Two Toronto sports teams made massive moves today, almost “one upping” each other.
First it was the Toronto Maple Leafs unveiling who will take over from Lou Lamouriello as the teams General Manager. Then it was the Raptors making a move many people talked about, but didn’t actually see happening.
The wild buzzer beater by LeBron James in game three of the second round series between the Raptors and Cavaliers may have sealed coach Dwane Casey’s fate.
The all time winningest coach in franchise history was fired today despite winning the coach of the year award.
“Today was a really difficult day in our organization, I just want to take this opportunity to thank Casey and his family for the great time he has give us the last seven years.”
The Raptors lost to LeBron and the Cavs in three straight playoffs, getting swept in back to back years.
“Nothing in particular that coach Casey did wrong, but it was time for this to happen.”
The final game of the season was especially disappointing for fans as the Raptors, fighting for their playoff lives, played a stinker of a game losing by 35 points.
The President of the Toronto Raptors, Masai Ujiri, spoke to the teams star players DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry today about the firing.
“There’s five years of bond here with the players. This is the coach they know, that we know…you can actually feel it every single one I’ve talked to so far.”
The Toronto Maple Leafs will also have a new pair of eyes watching them. Kyle Dubas, 32, has been tagged to take over for veteran GM Lou Lamouriello.
Dubas attended Brock University where he picked up hockey analytics. He says he learned a lot from Lou. “Not just in how to handle the hockey operations, how to handle the players, how to handle agents, and the ins and outs of the general manager job, but more importantly what I’ve learned from Lou is how to handle people.”
At 32 Dubas isn’t the youngest general manager in the league. That title goes to 26 year old John Chayka with the Coyotes and Gord Stellick was actually the youngest ever Leafs GM when he was hired at the age of 30 back in 1988.
