The Toronto Maple Leafs are moving on from their longest tenured executive. The Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment’s (MLSE) board of directors met with team president and alternate governor Brendan Shanahan on Thursday and later announced they will not renew his contract, which set to expire at the end of June.
The 56-year-old became the team’s president in 2014. He helped rebuild the team, but during his decade in Toronto, the Leafs often struggled to get past the first round of the playoffs.
This season, the Maple Leafs lost in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs to the Florida Panthers, marking the 12th straight season they did not advance past the second round.
“Over the past 11 seasons, Brendan Shanahan has made countless contributions to the Toronto Maple Leafs on the ice, off the ice and in the community,” said MLSE President & CEO Keith Pelley. “Brendan is one of the most respected leaders in the game, and he has instilled many of the traits that were the signature of his Hall of Fame career throughout the organization, uniting this storied franchise in the ‘Honour, Pride and Courage’ that it was founded on. Our responsibility and driving motivation, however, is to add a new chapter to the Maple Leafs’ championship history, and it was determined that a new voice was required to take the team to the next level in the years ahead. The franchise will be forever grateful for Brendan’s contributions and wish him and his family every success and happiness in the future.”
According to Sportsnet, the New York Islanders were granted permission to speak with Shanahan regarding an opening in their front office.
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