News Article: McDavid: Playing for Leafs would be a "dream come true"

[HookeyPlayer]

Some interesting quotes...and he seems mentally tough as well

“It’s pretty crazy to even think about,” McDavid said, referring to the possibility of being a Leaf one day. “But that would be an absolute dream come true.

“I’m from Toronto. You have to be a Leafs fan,” McDavid said. “So, of course, I was. Of course. My dad was a Leafs fan. Every Saturday night watching Hockey Night in Canada would be my favourite time.

“I still remember going to my first ever Leafs game. It was a Rangers-Leafs game. The Leafs won 4-1. I don’t remember (which players) were playing or who was scoring. I just remember that when my dad and I would drive down, we always used to joke who could guess the score. And for whatever reason, I picked Leafs to win 4-1. And that’s what happened. “I’ll remember that forever.”

As he came through the minor hockey and lacrosse systems in the York-Simcoe region, McDavid was a teammate of Taylor Joseph, one of Cujo’s sons. Through their friendship, there were a number of days when the boys would play shinny and/or practice in the customized rink inside a barn on Joseph’s former farm in the King City area.

Asked how he would be able to cope playing in the fishbowl of a hockey-mad Canadian market such as Toronto, Edmonton or Ottawa, McDavid said watching the way Cujo always conducted himself with dignity whenever dealing with the public certainly set a good example.

“Some of his best days came in Toronto and he thrived off the pressure,” said McDavid, adding that he subscribes to Cujo’s credo that, if you embrace the limelight that shines on you in a market like Toronto, it can be a positive.

“I 100% agree with that. It is what it is. Some of the players playing on the Leafs could tell you that. They’re living it right now. It is what it is and you’ve got to deal with it so why not embrace it? Wherever you end up, you deal with it.

“Listen, if a team could ever win in Toronto, it would be unbelievable. Whoever won would have the key to the city. It would be something that people would never forget.

“So, playing in a place like that, it has its perks and it has its downfalls. But its one of the best places in the league.”

http://www.torontosun.com/2015/02/07/mcdavid-says-being-a-leaf-would-be-a-dream-come-true

Click to read more...

 

[Bravid Nonahan]

Too bad it will never happen.

 

[Erdinger]

Only chance of that happening is the Leafs winning the lottery. No way Bettman allows that.

 

[SeenSchenn2]

That would be a dream.

Too bad it will never happen.

He and Domi will be here..... when they're 35.

 

[Leafidelity]

Rig the lotto Gary, you owe us this. Stop trying to squeeze blood from stones and milk the cash cow.

 

[Stephen]

I really hope the stars align and we get him at the draft.

By the time these Leafs fans growing up are drafted by other teams, that dream of playing for the Leafs really wears off.

 

[Stats01]

reading that is so heartbreaking because we all know with our luck we will never witness him in a Leafs uniform. For once I'd like to have some luck on our side and win this lottery and get him. It would be the prize for all the crap we've had to endure for the past 10+ years

 

[NiL8r87]

God damnit...

 

[ChrisCall]

Back in the old days i believe there was a rule that Montreal had the drafting priority on all french born Canadiens. They used this rule to be a completely dominant team for many years. Please correct me if i'm wrong?

If this rule applied to Toronto, we would have Stamkos right now as well.

 

[Stephen]

reading that is so heartbreaking because we all know with our luck we will never witness him in a Leafs uniform. For once I'd like to have some luck on our side and win this lottery and get him. It would be the prize for all the crap we've had to endure for the past 10+ years

It's sad because this is an annual Mike Zeisberger troll job on Leafs fans, right down to the Eric Lindros reference.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Columnists/Zeisberger/2008/02/11/4839861-sun.html

That's an 18 year old Stamkos on the possibility of being drafted by a tanking Leafs team seven years ago. Too bad he grew up and forgot his childhood dreams like every other Greater Toronto Area hero ever. If we don't draft McDavid this June, we'll never get him.

 

[Stephen]

Back in the old days i believe there was a rule that Montreal had the drafting priority on all french born Canadiens. They used this rule to be a completely dominant team for many years. Please correct me if i'm wrong?

If this rule applied to Toronto, we would have Stamkos right now as well.

If that was true, we'd have:

2008: Stamkos or Doughty
2009: Tavares
2010: Hall or Seguin
2011: Hamilton
2012: No one special
2013: Monahan
2014: Ekblad
2015: McDavid

 

[colchar]

Only chance of that happening is the Leafs winning the lottery. No way Bettman allows that.

Considering how much money the Leafs give to other teams he owes them.

Sadly, I doubt they will win the lottery even if they finished dead last. Maybe we can hold out hope that McDavid will come home when he first hits unrestricted free agency.

 

[colchar]

Back in the old days i believe there was a rule that Montreal had the drafting priority on all french born Canadiens. They used this rule to be a completely dominant team for many years. Please correct me if i'm wrong?

If this rule applied to Toronto, we would have Stamkos right now as well.

That was before the draft I believe. IIRC, teams had territorial rights so Montreal got the kids from their area, Toronto got the kids from theirs, etc.

 

[Apotheosis]

Hopefully the stars align.

 

[Erdinger]

Considering how much money the Leafs give to other teams he owes them.

Sadly, I doubt they will win the lottery even if they finished dead last. Maybe we can hold out hope that McDavid will come home when he first hits unrestricted free agency.

Bettman sadly doesn't owe them. I'm sure he's been the one taking the flak blocking NHL expansion into the GTA at their behind the scenes request.

 

[Liminality]

McDavid would instantly put a lot of hope back into people. Would still be a long road to respectability but he'd give fans something to cheer about.

Just remember, the draft lottery odds were lower for the top 4 teams compared to last year. Instead of 68.7% of having a team in the top 4 win the lottery it's now 54.5%. Almost 50/50 chance of someone outside the top 4 getting the pick. Best case scenario is we get to 3rd pick but I think it's more likely we end up around the 5th pick.

 

[Maplebeasts]

Rig the lotto Gary, you owe us this. Stop trying to squeeze blood from stones and milk the cash cow.

Hopefully Gary realizes all the,money we throw away to keep his sunbelt franchises afloat. Could you imagine the revenue intake for Toronto's centennial if they had a generational centre, and inturn a good team by then. Having the local boy end the drought here would be a boon to this league.

 

[Stephen]

That was before the draft I believe. IIRC, teams had territorial rights so Montreal got the kids from their area, Toronto got the kids from theirs, etc.

What's funny is the Leafs somehow let Bobby Hull and Bobby Orr slip through the cracks even then. Oops.

 

[BurnsBlue]

it would be the prize for all the crap we've had to endure for the past 10+ years

10+20++

 

[colchar]

That's an 18 year old Stamkos on the possibility of being drafted by a tanking Leafs team seven years ago. Too bad he grew up and forgot his childhood dreams like every other Greater Toronto Area hero ever. If we don't draft McDavid this June, we'll never get him.

What are you talking about? Stamkos has never hit unrestricted free agency so how can you claim that he has forgotten about his childhood dream? You need to wait to see if he goes UFA and where he signs before you can make a claim like that.

 

[Wilbur*]

Never gonna happen. Leafs always gonna Leaf.

 

[Stephen]

Hopefully Gary realizes all the,money we throw away to keep his sunbelt franchises afloat. Could you imagine the revenue intake for Toronto's centennial if they had a generational centre, and inturn a good team by then. Having the local boy end the drought here would be a boon to this league.

Hopefully Gary realizes that if he put McDavid in Toronto like he did Crosby in Pittsburgh, the jersey sales alone would probably help raise the cap...

 

[pspot]

If they did win the lottery do you think they still trade kessel?

 

[Igy]

This is really depressing because it will more than likely not happen.

 

[Stand Witness]

Getting McDavid could speed this rebuild up by years. Actually it would be the greatest thing to happen to this franchise next to winning a cup. There would be a whole new generation of Leaf fans.

MLSE, if you want to be greedy do everything in your power to get McDavid.