By JIMMY D / Leaf players just as kooky as Leaf fans | Jimmy's archive

Hell no! We won’t go! Hell no! We won’t go.

Jimmy covered the occasional protest or union sit-in during his journalism days where angry folks refused to be moved along. They wanted to stay, they deserved to stay and damnit, they were gonna stay!

Inevitably, the cops were called and the fracas fizzled after some screaming (and sometimes kicking).

It’s a similar situation happening in Toronto with the Maple Leaf roster and if you know many Leaf fans – ardent, zealous, borderline delusional – it’s not too hard to comprehend why it’s going on. It seems some Leaf players were serious Leaf fans growing up.

They got a chance to sign with the hometown team and then insist on no-trade clauses in their contracts because they were so loyal and loved the organization so much.

But what happens when the organization decides that loyalty can’t be – or doesn’t deserve to be – reciprocated? The sad-sack Leafs tried to peddle players at the trade deadline to bring in prospects and draft picks to improve their pathetic state.

Tomas Kaberle could have been traded to Philly. No trade clause, not going. You can’t make me.

Mats Sundin could have been traded to Montreal. No trade clause, not going. You can’t make me.

Bryan McCabe. Darcy Tucker. No trade clause, not going. You can’t make me.

Chad Kilger got traded to Florida and promptly sulked, refused to play and was granted a leave of absence. Only much-maligned Hal Gill – who played pretty well during the Penguin run to the Finals – took it like a man and moved on quietly. Andrew Raycroft got bought out, but that had more to do with the fact nobody wants to take a chance on him.

So instead of moving along like good little boys, giving their beloved Leafs a chance to get some value for them, they are kicking and screaming. In Tucker’s case, the team had to waive him and buy him out. No compensation and now Leaf Nation has to pay millions for the NHL’s little ball of hate to play somewhere else.

In Sundin’s case, they may get some compensation before July 1. They may not. Sundin, the good Leaf solider, can walk away too without giving his longtime employer so much as a thanks. For McCabe, the talk is the team has actually threatened to keep him out of training camp if he doesn’t pack his things – and his ridiculous contract thanks to John Ferguson jr – and go.

So far, it’s a chorus of Hell no! We won’t go! Oh, and if you make me, I will file a grievance with the NHL players union.

What in the name of Dave Keon are they thinking? There are players who deserve no-trade protection and clauses. Keon should have had one. Maybe Darryl Sittler. Maybe Miroslav Frycer. Maybe not, Miro.

The result for poor Leaf Nation will be a cupboard bare of prospects and a salary situation that impinges their ability to sign top-flight free agents. Half their payroll will go to paying Leaf lovers to play elsewhere because they refused to go willingly.

The result of all that will be another 40 or so years where the Stanley Cup says ‘Hell no! I won’t go to Toronto!’

Free agency opens today

By the time you read this, there should be plenty of action to assess and analyze to see how it affects your fantasy hockey plans for September. Last year saw the mega (aka stupid) deals paid to Daniel Briere, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez and others).

This year could be unique in that players balk at the NHL and opt to play overseas. Jaromir Jagr has such an offer to play in Russia, whose professional league is squabbling with the NHL over player transfers.

Already, Ryan Malone signed for silly money in Tampa Bay after securing negotiating rights from Pittsburgh and Brian Rolston’s rights were similarly peddled to the Bolts by the Wild. Jeff Carter got great money ($5 million a season) in Philly and Lubomir Visnovsky went north from LA to Edmonton in a swap for Jarrett Stoll and big defenceman Matt Greene.

Hold onto your salary cap – it could be a storm of signings and hot air starting today.

Jimmy D

jpoole@herald.ca