A change is coming to the Toronto Maple Leafs' executive suite.
The NHL club announced on Thursday afternoon that it will not renew the contract of President and Alternate Governor Brendan Shanahan, after the Leafs failed again to achieve a deep run in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Shanahan's contract was set to expire at the end of June.
"Brendan is one of the most respected leaders in the game and he has instilled many of the traits that were the signature of his Hall of Fame career throughout the organization, uniting this storied franchise in the ‘Honour, Pride and Courage’ that it was founded on," said Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) President and CEO Keith Pelley. "Our responsibility and driving motivation, however, is to add a new chapter to the Maple Leafs’ championship history, and it was determined that a new voice was required to take the team to the next level in the years ahead."
In a statement of his own, Shanahan said his biggest regret was not bringing a Stanley Cup to his hometown.
"I want to thank the Board of MLSE for the tremendous support they have shown me over my tenure," said Shanahan. "Toronto is where I was born and raised, where my family still lives, and being a part of this historic franchise will always be one of the greatest honours of my life...While I am proud of the rebuild we embarked on starting in 2014, ultimately, I came here to help win the Stanley Cup, and we did not. There is nothing more I wanted to deliver to our fans, and my biggest regret is that we could not finish the job."
Shanahan, a Hall of Fame player whose 21-year career included multiple Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings win multiple Stanley Cups, had worked for the NHL as a senior vice president before joining the Leafs in 2014. His tenure in Toronto had been marked by consistent success in the regular season, but playoff runs ended in disappointment.
Sportsnet reported on Thursday afternoon that the Leafs had granted the New York Islanders permission to speak with Shanahan about a similar role in that organization.