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The Toronto Maple Leafs officially welcomed the club’s new president, Brendan Shanahan today. He starts immediately and will have the final say when it comes to hiring and firing players and coaching staff.
After another disappointing season, Leafs fans are happy to see such a decorated player joining the organization, especially in his hometown neighbourhood of Mimico.
Shanahan has an entire community rooting for him to succeed as the new president.
Everywhere you go in Mimico, from the arena where he learned to play lacrosse and hockey, to the local watering hole, fans look up to him.
“I’m glad he’s coming back to Toronto finally. We should have had him years ago, but he’s back now and it’s going to be a cup soon,” says fan, Robert Morrison.
The Blue Goose Tavern even has a Shanahan shrine on its wall.
“Look where he’s gone. He’s won a couple Stanley Cups, the jobs he’s had. He’s very focused and driven,” says Terry Chemij, owner of Blue Goose Tavern.
Shanahan has an impressive resume on the ice: he’s a Hall of Fame inductee with an Olympic gold medal and three Stanley Cup wins.
But the Maple Leafs Organization says his character is the main reason he landed the job.
“He was a tough kid. he had three brothers to make him that way,” says Brian Dalton, who knew him as a kid.
Many Leafs fans are waiting for Shanahan to prove himself with a bold staffing move before they get on board.
But the hometown hero has already earned Mimico’s full support.