X-Factor

Led Tasso is gone. 

The Toronto Maple Leafs scheduled a surprise press conference today and announced that they have mutually decided to part ways with Tasso. 

More specifically, Tasso announced that he is stepping away from his job as the Leafs’ head coach. Tasso will remain as General Manager of the team, so in essence he has fired himself. 

“I have enjoyed every second I’ve spent behind the bench. With no prior coaching experience, it was a challenge I set for myself and I learned something new every single day. With the perspective I had, I have a whole new level of respect for the guys and what they put out there every single game. With the lessons I learned as a coach, I’m confident I can put them to even better use as a manager, where I’ll be able to dedicate my time and efforts 100% to making this team the best I possibly can.”

When asked if he could ever see himself calling the shots on the bench again, he didn’t rule it out. “Look, I don’t have a crystal ball. I can’t see into the future. It’s not something I ever thought I would do in the first place. I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of it ever happening, but for now, I think I’ve taken enough years off my life with all of the stress that comes with the job.”

They didn’t keep the fanbase in suspense on which direction the team was going in regards to who would be the new head coach. Joining Tasso was their new hire. If you haven’t heard the name before, you’re not alone. Never one afraid to make a bold move, the GM did just that in introducing Jackie Daytona. With his trademark toothpick hanging out the side of his mouth, Daytona’s charisma was rivaled only by his wit and he bantered with the horde of reporters who had gathered for the presser. 

When asked what his plan was for trying to get the Leafs over the hump in the playoffs and delivering a championship to the hockey mad city of Toronto, he simply said, “we’ll fix it, fast”. 

At this time, not a lot is known about the mystifying Daytona. We think he’s from Tucson, Arizona by way of Clairton, Pennsylvania. While he has no prior experience at the helm of a hockey club, he does have some coaching experience on his resume. He helped guide Clairton’s local women’s volleyball team to the State Final, so that’s something. How that translates to men’s professional hockey is anyone’s guess, but we should know by now to never second guess GMLT’s intrepid decision making. 

Also joining the Leafs as assistants will be Steven Toast and Douglas Reynholm. Both assistants come in with a combined 0 games of previous coaching experience. At least when it comes to sport. 

Toast, a somewhat accomplished actor, may have taught a few classes and coached some actors when he wasn’t busy doing voiceover work. His role with the Leafs will be to help with the forward groups, specifically the powerplay. The hope is that he will be able to inject some creativity into a team that consistently struggles to put the puck in the net. Practise makes perfect, but a bit of improvisation here and there never hurts. 

Reynholm, on the other hand, will look at assisting the defensive group. While the defense didn’t necessarily struggle under the guidance of Tasso, Reynholm will give the group a new identity. What that identity will be remains to be seen. His inclusion on the coaching staff raised some eyebrows, which is quite humorous given the other selections unveiled today. It’s just that when digging deeper into his previous career as a CEO for Reynholm Industries, his managerial skills appear to be…horrible. Perhaps this change of vocation will bring out the best in him. Tasso and Daytona seem to see something in him, so we’ll give them the benefit of a doubt. At least for now.