page_title: History of the Toronto Maple Leafs
section_title: Post-lockout (2005–2014)
hierarchical_section_title: History of the Toronto Maple Leafs / Post-lockout (2005–2014)
caption_attribution_description: English: Mats Sundin warming up in a January 10, 2008 game vs the Kings
context_page_description: The history of the Toronto Maple Leafs spans more than a century whose origins begins with the establishment of the National Hockey League. The Toronto Maple Leafs and the NHL arose from disputes between Eddie Livingstone, owner of the National Hockey Association's Toronto Blueshirts, and the other owners of the Association. In November 1917, the Toronto Arena Company was granted a temporary franchise from the NHL, a new ice hockey league made up of the other NHA owners that had disputes with Livingstone. The franchise was later made permanent by the NHL in October 1918. Playing at Arena Gardens, the Toronto Arenas won the 1918 Stanley Cup Finals following the inaugural 1917–18 NHL season.
  In 1919, the club was sold to the St. Patrick Hockey Club. Under new ownership, the club was renamed the Toronto St. Patricks. Although the St. Patricks won one Stanley Cup, in 1922, the club was again put up for sale due following a series of litigations from Livingstone. The club was eventually sold to Conn Smythe in 1927, who immediately renamed the team to the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club.
context_section_description: Following the 2004–05 NHL lockout, the Maple Leafs experienced their longest playoff drought in the club's history. They struggled in the 2005–06 season; despite a late-season surge (9–1–2 in their final 12 games), led by goaltender Jean-Sebastien Aubin, Toronto was out of playoff contention for the first time since 1998. They missed the playoffs by two points. This marked the first time the team had missed the postseason under Quinn, who was later relieved as head coach. Quinn's dismissal was controversial since many of the young players who were key contributors to the Leafs' late-season run had been drafted by him before Ferguson's arrival, while Ferguson's signings (Jason Allison, Belfour, Alexander Khavanov, and Eric Lindros) had suffered season-ending injuries.
  Paul Maurice, who had previously coached the inaugural season of the Maple Leafs' Toronto Marlies farm team, was named as Quinn's replacement. On June 30, 2006, the Leafs bought out fan-favourite Tie Domi's contract. The team also decided against picking up the option year on goaltender Ed Belfour's contract; he became a free agent. 
  However, despite the coaching change, as well as a shuffle in the roster, the team did not make the playoffs in 2006–07, missing the playoffs by just one point. During the 2007–08 season,  John Ferguson, Jr. was fired in January 2008, and replaced by former Leafs' general manager Cliff Fletcher on an interim basis. The Leafs did not qualify for the post-season, marking the first time since 1928 the team had failed to make the playoffs for three consecutive seasons. It was also Sundin's last year with the Leafs, as his contract was due to expire at the end of the season. However, he refused Leafs management's request to waive his no-trade clause in order for the team to rebuild by acquiring prospects and/or draft picks. On May 7, 2008, after the 2007–08 season, the Leafs fired Maurice, as well as assistant coach Randy Ladouceur, naming Ron Wilson as the new head coach, and Tim Hunter and Rob Zettler as assistant coaches.
  During the 2007–2008 season again the Leafs struggled in their division, only this time, their Captain, Mats Sundin was asked to waive his no-trade clause to try and advance the team's hopes of the playoffs, and a more promising 2008–2009 season. Sundin declined, acknowledging that from his perspective the Leafs still had the chance to make the playoffs, and that he did not want to be a "rental player" to a playoff bound team. The other glaring factor, though rarely discussed was the obvious contractual obligation both parties had entered into when Sundin's contract was originally written—the no-trade clause. It is widely speculated that culmination of these events soured Leaf fans and also strained relations between Sundin and the Toronto organization. Ultimately, Toronto did not make the playoffs during the 2007–2008 season, and Mats Sundin was an unrestricted free agent, contemplating retirement from the NHL.
  Following approximately 9 months of contemplation, Mats Sundin returned to the NHL signing with the Vancouver Canucks. Mats cited his decision to return to the NHL was based partly on "having a chance at winning the Stanley Cup". Toronto faced Vancouver two times during the 2008–2009 season, losing in both showdowns, most notably during a shoot out decision on February 21, 2009 where Mats Sundin was honored at the ACC. He also scored the winning goal to defeat Toronto.
  On November 29, 2008, the Maple Leafs hired Brian Burke as their 13th non-interim, and the first American, general manager in team history. The acquisition ended the second Cliff Fletcher era and settled persistent rumours that Burke was coming to Toronto. On June 26, 2009, Burke made his first appearance as the Leafs GM at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, selecting London Knights forward Nazem Kadri with the seventh overall pick. On September 18, 2009, Burke traded Toronto's first- and second-round 2010, as well as its 2011 first-round picks, to the Boston Bruins in exchange for forward Phil Kessel. On January 31, 2010, the Leafs made another hig
caption: Sundin during the 2007–08 season, his last as a Maple Leaf.
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