TORONTO — Keith Pelley took his seat inside Scotiabank Arena.
The powerful sports executive could feel the energy all around him as the Toronto Maple Leafs prepared to take on the Florida Panthers in Game 7.
Sure, the Original Six franchise had put in an embarrassing performance on home ice five days earlier in a 6-1 loss that pushed it — yet again — to the brink of elimination, but a hard-fought 2-0 road victory 48 hours later provided renewed hope.
Those good vibes had vanished midway through Sunday's second period. It only got worse in the third.
Toronto suffered another 6-1 defeat in the winner-take-all finale, a second consecutive unacceptable showing in front of its fans.
Pelley, the president and chief executive officer of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, watched as star winger and local product Mitch Marner — playing perhaps his final game for the team — was booed when he touched the puck, while jerseys and beer cups hit the ice from disgusted onlookers.
"It was tough," Pelley said of Game 7's final moments. "Sports brings you on an emotional roller-coaster … I hadn't really experienced that type of emotion in some time, maybe ever."
"To go from that euphoric moment," he added of the atmosphere before puck drop, "to the way that we felt in the third period was very difficult. I was saddened by it, and I feel that I need to take some responsibility for that."
The MLSE czar then took some time before announcing Thursday that Leafs president and alternate governor Brendan Shanahan would not have his contract renewed. Pelley called that decision part of a "very tough day" when he spoke with reporters back at Scotiabank Arena on Friday.
Shanahan spent 11 seasons in Toronto and rebuilt the floundering club inside and out, but the Hockey Hall of Famer was unable to break through in the playoffs despite a boatload of offensive talent he stubbornly backed to the end led by Marner and Auston Matthews.
The Leafs won just two of 11 post-season series across Shanahan's tenure, including six straight Game 7 losses since 2018.
"The greatest hockey team in the world is the Toronto Maple Leafs," said Pelley, who was hired last spring to lead MLSE's sports portfolio that also includes the NBA's Raptors. "As a result, you've seen the passion and the tribalism that exists. I saw it this year more than I could remember."
The MLSE boss, who indicated the Leafs' president's role will not be filled, said he has the "utmost confidence" in general manager Brad Treliving and head coach Craig Berube, with the latter looking set to have more of a voice in personnel decisions moving forward.
"I'm confident in the resources that we have," Pelley said. "But I do believe that we, as the custodians of the biggest hockey brand in the world, have a responsibility to our fans, and that responsibility is winning championships.
"We will do everything we possibly can and will not stop until we reach that goal."
The removal of Shanahan, whose contract was set to expire June 30, comes at time of change for MLSE. Rogers Communications Inc. announced a landmark deal to acquire rival telecom BCE Inc.'s share of sports conglomerate back in September. The $4.7-billion deal will give Rogers a 75 per cent stake, although Pelley said Friday the sale had yet to close.
Pelley also spoke about the "foundation" that Shanahan laid with the Leafs — he reconnected the team with its past and built that core of talented stars — but added fresh ideas were needed to reach its ultimate target.
That starts next season, with little margin for error.
"We have to be on the pathway to winning the Stanley Cup," Pelley said as fans took pictures with Legends Row on the other side of the press conference room's window a few metres away. "The city has told us that, the media has told us that … we haven't won since 1967.
"But make no mistake about it, making the playoffs and winning rounds is not our aspirational goal. Our goal is to win the Stanley Cup."
Pelley didn't speak directly on the futures of Marner and fellow star forward John Tavares, who can both hit unrestricted free agency July 1, but said more exits were likely.
"Change is hard," he said. "But we've made a lot of change over the last year."
Pelley and his 22-year-old son, Jason, were at Game 7. The pair talked about nerves and pressure — two big talking points in Toronto since the team's ouster.
"Pressure is really a privilege," Pelley said. "It is a privilege to be that nervous."
Along with a frustrated fan base, he will be expecting a different result — finally — next time around.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2025.
Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
