Harold Ballard made hockey in Toronto interesting during his reign of terror from the late 1960s until his death in 1990, but for all the wrong reasons. With bad trades, worse drafts, and head-scratching personnel decisions (bringing back Punch Imlach as GM in 1980, stripping Darryl Sittler of the captaincy, John Brophy as head coach), the Maple Leafs transformed themselves from powerhouse to hockey's answer to today's Pittsburgh Pirates.
Imagine for a moment that Ballard managed to beat his illness that would claim his life. What would the Maple Leafs be today? Would Mats Sundin even be in the organization, let alone captain? Would there have been spirited playoff runs in 1993 and 1994? Hell, would there even have been an Air Canada Center?
2007-09-05
17:07:10
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6 answers
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asked by
Snoop
5
in
Hockey