Stu Grimson on Maple Leafs Offseason Moves & Marner’s Exit

Stu Grimson on Maple Leafs Offseason Moves & Marner’s Exit

You’re watching Toronto Sports Rush on the Bet Rivers Network. Welcome into the Toronto Sports Rush on the Bet Rivers Network. TJ Ratic here and it’s the great privilege that I have today to be joined by my colleagues at the NHL Network and longtime NHL player. 729 NHL games and they were hard games that this young man played in. My buddy Stu Grimson down in Nashville, Tennessee where he lives. Stu, thanks for taking the time today. I appreciate it. Oh, EJ, glad to be with you. Always glad to be with you. Uh, wonderful to see you in uh a different format, maybe a different platform. So, that’s correct. Glad to have some time with you. Always good to catch up. So, let me let me just start by by asking you a few things about, you know, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the offseason. I mean, there really was a good year for them last year. They won their division, had won a division in a regular in a regular 82 game season, you know, in in 20 some odd years. They won the division. They gave the Florida Panthers all they could handle really. It was a seven-game series. Some odd results in some of the games, but nonetheless a sevename series. Of course, the Panthers went on to win another Stanley Cup. Uh in the offseason, there’s big changes. MNER is out. They’ve made some additions. What do you make of the changes that Brad Tree Living has made and some of them some of them that he had to make obviously with Mner wanting out via free agency? Yeah. Um, you know, I I really do. Um, you know, this will come as a um maybe a meaningful reassurance to Leaf fans because, you know, that market, they they want a winner and they wanted a winner a decade and a half ago. Yeah. uh they wanted a contender for the Stanley Cup and and you know and I and I get that because they’ve been somewhat long-suffering especially for an original six franchise that you know they have the wherewithal the financial means to do just about whatever they want within the construct of a um you know a salary cap world of course but um I will say EJ I do like the direction this group is going I think they’re trending in the right direction um again those those advanc es those developments may not come as quickly as Leaf fans like them, but this this roster really is starting to mature and coalesce. I think they’re, you know, I think there’s a a real spike coming for these Toronto Maple Leafs. I think they’ve got a really solid um goalending tandem. I like the way this this back end is built. You know, I think Tanv has added a lot there. He’s given them, you know, some real hearty stability and some li some responsibility in that in that respect. And then two, up front, it seems to be, you know, it seems to be the kind of a forward core that’s evolving into, yes, they have bright shiny pieces that can score, but also they’re starting to develop a little bit of a backbone, a little bit of a bite, you know, and a guy like Matthew Ny, of course, you know, buttoning him down. And this is, you know, one of those great one of those important offseason acquisitions that they’ve made. Um, again, I think they’re heading in the right direction. Marner kind of had to shake out the way that it did shake out. I think he was as as anxious to leave there as they were as they were to to to take that um that space on within their their payroll and dedicate it to other means. All that to say perhaps there’s another transaction coming there that gives them a little more pop where the forward core is concerned. But again, I do like the direction this group is going and you you follow the game as closer closer than I do. Um, it’s hard to build a winner over a night. I think this group’s going in the right direction. Yeah. You know, I I agree and and I would say this, like, you know, I really did like the addition of Nick Wah from Vegas because I mean, listen, they they they could have lost Martyr for nothing. They get Nick Wah who’s a good, you know, three, four centerman on your team that can kill penalties and help you as a second unit power play guy. He’s a very versatile guy. He’s big, long player down the middle. And then you know the uh the addition the more recent addition now of Dakota Joshua from Vancouver like I think he’s a really good fit. I mean there there I would imagine st that there Brad tree living is looking at his roster and figuring out ways in a seven game series to try to handle a very difficult Florida Panthers team and you have to be a little tougher and I think that’s what he’s trying to do. Yeah, I I do I agree with that. While I think you m it makes you, you know, there’s some offensive upside there. Makes you a little sturdier. You know, let’s go let’s go back to certainly nice. I want to just, you know, work in another point there, but I I do enjoy your point, but appreciate your point about uh Dakota Joshua again, a guy with um goodsized forward, you know, sturdy, uh wins a share of puck battles, can can, you know, can filter pucks to the net. And again, I think there’s there’s there’s more to come where a Joshua is concerned. I think there’s plenty of of ceiling left there. But NY, you know, I it’s worth making the point in the following way. Here’s a guy that’s been really solid the last two seasons. Demonstrates all all kinds of offensive upside, but he’s really in the infancy of his NHL career. shown us um you know he can be consistent from one year to the next even in a market it’s not an easy market to play in u for for a young guy and um you know that’s a guy that he’ll give this group some organic improvements. So again, you know, they may not have had the sexiest the splashiest summer, but these are these are I think these are important ads that that that are reshaping the identity in a really significant way for these Leafs. Yeah, I agree. And I agree with you on N too. I mean, there’s a a Toronto Maple Leaf draft pick that they’ve drafted, developed, and I thought he really has taken quite a few steps in the last couple of years and signed to a longer term deal. Now, I mean, they’re going to be asking Matthew N to do more, and we’ll see if he’s up to the challenge. I I I think he will be. I think he will. Oh, I do. I do. I agree with you. I I do. And he’s been, you know, he’s been given a lot of responsibility. I think he’s performed well with that responsibility and with people that remain a part of this roster that he’s developed some some chemistry and some familiarity with. So, I I you know, there’s an uptick there and I I expect to see that continue. So Marner goes to the Vegas Golden Knights and I’ll ask you ST because I’ve asked a couple people now over the since the transaction uh you know at the at the free agent window deadline there the trade the sign and trade to Vegas. He comes back he’ll come back to Toronto on January the 23rd. The two teams Vegas and Toronto will meet twice in eight days. What do you expect it will be like in Toronto on that Friday night when Mitch Martyr steps onto the ice wearing that uh Golden Knights uniform and a different number, number 93 in? Well, I I think it’ll be interesting. Um, you know, he’s I think unfairly Mner caught more than his share of the criticism for this group falling short. you know, he’s one piece in a, you know, 23 player puzzle that u that maybe could have given you a little bit more come and I’m and I’m focusing of course on the postseason. I mean, that’s really where, you know, the anxiety around past Leaf’s performances have lied for for that fan base. But, um, Martyr, in my estimation, you know, got more of the the, you know, the the flack than than maybe he he really deserved. um you know and he’s a guy you know you look at the last year uh postseason EJ he was a point per game player again you know does he could he use some more playoff DNA to his game perhaps but you know that roster itself um was somewhat short of that playoff DNA that playoff de uh identity and I think that’s why he kind of suffers some of the you know the liability the responsibility unjustly that that he does. Having said all that, um the fan base as he comes back, you you know as well as I do, I think the blue collar crowd that’s mostly outside uh of the venue where this group plays, um if they had their brothers, if they could voice a concern uniformly together, um they might take it out on Mner. That white collar crowd, I think, kind of gets the point that I’m making. and he was just one piece one piece of a uh you know of a of a roster that that fell short. I I you know I I think they remember him fondly. I think they treat him I think they treat him with class and respect at the end. Well, we will we will see. That’s a that’s a date that’s certainly circled on the calendar for all fans to kind of see how things go when he returns to Toronto. Stu, I want to change gears here because uh I mean it’s so interesting to me whenever I’m out on the road with you or when I’m around you and the fans, you know, they find out who you are, they’re so interested to talk to you and because you know, let’s face it, fighting in hockey has been something that’s been around for a long time. Yeah. And you were part of an era of hockey with some of the I mean most well-known fighters ever to play and you were right at the very top of that list. And I mean there was a lot of nasty scraps that you were involved in over the years. But as we got ready for this, you reminded me that uh one of your more memorable altercations, let’s say, took place against the Toronto Maple Leafs and it ended up costing you uh a 10ame suspension. Take us through what happened because I when you said it to me, I remembered that you were chasing guys around and you were very unhappy with what had gone on during that game. So, give me a reminder of take us back to that. That’s a wonderful euphemism to insert there. I was unhappy. I was You’re unhappy because I think the tagline on the YouTube clip says Grimson goes crazy. You’re such a nice You’re such a nice young man. I mean I I when I see you now it’s it’s hard to watch these fights on on and it’s like is this the same guy? But you know fans they they run up to you. I know Patrick Sharp one night years ago played in the league for many years. He couldn’t get enough of like the different stories. He was like in your ear just trying to find out all these details. Let me know, let the fans know about what happened against the Leafs that you know. It was a really crazy time. It goes back to uh Chicago and Toronto were a great rivalry back in the day. Remember that was the days of the old Norris division. That’s right. Fondly referred to as the Chuck Norris division for for reasons I’m about to uh backfill on. But um we were playing in Chicago. I think it was a three, probably more more like a fourgoal spread late in the game. And you know, when games get like that, especially with rival teams, it can get a little bit um let me use the word pissy here. It can get a little pissy the end of the game. So, um I’m out on the ice, Steve Lmer goes down, he blocks a shot in our end, and the puck ends up underneath him after he’s blocked this shot. Yeah. Wendell Clark comes in and he just kind of pitchforked the armor right in the midsection trying to p pry the puck loose but you know more to the point for Wendell trying to start something right. So everybody kind of piles on these two guys as that happens and then it turned into a fullscale line brawl. I’ve been escorted over to our players bench. If you ever watch this clip, I get escorted over to our players bench and Keenan, Mike Keenan, my coach, is trying to grab me at the time and and kind of talk me out of doing anything further. So, things are starting to settle down, but I pointed over at uh uh Bob Halitus, former East defenseman, pretty tough guy in his own right. And he was paired off with Brian Marchment, uh may he rest in peace. And Marchment was actually in a full uh screen at the time because a week or two before he had suffered a fractured orbital. Okay. And I’m motioning at Halitus because they’re just paired off. Nobody’s really doing anything. They’re just simply paired off at that point. But I motioned at Halitus. I said, “Don’t you do anything to touch him.” Thinking about Brian’s face, right? Yeah. That was like, you know, that’s like pouring gas on the fire. Titus all of a sudden recognizes I, you know, I’ve made my my my button very bright red and very visible. He pushes my button and then I’m trying. That’s that’s when everything kind of goes crazy and I start I start trying to get to Halitus and Marchman. I get intercepted by Dave Ellott. I get intercepted by um Doug Gilmore is in there. Ray Scapaneloo tries to take me down. Dan Marwelli the official tries the head official tries to take me down. EJ, it was it was the craziest set of circumstances. And at the end of the day, I mean, you’re right. I got 10 games. It was tagged abusive official, but it was just like, you know, I I raced around half clothed doing absolutely nothing. And I got I mean, I shouldn’t say I was doing absolutely nothing. Just creating chaos and havoc, but really didn’t injure or hurt anybody. And I got I got 10 games for it. Wow. That’s crazy. I mean, like I could You know what? You’re being a good teammate. You’re trying to protect the guy that you know shouldn’t be fighting in that situation, right? I mean, I get I give you credit for being a good teammate in that spot, but you know, I don’t know what abuse of officials. It was just abuse of anybody that was in your way pretty much. Right. That’s right. Yeah. I wasn’t I wasn’t too selective about it was official or anybody in a Leafs jersey. Let me ask you about Tai Doy because you you had a couple of scraps with him over the years, some in Toronto. I think there was one when he was in Winnipeg, but uh you know, I watched some of those fights and you know, it was kind of a battle of styles because you’re so long and you know, you were dangerous because you had a long reach and I mean your fist is the size of my head, which I hope those two things never meet. But um you know, what was it like against Doi? Because he was one of those guys that tried to stay inside you and didn’t let you get stretched out. He was a strong guy. It was like a lot of infighting it seemed like in those fights. Yeah. Yeah. Tai, you know, he he was kind of in one in in some respects he was a little bit undized but still heavy enough to be in that heavyweight category. I think he probably tipped him at 225 230. But, you know, he probably conceded 6 in to guys my size or so. I don’t I think I was maybe 5’9, 510, if that. Yeah. Um but but the one you know the couple things he did have that really worked in his favor whenever you you fought I mean he was always kind of punching up at you and you’re vulnerable here right in terms of your lower jaw and and those areas of your face. So you know he used that to his advantage and Tai just let me tell you he had a head like a medicine ball. You could bring a baseball bat, EJ. You could tee off on that head all day long and he’d just look at you and smirk and smile and keep doing what Tide does. He was a tough tough guy. I I give him all kinds of credit cuz he took on all comers. Again, he was undersized, but he took on all comers and um he always held his own if he didn’t prevail. And you knew you had your hands full every time you were fighting Tai. And and I will say this, he doesn’t get enough recognition for this either. Tai played a regular turn and he was pretty effective. He really was pretty effective. You know, he played a third line, sometimes fourth line role uh most of his career, but he he was a pretty effective player and and enjoyed a really um you for a guy with his skill set and his you know his role, his you know his personality, he he was very effective. Had a long career. Good long career. Yeah. No question about it. And his son of course uh plays with the Leafs now. So uh the legacy lives on. Let me ask you, you brought up Wendell Clark before, like, and he was a tough character. I mean, did you did you have any Did you ever get tied up with one? You must have at least had one with him. Do you know I don’t think Wendell and I ever fought in the NHL? But here’s my favorite Wendell story. So, we we grew up playing against each other when we were just boys in the old western, not the old, the Western Hockey League. Um, and another two sides of another great rivalry, the Regina Pats and the Re, sorry, the Regina Pats, my team. Yeah. Saskatoon Blades were just a couple hours down the highway from one another back in the prairies of Western Canada and it was a really good rivalry. Really tough teams back then. So Wendell and I tangled one night and again Wendell’s a guy that he probably gives me five or six inches. Um you know he had no this is a guy that really didn’t have any business fighting in the heavyweight category but did because he was just wired that way and he was tough enough to do that. But we we got going one night. Um might have been a line brawl, but he and I got squared off. And I’ll never forget like I hit him. I just I hit him solid right on the button. He went down to his knees and I promise you EJ before I could recoil and get another one off. Wendle was right back up on his feet giving me all I could deal with, you know, on the back pedal. He was a he was a tough tough guy. him and u there’s another guy Johnny Miner was a tough defenseman uh that played with the Regina Pats, one of my teammates. He and Wendell used to go all the time. They were very similar in size and you would just stand back and watch these two guys go at it. It was it was the best middleweight um some of the best middleweight fights you’ll ever watch. John Miner and Wendell Clark. Wow. I’m sure they were there was some nasty battles there I could imagine with Regina and Saskatoon in those days. Hey, I got one more for you, Sue, before I let you go. And it’s a little off the beaten trail, but you know, in in going through your career again, you spent, I guess it was three seasons in the International League as you were preparing to come to the NHL. You played with Salt Lake, Salt Lake Golden Eagles, I think it was Calgary’s minor league team. And you had some Yeah, you played with Theo Flory there. You played with, oddly enough, Shane Shura there. I mean, that must have been a menacing duo. And then, uh, Stefon Mateau, I think, also played there. But the thing I wanted to ask you is we have a team there, the Utah Mammoth. Now, like did you ever think going way back to that time in the late 80s that NHL hockey would come to Salt Lake City and would end up being so popular? Yeah. Well, that was back in a time before the league was really aggressively expanding its footprint. So, that question would have never occurred to me or asked of me. But had you put that question to me way back then, I probably would have said the following. Wow, seems crazy. But these these these Salt Lake City, these Utah fans, they, you know, this is not a traditional hockey market. It’s a very different culture, a very different um you know, really kind of an untapped area of the country in terms of seeing an NHL franchise. But all that to say, EJ, like you know, given the context, we used to draw 10,000 11,000 people consistently for minor league hockey, you know, out there in in in the Wasace Valley. And it was um we had great fans. It was one of the it was my first pro experience. That’s that’s where I cut my teeth as a pro and really my first experience living outside of Canada in the US. Yeah. I loved it. The community was great. people were great. Um, you know, you you could be you could golf. Uh, some of the best golf courses right there kind of in the heart of the Wasatch Valley right there in Salt Lake and you were 45 minutes to Park City, some of the best skiing and certainly all of North America, perhaps the world. And it’s this charming little European-like town up in Park City. But it just had the best of everything. And it was such a great great experience. I loved it. And I and I will say now, you know, just watching it all unfold, it makes great sense. It’s it’ll be a wonderful union, NHL hockey and Salt Lake City, the city itself and that fan base. It’s going to be a it’s going to be a wonderful wonderful addition and and maybe Nexus for for our game to to, you know, to that that franchise. Yeah, no question. And uh I love it. You had you had some great experiences there, Stu. Maybe we get you back on at some point and talk a little about that because those are the those are the battles and fights that maybe aren’t as well documented, but I’m sure they were nasty nights there in Salt Lake City and on the road as just as a teaser for our next fans fans look remark at me all the time. Wow, Steu, I can’t believe it. You had over 2,000 penalty minutes in your career. Would you believe I played the and and they’re right. That’s a lot of penalty minutes. Yeah. But I played the equivalent of about a thousand games. Sorry. Sorry. Uh about three seasons. I played the equivalent of about three seasons total in the IHL with Salt Lake. And I had well over a thousand penalty minutes. Like my dance card was full. Every every night. Two two partners a night. Every night. Yeah. Over a thousand penalty minutes. And And not a minor penalty at a time. this thousand word the hard way. Fighting fighting majors. All I I guess I’ll just leave it with this. You were unhappy quite a bit. I was unhappy time. Unhappy. Yeah, that’s a very wonderful uh euphemistic way to put it. Yes. All right. Well, listen, Stu, thanks so much for taking the time today. I really appreciate it. I’ll be down in Nashville next week, so hopefully I’ll get to see you there, and I’m sure I’ll see you back in Saucus at some point. But, uh, thanks for the time today. That was Stu Grimson, my buddy, my colleague at the NHL Network right here on the Toronto Sport R Sports Rush on the Bet Rivers Network. Thanks everybody. Thanks for watching Toronto Sports Rush on the Bet Rivers Network. [Music]

Former NHL enforcer Stu Grimson joins EJ Hradek to discuss the Leafs’ offseason moves, including Marner’s exit, new additions like Nick Roy and Dakota Joshua, and more.

00:00 Leafs offseason moves
06:10 Marner returns to Toronto Jan. 23
09:05 Grimson’s memorable fights
16:00 NHL in Salt Lake City?

#mapleleafs #mapleleafsnews #betriversnetwork