Leaf fans in a frenzy over fake press release outlining major changes to Leafs organization
Social media can be a gift, but it can also be a curse - especially when you use it for quick access to information. Twitter is one of the more popular apps when it comes to quick hockey news, but unfortunately, some recent changes to the program have made it much easier for someone to impersonate a high-profile account and spread false information. Well, today, the high-profile account that was impersonated was the Maple Leafs' Twitter account.
Early this afternoon, an account that goes by @StatsMundin tweeted out a fake press release including some major organizational changes in Toronto, including the firing of Brendan Shanahan and Sheldon Keefe, and the promotion of Kyle Dubas.
The release had Shanahan parting ways with the team, with Kyle Dubas moving up to the President of Hockey Ops position. It also had Keefe being replaced by Jason Spezza as head coach and Carolina Hurricanes AGM Eric Tulsky stepping in as the 22nd GM of the Maple Leafs.
Perhaps the wildest part in all of this is that a hockey news provider, Daily Faceoff, was duped by the fake release, retweeting it to their approximately 48,800 followers. For those who are unaware, NHL Insider Frank Seravalli is essentially the face of Daily Faceoff, as the President of Hockey Content for the organization. He may not have retweeted it, but I'm sure he won't be too pleased with whoever runs the DFO social media accounts.
Honestly, the changes that were proposed were not all that farfetched from what we could end up seeing, which is probably why so many people were duped by it. However, for now, we still await the official presser from President Brendan Shanahan and the updates that follow from the Leafs' official PR team.
