runs March 16th to March 20th at the METRO TORONTO CONVENTION CENTRE. Wanna catch a great show? Come and visit, its a Blast. I go every year and suggest you do too.

When you set the hook on a fish, and you feel the tug that you’ve been waiting for, time seems to slow down. It’s probably your brain speeding up, but for that brief moment, relative to what is happening, time does seem to stop.

Our idea is unique in delivering what’s first and foremost a fishing trip. You’ll have an incredible opportunity to relax and experience the natural beauty of the Kawarthas.

If you’re looking for white linen or pampered luxury, you’re not going to find it here. But if you’re looking for clean, comfortable accommodations, outstanding service, equipped fishing boats on a lake with the most diverse fishing, my friends you’ve found us.

You’ll spend quality time with quality people like yourself and you won’t believe what a special lake you fished and the fish you caught. You will leave with a smile on your face that I can guarantee, and if you’re like the majority of our guests you will return.

Days at the Fishing Lure Lodge start early for most people, a quick breakfast and then its off to the dock – anglers can start fishing soon after dawn.

At mid-day, guests return to the cottage for a BBQ – a chance to share stories from the morning and enjoy a few hours of downtime before the evening fishing, which starts in the afternoon and runs until dusk. Some conversation, a bite to eat, maybe a movie wraps up the long fishing day.

The host is knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and he delights in sharing the information with our guests. Our boats are in shape and do an excellent job transporting around the lake.

We at Fishing Lure Lodge offer the best rates you’ll find anywhere. Tell us about better rates and we’ll match them, wait, we’ll offer you the same rate + a 5% discount.

Weekend - $169/pp

Long Weekend - $249/pp

Five Weekedays (Monday to Friday) - $299/pp

One Week (Sunday to Sunday) - $399/pp

We also offer the use of canoe and bikes.

Please note: Add 10% to above rates in prime busy season (June 26 - September 7)

Please call for group rates

416.821.7090 [email protected]

Did Brian Burke finally make that big trade, that blockbuster move that defines the Maple Leafs for the next 5-10 years?

Wait…..this all sounds so familiar… (Phil Kessel trade)

But I digress, these are the blockbuster deals that Leafs fans have been waiting and pleading for all season.

First Trade

Dion Phaneuf, Fredrik Sjostrom, and Keith Aulie for Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman, Ian White and Jamal Mayers.

Second Trade

Jean-Sabestien Giguere for Vesa Toskala and Jason Blake.

Now these are quite the trades for Toronto considering that four of the six players leaving Toronto are forwards, but the Leafs do get tougher and they do get a lot younger, now being one of the youngest teams in the league.

But the best part of this trade is that Brian Burke addressed some key issues with the Maple Leafs that have been plaguing the team all season.

Goaltending, the penalty kill, and a big, hard-hitting defenseman.

Lets start with Phaneuf.

Although he has been slumping and in the doghouse this season, Phaneuf is one of the most exciting defenseman in the game. He has a massive shot from the point, and brings a physical presence to the blueline, something that Mike Komisarek was supposed to bring and something that Luke Schenn was supposed to learn.

Giguere is a former Conn Smythe winner with a Stanley Cup ring to go with it. Although he has been struggling this season, he still has played much better than the other two goalies Toronto had on there roster. He will be reuniting with former goaltending coach Francois Allaire whom he had his best success with, so expect good things coming from the goaltender.

The under-estimated part of this deal is Sjostrom. He is a penalty-killing winger that is one of the fastest skaters in the NHL. He will instantly make the Maple Leafs penalty kill better with his presence.

Finally there is the wild card out of all these deals, Aulie. He is a former World Juniors gold medal winner who is a monster in the back end at 6-foot-6. He hits hard and is not scared to drop the gloves if he has too.

Overall the Leafs did a good job at addressing there major needs. But the one issue that needs to be addressed more so now then ever is there sputtering offense.

In total, 57 of the Leafs 148 goals scored this season so was traded in the span of three hours.

But luckily, Brian Burke did state in a Leafs press conference that he is not finished making trades and that until the next deal is done, those positions will be filled with scratched players and rookies looking to make a mark.

Most likely those rookies will be Viktor Stalberg and Christian Hanson from the AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies.

So even though the Leafs did lose a fan favourite in White and two of the Maple Leafs leading scorers in Stajan and Hagman, the Leafs got help in three areas of their game that have been severely lacking.

Let’s hope in the next couple weeks, these players can gel well with the players that they already have.

Why wasn’t it yesterday? Or tomorrow? Or a week from now?

It was none of them. It was today, Jan. 31st, that changed the Toronto Maple Leafs, hopefully for the better.

We’ll say hopefully because, in sports, you take nothing for granted because nothing is guaranteed.

In a pair of moves that turned Leafs Nation on its head, Brian Burke was able to go out and acquire a cornerstone defenseman in Dion Phaneuf, a fast defense-first forward in Fredrik Sjostrom, a burly defensive building block in Keith Aullie, and a goalie who brings legitimate starting experience to the team in Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

Phone networks in Southwestern Ontario probably crashed this morning. Hungover 20-year-olds woke up and thought they were still “celebrating” from the night before.

The buzz on the streets was about the Leafs, but it was finally something positive after months of negativity.

Like everything, though, questions remain. So let’s get some answers.

Who is Dion Phaneuf going to play alongside in Toronto?

The great thing about this is that Phaneuf gives the Leafs options.

For one, he gives the power play that huge shot that was missing since Bryan McCabe was traded to Florida. Francois Beauchemin was supposed to provide that, but his shots haven’t finding the back of the net.

Case in point: Tomas Kaberle, the man who would be setting up Phaneuf’s mammoth shot, has more goals this season (five) than Beauchemin (four).

Phaneuf also has 10 goals already on the season. The outgoing Ian White had nine to lead Leafs defensemen, and before Phaneuf’s acquisition, the Leafs had just five double-digit goal scorers (outgoing Matt Stajan had 16). While only the New York Islanders (four) and New York Rangers (three) have fewer double-digiters, the goal scoring from the back end will be welcome.

Along with that, Phaneuf can line up alongside Luke Schenn and not only teach him the nuances of playing an physically imposing game but also provide the Leafs with (potentially) one of the most dangerous pairings in the NHL over the next few years.

Between Schenn, Phaneuf, and Mike Komisarek (whenever he gets back), the Leafs have muscle. Effective muscle.

What will Jean-Sebastien Giguere’s role be?

In Ron Wilson’s press conference this afternoon, he threw around the word “mentor” a lot, which is a good thing.

Now, instead of relying on a goalie who had never been a solo starter in another market and a goaltender spending his first year in a new league, Brian Burke went out and nabbed a starter who has a track record of excellence and helping along young netminders.

Wilson mentioned the fact that Giguere was the starting goalie when Ilya Bryzgalov and Jonas Hiller hit their peaks, and to a lesser extent he helped Martin Gerber along as well.

Now the Leafs are trying the combination of Giguere and Francois Allaire together to help get Jonas Gustavsson to that same level.

Who starts between the two of them?

That’ll be an interesting question to have answered. Remember, it was just Jan. 22nd when the Leafs announced that they’d be giving the bulk of the remaining games to Gustavsson , but that was before they brought in the Conn Smythe and Stanley Cup winner.

Now? The likelihood is that, if time isn’t split, it’ll be eschewed a little heavier to Giggy, who has one more season at $7 million left on his contract after this one.

It also lowers the likelihood that Gustavsson’s re-signing will “break the bank” this season as so many people have assumed it would because:

A) Giguere’s deal eats up that extra $7 million in cap room (Remember Toskala was a free agent after this season) and;

B) Gustavsson has done little to earn anything that could help him afford the stars and moon.

What about the other guys that the Leafs are getting back?

From Calgary, the Leafs get one of the premier defensive forwards, penalty killers, and fastest skaters in Fredrik Sjostrom. In Ron Wilson’s own words: “He could probably come in today and be the fastest guy on our team.”

Although many are complaining about the fact that the Leafs’ lost four forwards in trades today and only got one back, Sjostrom won’t really impact the offense.

A bit of expanded ice time could see him broach the 20-25 point plateau once again, but overall he’ll be expected to help the league’s worst penalty kill and keep the puck out of the net.

Sidenote: For the second-straight season the Leafs will become the first team to allow 200 goals on the season. The next closest team this year? Edmonton at 180 allowed.

Keith Aulie will give the Leafs organizational depth at defense, a talented prospect, and even more size.

The 6′6″, 217-pound defenseman won’t offer much in the scoring department, but he’s got great size and character (he was a two-time Scholastic Player of the Year in the WHL and captained the Brandon Wheat Kings last season).

While most will be excited about the acquisition of Phaneuf, Aulie is the name in this deal that could turn heads down the road. At just 20 years old, Aulie has a ton of opportunity and won’t be rushed through Toronto’s system thanks to a wealth of NHL defenders.

Toronto had to have fleeced both the Anaheim Ducks and Calgary Flames in these deals, right?

While that’s probably the popular thought amongst many Leaf fans right now, it may not be necessarily true.

Consider the fact that Matt Stajan was miscast in Toronto as a first line centre thanks to necessity. In fact, Stajan goes to the Flames as their second-leading scorer behind Jarome Iginla, and his 51.6 percent success on faceoffs is tops on the team, overlooking rookie Michael Backlund’s limited sample (three games).

The Leafs also lost a very underrated scorer in Nik Hagman. The Flames pick up a guy who will strengthen their offensive attack and could hit the 30-goal mark this year. Hagman is also 10 points away from re-establishing his career-high in points for a third straight season, and at 30, he can still be a key piece for the Flames for a few seasons.

A few weeks ago we talked about Ian White being the most affordable 30-point defenseman in the league, as he immediately becomes the Flames’ top-scoring defenseman.

Jamal Mayers wanted out, so the fact that he goes to a potential playoff team could light a fire under his game, while that would give him a shot at a Stanley Cup later in his career.

As far as the Anaheim deal goes, the Leafs were able to get something for Vesa Toskala, who’ll get a new lease on his career and try to re-invent himself as the backup to Jonas Hiller. He also returns to the Pacific Division, where he had the most successful run of his career with the San Jose Sharks.

For Jason Blake, he gets his release from—what has to be—one of the most stressful situations of his career. Since he signed with Toronto, the expectations were always high because of the fact he was coming off of a 40-goal season and coming in with a $4 million cap hit.

Unfortunately for Blake, if he was in Toronto under, say, a $2.5 million contract, things may have been different for him.

Who are the winners and who are the losers?

In a way, each team wins.

Calgary frees themselves from Dion Phaneuf’s contract while offsetting the offensive loss on the blueline (slightly) and providing depth up front.

Anaheim ensures that they’re not trapped with two highly paid goalies after signing Jonas Hiller to an extension on Saturday while getting some lower-line, veteran help in Jason Blake.

And Toronto? Well they get another defenseman to build around, setting up a formidable top four, a goalie who could rediscover his mojo to become dynamic, and shaken up a roster that could use something to light their fire.

They also get the chance to integrate a few more guys in the lineup up front (the names of Rickard Wallin and Jonh Mitchell have been thrown about) and call up a few players to get them some NHL minutes.

What’s the best thing to come out of this deal?

The fact that Leaf fans can now use jokes featuring the words “Finger” and “Giggy” and have them reference hockey.

That’s the question so often asked in the world of sports these days, and more especially, in the world of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Ever since the last Stanley Cup victory in 1967, the loyal fans of the Leafs have been asking that question with only a shoulder shrug in response. There is really nothing anyone can do about what could have been. The past is the past, but there are plenty of opinions on events that changed the course of the team’s future, and if the events had happened differently.

And there have been plenty of what-ifs for this team over the past 10 years or so; like what if they never traded away budding superstars like Brad Boyes or Tukka Rask? What if they had a first round pick in this year’s draft? But the latter is a question for another day.

There is one question, though, that has been asked many a time that takes Leaf fans back to a better time. A time where winning was the norm, and the playoffs were a time to get excited in Toronto, not to hang up your Leafs jersey for another year.

A time when Pat Quinn was the coach.

He was hired in 1998 after the Leafs had gone a dismal 30-43-9 with only 69 points the season before. His impact was immediate, quickly turning the team from a pretender to a contender.

The Leafs previous style was not working and Quinn, over the course of just one season, turned them from a struggling group of individuals to a team-first, scoring machine with a swagger that commanded respect.

They finished Quinn’s first season with a record of 45-30-7 and 97 points, fourth best in the Eastern Conference. A 28-point difference from the season before, but that was just in the regular season.

The real magic came when the playoffs began, as the Leafs played their way into the Eastern Conference Finals against the Buffalo Sabres. They lost the series in five games, but the one-year transformation was complete and Quinn was in full control of the team.

And he had the city in a frenzy of excitement.

He was a runner-up for the Jack Adams Trophy, and was rewarded by being named the general manager along with his coaching duties.

It was officially Quinn’s team now, and the city was already in love with the fiery teddy bear that was the Leafs coach now knew that he was in full control as the GM. His second season in Toronto was even better, as his team finished third in the East with 100 points.

They lost in the second-round of the playoffs to the New Jersey Devils, the eventual Stanley Cup champions, but Leaf Nation was alive with realistic dreams of a championship in Toronto once again after that successful 1999-2000 season.

At this point Quinn might as well have been the Mayor of Toronto.

In the next three seasons the team finished with 90, 100, and 98 points, making it to at least the second-round in two of those three years, including yet another trip to the Conference Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes in 2002, which they lost in a hard-fought, six-game classic.

In those first five seasons Quinn had a record of 214-139-57, two trips to the Conference Finals, and the entire city in the palm of his hand. He had a lineup of grizzled old men and up-and-coming rookies, fused with a solid veteran presence in the net, and a determination that was second to none.

Quinn just didn’t want to win. He expected it.

The Leafs were finally back to being one of the best teams in the NHL, year in and year out.

But after the 2002-03 season, Quinn was replaced as the GM by John Ferguson Jr. However, Quinn remained as the team’s head coach. The Leafs brass felt it was best that someone else came in and looked after the management of the team, while Quinn focused solely on the team on the ice.

That’s when things started to change.

Sure, the 2003-04 regular season was the Leafs best under Quinn, finishing with 103 points before losing in the second-round to the Philadelphia Flyers, but there were rumblings of a rift between Quinn and Ferguson about the decisions being made.

After the 2004-05 lockout season the Leafs and Quinn returned in 2005 looking to make it to the postseason for the seventh straight time.

It was a tough year for the team, as they lost Eric Lindros, Jason Allison, and Ed Belfour to season-ending injuries (all three signed the season before by Ferguson) and looked to be out of the playoff picture with 12 games remaining. But on the shoulders of the many young players that were drafted by Quinn, as well as Quinn’s trusty veterans, the Leafs went on a 9-2-1 run to finish the campaign and missed the playoffs by just two points.

It was a tough pill to swallow, as it was the first time under Quinn that they finished outside of the playoff picture, but the incredible run at the end that was done without the help of three key members kept the city hopeful for the following season.

There were rumors that Ferguson was going to fire Quinn, something that was figured to have been the plan ever since JFJ became the GM of the team due to the friction between the two, but many Leaf players, including Mats Sundin, publicly supported their coach.

The majority of Leaf fans agreed. One bad season after six great ones was not enough to fire a coach, especially one who was as successful as Quinn.

Or so they thought.

Immediately following the end of that season in 2006, even before the playoffs had begun, Quinn was fired.

He had led his team to the playoffs six out of seven seasons, appeared in two Conference Finals, and was a finalist for the Jack Adams Trophy. He finished with a record of 300-196-78 and a 41-39 record in the playoffs.

His players loved him and the city adored him, but because of one season where the team missed the playoffs by a mere two points, Quinn was shown the door with a simple “thank you for your contributions to the team.”

He did absolutely everything you could ask for from a coach, earning the love and respect of everyone who crossed his path. He did what he was supposed to do and then some.

So what if Pat Quinn was never fired? What if Ferguson Jr. was never hired as GM? What if there was no friction between the two? What if Quinn was able to stay on with the team for even just one more season?

What if?

It’s almost impossible to say what would have been if Quinn was allowed to stay on as the coach of the Leafs. Sure, the team’s veteran players were only getting older and the salary cap meant that the Leafs could no longer afford any player at any time. Sure, the heart and soul players like Darcy Tucker, Curtis Joseph, and Mats Sundin who willed this team to so many wins are long gone.

And sure, the league was smack-dab in the middle of a boom of young talent coming in and taking over, but did Quinn really deserve to be let go? We all know the disaster of a job that Ferguson did as the GM of the team, trading away prospects and draft picks for older players that never really panned out.

So the question of whether bringing in Ferguson was the right move will always remain. He was the reason Quinn was fired; he fired him. He and the higher-ups on the Leafs wanted to put their own stamp on the club.

A stamp that since then has withered and been all but tossed in the trash.

His firing had no merit. Plain and simple.

It may not have made a difference whether Quinn stayed or not, but the Leafs haven’t made the playoffs since his departure. In fact, every season since his departure has gotten worse and worse as the team becomes gradually more of a laughing-stock.

He should have been given at least one more shot. After all he had done, one more season with the club was not too much to ask.

There are no more 90-point seasons now. There are no more chants of “we want the Cup” ringing from the crowd at the ACC. The playoffs are simply a dream these days. And though Brian Burke and Ron Wilson have come in and earned some admiration from Leaf fans in their short time as the current coach and GM, there hasn’t been anyone as loved and respected as Pat Quinn.

And no one as deserving.

It’s a different team now and almost every player that was a member in Quinn’s days is long gone. It’s a new team now. A younger team. A worse team.

Much worse.

And say what you want about the new NHL, Quinn just had a way of making things work with the players on that team.

The Leafs only remaining game against a Western Conference team this season is against Quinn and his new team, the Edmonton Oilers—one of only two teams worse than the Leafs.

On March 13 he will make his first trip back to the Air Canada Center since standing behind the home team’s bench, chewing his gum ever so vigorously, and wearing his heart on his sleeve for the blue and white for seven fantastic seasons.

He will no doubt receive a standing ovation from the ACC crowd, a small gesture of thanks for everything he did during his tenure with the Leafs. He certainly deserves one, at the very least.

While the thousands of fans stand and salute the man that was so successful behind the bench in Toronto, there will no doubt be a video-montage playing back the memories of the days when this was Quinn’s team.

A time when fans cheered on a winning team. A time when Toronto was a tough place to play. A time when the mention of the Toronto Maple Leafs wasn’t followed with a sarcastic laugh.

The good old days.

What if indeed.

Here’s the skinny—Jaroslav Halak has started 23 games, posting a record of 14-8-1 with three shutouts, a goals against average of 2.43 and a save percentage of .927. Comparatively, Carey Price has started 32 games, posting a record of 11-17-4 with no shutouts, a GAA of 2.73 and a SV percent of .913.

Am I the only one who doesn’t see a controversy here? Given the numbers, Jarolsav Halak should be the Canadiens goaltender of the future, not the often moody and inconsistent Price.

Sure, Price has more cache than Halak on the trade market, but why would you want a goalie that seems to have a chip on his shoulder and inferior statistics to boot? If the “Price” is right, the Canadiens should ship Carey out of town.

Not only are the Washington Capitals 9-1-0 in their past 10 games and just two points out of first overall in the league, the Capitals also boast seven of the top 20 players in plus/minus rating.

Alex Ovechkin leads the way with a league-best +32, followed by teammate Jeff Schultz, who is the leagues highest rated defenseman at +27. Nicklas Backstrom +23 (8th), Mike Green +22 (11th), Alexander Semin +20 (14th), Eric Fehr +18 (16th) and Brendan Morrison +18 (17th), round out a very impressive lineup that may very well be the best in the NHL.

San Jose Sharks forward Patrick Marleau is currently leading the NHL in scoring with 35 goals, comparatively, the Vancouver Canucks Henrik Sedin leads the League in points with 76. Well boys, it’s been nice while it’s lasted, it says here Alex Ovechkin—who sits second overall in both categories with 34 goals and 73 points respectively, will be number one in both categories within a week.

As everyday passes, it’s looking more and more as if the Phoenix Coyotes 2007 first round draft pick (third overall), Kyle Turris, is a bust. Through 46 games with the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL, Turris has registered nine goals and 26 points. Is this the year the Coyotes consider trading the young centre?

Do you think Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke had to hold back his laughter when Jamal Mayers’ agent called him up and suggested it was time for Mayers to move on from the Blue and White?

Mayers, who has just one goal and five points to go along with his -7 rating, through 42 games, would be lucky to get picked up by a KHL team, never mind another NHL team. I said it earlier this year, I’ll say it again, thanks for the memories Mr. Mayers, but it’s time to hang ‘em up!

Keeping with the Leafs, if Burke wants to add a first line centre via free agency this summer the pickings will be slim. Sure, Patrick Marleau will be available, but you have to think he’d check out other options before he’d ever consider joining the Leafs. Olli Jokinen is also available—but the Leafs have enough underachievers already, so scratch that…

That leaves the likes of Saku Koivu—who is all but finished, Chris Higgins—who is not a first line player, Mike Comrie—see Higgins comments and elder statesmen, such as, Mike Modano—who will probably retire, John Madden—career third liner, Doug Weight—too old, and Toronto’s own Matt Stajan—a player that is destined to be a second or third liner his entire career.

The only logical signing would be Montreal Canadiens centre Tomas Plekanec. Plekanec, who has 13 goals and 39 assists through 55 games with the Canadiens this season, would be a great fit with Leafs sniper Phil Kessel.

A Plekanec-Kessel duo would be a formidable one, one that Burke could build an offense around. That said, a Plekanec signing would be a risky one, especially if he is commanding $5-6 million a year on a long-term deal.

On another note—for all you Leaf fans out there that are holding onto hope that Brian Burke will somehow turn the likes of Alexei Ponikarovsky, Niklas Hagman, Lee Strempniak or Matt Stajan into a first round draft pick, think again.

The only way the Leafs could possibly acquire a first round draft pick would be to ask defenseman Tomas Kaberle to waive his no-trade clause, something that Brian Burke continually insists he will not do.

Every NHL team understands the value of building through the draft. As such, the odds of Toronto stealing a first round draft choice from another team is slim to none. Sorry Leaf fans, the rebuild is going to be painful to watch, especially if the Boston Bruins end up with a top five pick at this years draft…

What it all means is that IF the Leafs are going to improve dramatically, they will likely need to do it from within the organization or through trades—two areas the Leafs have historically been challenged in. Then again, there’s always the draft….never mind….

Until next time,

Peace!

But the rumours persisted.

Authors wrote that Bosh would not want to remain in the oft-ignored, frozen wasteland north of the U.S. border, that all players had become frustrated with the hardships of U.S. Customs, and, of course, that Bosh was on his way south to join up with James, Wade, Howard, or Bryant to form the next NBA dynasty.

Of course, these rumors largely ignored logic.

Chris Bosh is part of the class of free agents who are expected to be offered maximum contracts by their current team—contracts worth at least $30 million more than any other suitor is in a position to offer.

The logical expectation should have always been that Chris Bosh is not going anywhere !

In a recent interview with Michael Grange of The Globe and Mail , both Bosh and Bryan Colangelo confirmed the obvious.

When Bosh was asked if he expected to be traded, “I doubt it.”

Asked if he wanted to be dealt, “No, no, no, no.”

When Bryan Colangelo was asked about his intentions with Bosh, “I have no intention to move him, and have absolutely every intention to keep him long term.”

When Colangelo was asked if the Raptors owners, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), were willing to become a luxury tax-paying team, he replied, “They want to win and they’re committed.”

MLSE was a tax-paying team in the years after the Raptors had their first playoff run with Vince Carter. The Raptors were willing to pay whatever it took to keep that team together and bring in more talent. Just because that didn’t work out as planned is no reason to believe the owners won’t do it again now.

For all those who believed Bosh was going to be traded because the Raptors just were not a good enough team this season, try to remember the 2006-07 Raptors that brought in nine new players and were 22-22 in January after a rough 7-13 start, just like the current team.

Bryan Colangelo and the Raptors management believed that these Raptors could win 50 games ! This season’s roster changes were eerily similar to the changes made by Colangelo in 2006-07, which leads some to believe that the Raptors will bounce back for a 47-win season again.

If one looks around at the major basketball sites now, the rumors of Bosh leaving are drying up as quickly as the Raptors’ scores in games. Media are now focused on players like Amare Stoudemire, Andre Iguodala, and Caron Butler.

One can safely believe Bosh will still be with the Raptors in April and will likely still be with the team for many years to come.

Brothersteve’s Green & Red Raptor Blog