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By HOWARD BERGER

TORONTO (Aug. 29) — Maybe this has been the plan all along.

Knowing that his presence in a charity hockey event next Friday will threaten to sell out the Air Canada Centre, perhaps Mats Sundin has perpetuated the saga about his career motives in a calculated fashion. Or, at least has intentionally delayed making a move to a rival NHL club. No matter what, there will be a heightened level of suspense here in town when ol’ No. 13 arrives for the Festival Cup benefit match at the ACC. It is already being billed by some in the media as Sundin’s final “home” game in Toronto. Yet, nobody is certain whether the Maple Leafs’ all-time points leader will return to his team of the past 14 years; whether he’ll sign with another club in the Eastern Conference, or retire. All three are apparently still under consideration by Sundin, almost five months after he played his last game in the NHL — the Leafs’ 2006-07 season finale, at Montreal, Apr. 5th.

As intimated, though, it’s possible that Mats knows exactly what the immediate future holds, but has chosen to conceal his intentions. Something tells me the environment in the ACC would be less than warm and fuzzy were he to return on Friday as a member of the New York Rangers. Or, the Vancouver Canucks. Or… LES CANADIENS!!! In voluntary limbo, Sundin will at least remain a much-loved figure among Maple Leaf fanatics for the two hours required to partake in the charity event. He can then slide out of town; creep into Montreal after dark, and safely pull on the jersey of the bleu, blanc et rouge. Or, mosey off to his favorite North American city and be outfitted in the splendor of Times Square.

Then again, maybe… just maybe, Sundin has reserved next weekend to announce that he will indeed finish his career in a Toronto uniform.

Whatever the case, you have to think the big guy will give some indication of his thought process while stopping over here. If he leaves town on Sep. 5th, still unsure about his future only two weeks before the opening of training camp, his mental capacity will come under review. Dancing through the minds of many will be the vision of a confused Sundin – holding a razor, a wrist-watch, and a roll of bathroom tissue – befuddled over which to use. President John F. Kennedy elected to send a man to the moon faster than Mats can apparently decide whether he wants to play a kid’s game for one more year.

As mentioned in previous blogs, a choice to remain with the Leafs would be of no strategic value. It would purely be a sentimental option, and would make even less sense than the Leafs’ apparent inclination to invite Sundin back at his convenience. GM Cliff Fletcher — as promised — has re-modelled the Blue & White for 2008-09. But, how does one re-model anything while retaining the centre-piece? That’s why Fletcher’s insistence that he’d gladly furnish Sundin another one-year deal with a no-movement clause smacks of ownership meddling.

Cliff hasn’t lasted more than 40 years in the NHL by setting himself up for indignation and failure. Though he understood that the final call rested with the player, he was genuinely peeved over Sundin’s unwillingness to be peddled at the trade deadline last season. Why on earth would the GM deliberately subject himself to that frustration a second time around?

Instead, Fletcher’s public remarks about Sundin more than likely reflect the infatuation of his superiors at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. The Leaf directors adore Sundin — justifiably — for his comportment as much as his playing ability. Always aiming to uphold a sleek corporate image, MLSE understands how uniquely Sundin has represented the company through the years. Undoubtedly, Fletcher is being encouraged to keep open the lines of communication with the long-time captain, and to welcome him back to the fold… even if it thoroughly counters what the GM is aiming to accomplish with his restructured team.

That’s how a franchise in a 41-year Stanley Cup funk does business.

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In the world of media, there is rather surprising news from the Toronto Sun that veteran reporter Lance Hornby is being removed from the hockey beat. Lance has capably covered the Maple Leafs for the past 20 years, with a keen awareness and appreciation for the history of the Blue & White. But, he’ll no longer be following the team on a regular basis. Instead, reporters Rob Longley and Steve Buffery will move to the Leafs’ beat.

Longley has primarily covered football at the Sun in recent years, while Buffery has spent time with the NBA Toronto Raptors, while penning a humorous, sometimes bizarre, weekly column about “life” as a newspaper jock. Both are good guys and good writers. Rumors persist that Mike Zeisberger will take on an increased role in hockey coverage at the paper, though the Zee man is keeping quiet about his immediate future.

This entry was posted on Friday, August 29th, 2008 at 10:36 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.