from Neil Davidson of the CP at the Toronto Star,
The blue-chip Maple Leafs brand has survived bad seasons in the past. But 2014-15 took its toll.
“I’ll tell you there’s a bunch of us down here that are losing sleep about it,” said Dave Hopkinson, chief commercial officer for Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment.
Toronto finished 27th in the league with a 30-44-8 record, losing 34 of its last 43 games and finishing with the NHL’s worst road record (8-27-6).
It took just two games for a disgusted fan to toss a Leaf jersey onto the ice, during a 5-2 loss to Pittsburgh. More followed as the season went south.
“If there was a tipping point on fan frustration, I think we saw it this year,” Hopkinson said in an interview.
“Just the overall mood about this team around this city, I’ve never seen it that bad,” he added.
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