article content He has his own charity foundation and seemed happy to give back. Article content He was all that and more — so why didn't we embrace him the way we have embraced so many in the past? Article content Maybe it was his public persona. He came across as stiff and disingenuous. The more he said in interviews, the more his words would be twisted or over-analyzed. Article content He wasn't the debate captain from his school days and maybe someone along the line — an agent, a parent, a media-relations person, a general manager — should have told him that he doesn't come across well. Article content That his words didn't translate to the public at a time when social media distorts every syllable spoken. In post-game scrums, which his how the Maple Leafs have chosen to feature their talent to the public, Marner often had the look you might see on one of those movie hostage videos: In other words, get me out of here now.
National Post
12-05-2025
- Sport
- National Post
SIMMONS: Why don't Matthews and Marner have more Wendel and Gilmour in them?
Article content Wendel Clark doesn't really know how to explain it. Article content How he elevated his game at playoff time. Article content How his crazy intensity of regular-season hockey turned up more than a notch when the Stanley Cup playoffs began in Toronto. Article content As a teenaged rookie, Clark scored five goals in his first 10 Stanley Cup games. He followed that up with six in his second season. In between all that, he was hitting and fighting and doing all the Wendel things that made him so beloved in Toronto. Article content Article content In the two magical Maple Leafs seasons still remembered so fondly, Clark scored 19 playoff goals in 39 games in 1993 and 1994, while smashing into anything around him and spending 75 minutes in the penalty box. Article content Article content If only there was some Wendel Clark in Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. If only those two Maple Leafs giants — in salary and regular-season numbers — had some of the qualities that made Wendel Clark, Wendel Clark. Article content Clark was built to play against — or for — the Florida Panthers. He was a more-dynamic Matthew Tkachuk, with a Matthews-Sam Reinhart kind of wrist shot and a body needing to engage in collision. He would have been the perfect Craig Berube player. Article content He wasn't the only Maple Leaf to grow come playoff time. Probably no one in Leafs history did it better than the rather tiny man himself, Doug Gilmour. Article content In the years in which Clark scored 19 goals, Gilmour had the two greatest individual playoff seasons in Leafs history. He had 63 points in 39 games in '93 and '94. No one will ever come close to that again. Article content And in doing so, Gilmour, more playmaker than the goal scorer and once traded for Berube, wound up with 16 post-season goals over those two years. Before that, he had scored 11 for the Flames in the only season Calgary won the Stanley Cup and he scored nine for St. Louis and led the playoffs in points without making it to the final with the Blues. Article content Gilmour never has completely been able to unpack what is was about him that made him so special in the biggest moments and the largest games. But he had it. In Toronto, in St. Louis, in Calgary, in Montreal — pretty much everywhere he played. Article content Article content And they can't turn the better comparable of Marner, the ultimate playmaker, into Gilmour, the ultimate playmaker. It looked like it was there for Marner when he scored giant playoff points — 44 in 18 games — when playing junior for the London Knights. Article content His whole game is measured statistically and always will be. Not known for his goal scoring, Marner has scored at 16-goal pace in the post-season after scoring at 21-goal pace in the regular season.
Toronto Sun
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
SIMMONS: Why don't Matthews and Marner have more Wendel and Gilmour in them?
Current Maple Leafs stars have wilted in the spotlight, unlike Toronto's past playoff heroes. Get the latest from Steve Simmons straight to your inbox Toronto Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews (34) and Florida Panthers' Eetu Luostarinen (27) go after the puck during Game 3. AP Photo Wendel Clark doesn't really know how to explain it. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account How he elevated his game at playoff time. How his crazy intensity of regular-season hockey turned up more than a notch when the Stanley Cup playoffs began in Toronto. As a teenaged rookie, Clark scored five goals in his first 10 Stanley Cup games. He followed that up with six in his second season. In between all that, he was hitting and fighting and doing all the Wendel things that made him so beloved in Toronto. In the two magical Maple Leafs seasons still remembered so fondly, Clark scored 19 playoff goals in 39 games in 1993 and 1994, while smashing into anything around him and spending 75 minutes in the penalty box. If only there was some Wendel Clark in Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. If only those two Maple Leafs giants — in salary and regular-season numbers — had some of the qualities that made Wendel Clark, Wendel Clark. Clark was built to play against — or for — the Florida Panthers. He was a more-dynamic Matthew Tkachuk, with a Matthews-Sam Reinhart kind of wrist shot and a body needing to engage in collision. He would have been the perfect Craig Berube player. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He wasn't the only Maple Leaf to grow come playoff time. Probably no one in Leafs history did it better than the rather tiny man himself, Doug Gilmour. In the years in which Clark scored 19 goals, Gilmour had the two greatest individual playoff seasons in Leafs history. He had 63 points in 39 games in '93 and '94. No one will ever come close to that again. And in doing so, Gilmour, more playmaker than the goal scorer and once traded for Berube, wound up with 16 post-season goals over those two years. Before that, he had scored 11 for the Flames in the only season Calgary won the Stanley Cup and he scored nine for St. Louis and led the playoffs in points without making it to the final with the Blues. Gilmour never has completely been able to unpack what is was about him that made him so special in the biggest moments and the largest games. But he had it. In Toronto, in St. Louis, in Calgary, in Montreal — pretty much everywhere he played. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The playoff lights came on and most nights no one shone brighter than Gilmour. If there was an answer for Matthews and Marner, with reasonable point totals this playoff season but not a reasonable amount of goals scored, Clark and GIlmour happily would supply the information. But they can't make someone in their image. They can't make Matthews mean the way Clark played with anger. It isn't in him. And they can't turn the better comparable of Marner, the ultimate playmaker, into Gilmour, the ultimate playmaker. It looked like it was there for Marner when he scored giant playoff points — 44 in 18 games — when playing junior for the London Knights. His whole game is measured statistically and always will be. Not known for his goal scoring, Marner has scored at 16-goal pace in the post-season after scoring at 21-goal pace in the regular season. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. That's a drop of more than 20% from regular season to playoffs for Marner. Marner has averaged the fabulous total of 92 points per season playing for the Leafs. His playoff totals to date have him at an average rate of 75 points as a post-season scorer. That's a drop of 23% on point totals. It's not much different for Matthews, the goal scorer nonpareil until the playoffs begin. He has averaged 52 goals per season in his nine-year career. Those are incredible numbers. At playoff time, though, he averages 31.5 goals. In his past 20 playoff games, nine of them against the Panthers, he has just three goals. The goal scoring drop from regular season to playoffs is 39%. If he was a stock, we would have sold long ago. The Maple Leafs need 5-on-5 offence from Matthews and Marner in order to eliminate the Panthers in Round 2 of the playoffs. The only way they can win this series, really, is at even strength. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Panthers penalty killing is so strong and aggressive, and Sergei Bobrovsky is now so sharp that the Leafs can't rely on their struggling power play to push the team to the next round. It has to come at 5-on-5. Marner has just six even-strength points in 10 playoff games this year. Matthews has seven, only one of them being a goal. Should those numbers continue, the Leafs will have great difficulty winning two of the next three games. William Nylander and Matthews Knies have done their part through two rounds of the playoffs, producing when necessary. The captain and the new father, though, need to be a lot better and a whole lot more engaged. There is a history here they may not know about, being as young and as privileged as they are. They probably don't know that Darryl Sittler scored at 37-goal pace in his time in Toronto and 32-goal pace come playoff time. That's what's supposed to happen to great players on the Leafs. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Read More Sittler's great winger, Lanny McDonald — Sittler as Matthews to McDonald's Marner — scored at 36-goal pace in playoff years for the Leafs at a time when he was scoring at 38-goal pace himself during regular seasons. Sittler once had a five-goal playoff game. McDonald scored a series-winning overtime goal. Clark had horns honking all over the city. Gilmour became an all-time Toronto sports figure to never be forgotten. What now for Matthews and Marner, who have combined to score one goal in this series? What now with this rich opportunity still alive for the most qualified Leafs team in years? Will Matthews and Marner be the reason the Leafs win the series — they can still be difference makers — or the reason they lose it? ssimmons@ Wrestling Editorial Cartoons World Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Maple Leafs
Hamilton Spectator
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Metallica, WWE celebrities spotted watching the Leafs battle the Senators Tuesday night in Toronto
Rockers and wrestlers filled Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday to cheer on the Leafs during their 3-2 overtime win against the Ottawa Senators. Metallica front-man James Hetfield watched the battle of Ontario from a private box and even got a visit from former Leafs captain Wendel Clark. Hetfield, who was born in California, is the lead vocalist and a guitarist for the band. Metallica is playing at the Rogers Centre on April 24 and 26 as part of their 80-leg world tour that began in 2023. Enter Passion 🔵 @Metallica Trish Stratus and Adam Copeland, two Ontario-born wrestling superstars, were also there to support their hometown team. Copeland, or the Edge if he's in the ring, has a Maple Leafs fan cave in his home in North Carolina and was part of a hype-up video posted to the team's social media before the playoffs began. Part of his personal collection includes a Wendel Clark rod hockey table. The former wrestler, who is from Orangeville, Ont., even got to meet the Leafs legend at Tuesday's game. Legends. Stratus hails from the Greater Toronto Area and was inducted to the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013. She posted a picture with Copeland and video of her dancing during the game. POV: when you're a wrestling fan at a @MapleLeafs game #yeet Stratus showed her support for the team in March, when she made a dramatic entrance wearing a Maple Leafs jersey during a WWE event in Toronto. The seven-time Women's Champion had fans chanting 'Thank you Trish' to which she replied, 'It's the jersey isn't it?' The series will now head to Ottawa for Thursday's matchup.
