I'm just about finished reading '67: The Maple Leafs, Their Sensational Victory and the End of an Empire, and have come to this conlcusion. Not only was Harold Ballard the devil who caused the Leafs to become the laughingstock of the NHL from the proud franchise they were with Conn Smythe at the helm, but Punch Imlach was just as much of an asshole. During the 60's, he gutted the Leafs' core of young players and stars because they didn't get along and traded them for money which he used for personal reasons, as did Stafford Smythe and Ballard. How they won championships during the 60's says more about the players than about ownership and management. Imlach did the same thing when he re-joined the Leafs in the late 70's by trading away Lanny McDonald to prove a point to Darryl Sittler that no one should challenge him as coach.
The Leafs haven't played a game this year yet through this book, are still giving me ulcers.
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