(NOTE: I actually started writing this post A WHOLE FUCKING YEAR AGO WHEN THE LEAFS LOST GAME 7 TO THE BRUINS IN 2024)
There's been a lot of back and forth among the media, fans (and likely AI too) about why, why again, why repeatedly and why since 1967.
A lot of good points have been mentioned along the way (along with a ton of emotional hyperbole and excessive whining and complaining); all of which don't really get at the root of the issue.
Indeed - even now after the supposed 'leadership' of the team has made some 'changes' - and have already been roundly criticized for the moves being strictly performative; which I don't dispute - I still don't believe any of it still tackles the larger and more basic issue that's going on.
So ... Why haven't the Toronto Maple Leafs won a Stanley Cup since 1967?
The short answer: It's not in their owner's business model to do so.
The long answer: Well that's going to take awhile.
But to understand things, you'd have to 1st go back ~ 60-70 years.
Back in the Original Six era (1942-1967) there were six teams: Montreal, Toronto, New York, Boston, Chicago, and Detroit. Each of the teams' owners were in it to make money, but not necessarily for the reasons above. They were owners who owned a lot of things, lots of different business, or were wealthy family outright. In other words, the teams that were owned weren't exactly a central component of their businesses. On top of that, because each team was in a different city; and thus was technically in a different market - none of them directly competed against each other for profit. And I think all the owners understood that as long as they stayed as they were, each one of them can have their own slice of the profits.
In this regard, the only thing each team at that was really competing for, was the Stanley Cup. And that lined up with their 'customers' (i.e. fans). So on things went for 45 years.
Then along came broadcast network television and the opportunity to take their sport across all of North America. Suddenly there was a LOT more money to be made, and the owners figured out in short order that they could get the bulk of it if there were more teams. More teams means more games, and more television and more money. Granted they were anti-union from the very get-go, and they didn't relish the idea of more players out there (I truly think they thought a union would never happen after the 1st attempt; but we'll get to that later), but I think the realized they could play the long-game with any union, corrupt their leadership, and eventually have them going along with pretty much anything they wished for.
And teams in big cities figured out also that they can make more money in a big population base through television, advertisements, merchandise ... all of which would out-draw the arena ticket sales. Selling out arenas was still important, but not in the way of winning games every night.
Rather, it meant selling LOTS of tickets, as in bulk like season-tickets, or bunches of tickets to other corporations who'd in-turn offer it to their employees. Eventually the sale of the tickets became less a function of going to see one's team win, and reduced to merely a social event that drew in money.
NOW ... fast forward to today. And consider all those points, but magnified with the Internet, with Social Media, with endless 'content' about a team online, chats, posts, pictures, memes, and so on. And even the players themselves get into it. Suddenly winning a championship isn't as important as one's 'brand', one's online presences, how many clicks they get, how many likes, The sponsorships, the deals, and so on.
It's come full circle - or perhaps it's always been that way.
Professional sports is a business. That's how it started, and today it's only more so. Ironic in that what many 'fans' (i.e. customers) want from the 'product they 'buy' (i.e pay tickets to see their team win the Stanley Cup) isn't what the 'teams' (i.e. corporations) actually provide. Instead, the illusion of success is what most are being conned into - the idea that this team 'could' win, maybe not this year, but next year, or next year, or next decade, but KEEP BUYING, KEEP SPENDING, KEEP BELIEVING, AND KEEP GIVING IN, AND GOING ON.
So .. how do fans 'fix' this issue?
From a socialist perspective, I think competition to be the best is all good and fine, but you need to take the profit motive out of it. Bar any corporations and all the mass monied interests from owning and controlling things ... that's a start.
But from a capitalist perspective, there is a (albeit short-term) option ...
Stop buying the product, Stop supporting the 'team', because it isn't actually one, nor has it ever really been. Encourage new 'businesses' (i.e. new teams) to form in these markets where essentially monopolies and oligopolies have formed, and force the existing 'businesses' to put out a better 'product..
Toronto is a prime example. I think it actually can house two, if not three teams. Montreal can house two teams. If you want your teams to actually win, have other teams in those cities, and force the existing ones to come up with a better team. As long as they are monopolies and oligopolies who continue to be supported by fans, they have NO incentive to improve or doing anything other than what they've always done.
No. The players there aren't losers. The coaches, trainers, managers, and so on. They know how to run a hockey team. Many of them even have experience in winning the Stanley Cup. But it will simply not happen in Toronto, as long as MSLE has a monopoly on that city, and have no real reason to change.
And in case you think otherwise, in case you think none of what I said is true ... look at this image and tell me you can't admit you've been duped or played or conned -
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