Toronto Sun

Well, wasn’t Tuesday’s 3-2 Calgary overtime win a night of unusual sights at SBA? Starting with Leafs’ goalie David Rittich wearing some bright red equipment, having flown here with the opposing Flames after Sunday’s trade. In pre-game warm-ups, he tried not to stare across centre, where all the Flames left their...

David Rittich didn’t have to wait long to make his Maple Leafs debut. And, unfortunately for the faithful in Leafs Nation, he didn’t have to wait long for his first Toronto loss. Acquired from the Calgary Flames on Sunday night, the 28-year-old netminder got the call on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena — against the...

David Rittich didn’t have to wait long to make his Maple Leafs debut. Acquired from the Calgary Flames on Sunday night, the 28-year-old netminder will start for the Leafs on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena — against the Flames. “I had a conversation with Dave (on Monday) to get a sense of where his head was at, being...

For the stormy seas of playoffs, the Maple Leafs have added a fourth captain’s ‘C’ to the bridge. Nick Foligno joins John Tavares, Jason Spezza and Joe Thornton as those who had that letter on previous NHL teams, though in Thornton’s post-deadline world, he might have a reduced role. Heading into Monday’s game in Montreal, the 41-year-old Thornton had gone 12 games without a point and appears to be...

Reacting to their big trades the previous 72 hours, Morgan Rielly declared it “go time” for his Maple Leafs. Not so fast. Perhaps the excitement of landing Nick Foligno, Riley Nash, David Rittich, Ben Hutton and a couple of depth pieces distracted from proper prep work for the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night. The Leafs...

Kyle Dubas’ faith in Frederik Andersen hasn’t waned. In fact, the Maple Leafs general manager expects Andersen to be back in uniform at some point this season. Andersen, dealing with a lower-body injury, has not been on the ice since March 19, when he was in goal for a loss against the Calgary Flames. “I’m convinced that Freddie is...

Ben Hutton was in the Maple Leafs’ sights for a while. General manager Kyle Dubas confirmed as much, saying the Leafs had interest in the defenceman in the summer of 2019. Two years ago, the Leafs traded for Tyson Barrie and Cody Ceci and wanted to see more development in Travis Dermott. The attraction to Hutton didn’t wane, and minutes before the NHL trade deadline on Monday the Leafs acquired Hutton...

Kyle Dubas had seen enough and figured it was time to make a move. Or several, as it turned out. The Maple Leafs general manager kept himself busy right up until the National Hockey League trade deadline hit on Monday afternoon, and if he incurred some data overage fees on his phone, we don’t imagine his bosses at MLSE will mind. Dubas...

Fighting for his reputation and maybe even his future with the Maple Leafs, Kyle Dubas has emerged as one of the favourites to be general manager of the year in the National Hockey League. And in making that leap, he has positioned the Leafs — the historically inept club that hasn’t won a playoff round since 2004 — to be considered contenders for the Stanley Cup for the first time in his...

The NHL’s trade deadline has come and gone. And while the quantity of deals that occurred was significantly less than in previous years, it is the quality that really matters. Here is a look at the winners and losers. WINNERS Kyle Dubas The checklist is complete....

For most of my life, the resting emotional state of Toronto Maple Leafs fans has bounced between sadness, fear and disappointment. There have been occasional swells toward optimism and hope, but always followed by grief and despair. What the fan base has rarely been is confident. And, with good reason. The Leafs went the whole of the 1970s and ’80s without ever finishing better than third in their division, which seems like it would be tough to do simply from a statistical...

Kyle Dubas squeezed in a couple more trades in the minutes before the National Hockey League deadline hit on Monday afternoon. The Maple Leafs general manager checked off another vital box, acquiring depth on the blue line when he traded for defenceman Ben Hutton from the Anaheim Ducks for a fifth-round draft pick in 2022. And...

Morgan Rielly had four words of reaction to the two deals the Maple Leafs made Sunday night. “It’s go time now,” the defenceman Rielly said of adding Nick Foligno and David Rittich and possibly more before Monday’s 3 p.m. NHL playoff deadline passes. “We have to start working now and get the process down before...

Another goaltender has come to the crowded Toronto crease as the trade deadline nears, boosting playoff depth, but dimming the picture for Frederik Andersen. Though the Maple Leafs have dodged the question of whether the injured Andersen comes back this season, they acquired Calgary Flames backup David Rittich late Sunday for a third-round pick next year. Calgary will also pick up 50% of Rittich’s salary. ...

After his Maple Leafs eliminated the St. Louis Blues in May of 1993 at the Gardens, reaching the Western Conference final, Mike Foligno took five-year-old son Nick for a walk home among delirious Toronto fans. “That parade atmosphere, that stuck with me,” Nick said Sunday. “I’ll never forget that (21-game run), my dad talks about it to this day. I’m looking forward to going on...