The Toronto Maple Leafs have decided to part ways with general manager Kyle Dubas, and fans are outraged as they feel the NHL side has made a "big mistake".
Dubas' contract was set to expire on June 30, and the Leafs have decided that the 37-year-old will not return to his position after five seasons at Scotiabank Arena. The Leafs made advancements this season as they ended their 19-year wait for a playoff series win, but they collapsed against the Florida Panthers in the following round despite heading into the series as favourites.
The Leafs enjoyed one of their best seasons in recent history, and fans have grown to love Dubas since he arrived in 2018. But the Leafs are once again looking to reset and Dubas looks to have been used as a scapegoat, and it's become a hugely unpopular decision.
"I would like to thank Kyle for his unwavering dedication over these last nine seasons with the organisation, including his last five as general ganager," Brendan Shanahan, president and alternate governor of the Maple Leafs, announced. "Kyle fostered a great culture within our dressing room and staff, and consistently pushed to make our team better season over season.
"We wish Kyle and his family the best moving forward and thank him for his valuable contributions." It is not yet clear whether Dubas wanted to walk away or if the Leafs are chasing something new, but their announcement was met with heavy backlash as fans
"This club has decided to part ways with any hope of winning with this poor decision," one fan said as they mocked the Leafs' announcement. "Disappointed. Dubas has done a phenomenal job and created a great culture. Good luck to him for the future. A big loss to the Leafs," another added.
"Big mistake," one fan wrote, with their comment being heavily backed by fellow supporters. "This could be looked back on as a not so great moment in Leafs history if they don’t make the right hires going forward," a reply read.
"This feels like a huge loss today for this organisation. Terrible decision in my opinion. Dude did everything right and the players/coaches couldn’t get it done," one fan speculated.
There was always going to be an element of change after yet another Stanley Cup disappointment, but fans clearly didn't expect it to be Dubas parting ways. Shanahan is under increased pressure from fans to step down, and head coach Sheldon Keefe will be wary of his job security.
