The Toronto Maple Leafs are on the hunt for a new general manager after cutting bait on Brad Treliving earlier this year when it became clear that they were headed to their summer lake houses sooner than usual.
But one guy who isn’t going to be getting the job is Hockey Hall of Famer Chris Pronger.
Not because he wouldn’t be any good, but because he never interviewed for it.
Rumors were circulating that Pronger, who spent 18 years in the NHL with the Whalers, Blues, Oilers, Ducks, and Flyers, had interviewed for the job.
Not so, according to the man himself, during an appearance on TSN Toronto’s First Up.
“There’s a lot of rumours out there. I’m in the media like you guys. I’m interested to see how this all plays out, too,” he said. “There’s some vicious rumours out there that said I interviewed for the GM job. I did not interview for that role.”
Now that was an interesting way of phrasing it: “did not interview for that role.”
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Take that as you will, but it makes you wonder if Pronger would even want the job.
He could certainly handle it, but that is one of the most brutal front office jobs in sports, and now that the team has gone from a perennial Stanley Cup favorite (which is insane, but that’s how the betting markets have seen it in recent years) to a team that totally whiffed on the playoffs.
Whatever the case, Pronger — who is also promoting a new book — said he’s open to anything.
“I’m excited for this next chapter. As I’ve said numerous times, I’m open to having a conversation and seeing what an opportunity might look like,” he said. “Whether it’s a fit for me, whether it’s a fit for the other side. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t, sometimes the timing is not right, and sometimes the opportunity doesn’t fit what you’re looking for at any given time.”
