By now, we’ve all heard countless stories and tales of how difficult it can be to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Demanding fans and even more demanding media have cast a dark cloud over the team and free agents have pursued different clubs as a result. Is all of the negativity overblown?
According to Olli Jokinen, the Maple Leafs are an amazing organization and he doesn’t understand why free agents are passing over the team. Jokinen spoke about his recent time with the Leafs – a total of two weeks – and it was clear he enjoyed it quite a bit.
Via CBC.ca:
It was amazing to see in two weeks: Everything is first-class. It’s actually a great place to play,” Jokinen said Friday in the visiting locker-room.
Jokinen raved about the hot tubs, cold tubs and saunas — built-in ones — and the hot breakfast and lunch players got every single day. He spoke highly of how team staff treated him.
“Everybody says it’s like the New York Yankees in baseball playing in Toronto,” he said. “I liked the two weeks. I don’t know why the free agents don’t want to sign here.
Jokinen’s time with Toronto was brief to say the least, but it’s interesting hearing a new and upbeat opinion on the Maple Leafs. Jokinen’s opinion may have soured had he spent more than just a couple weeks with the team, but it’s interesting hearing about all of the perks the club has to offer.
At the very least, Jokinen’s comments seem to support the fact that the media in Toronto plays a huge role in the overall experience with the Maple Leafs.
