On this day in 1992: The Leafs shocked the hockey world with a major announcement
On May 29th 1992, the Leafs called a surprising press conference. No one new exactly the reason why it was happening until they all got there and out of nowhere the Leafs announced they had hired a new coach. It wasn't just any coach though, it was a coach full of fire and passion and was their most hated rival's coach up until a few hours before.
The Leafs, as they normally do shocked the hockey world and announced that the late, great, Hall of Famer Pat Burns would be taking over as the head coach of the Leafs for the 1992-93 season. Burns would lead the Leafs to the Conference Finals in his first year as head Clcoach before losing to the Kings in 7 games, thanks to the controversial Wayne Gretzky high stick on Doug Gilmour. That season would also see Burns win the Jack Adams Award for the second time. After another Conference Finals appearance the following season and another playoff birth in 1995, Burns was let go in the middle of the 1996 season.
Burns would eventually win a Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2003 before resigning in 2005 to focus on his health and treatment due to his battle with cancer. He sadly passed away in November in 2010 at the age of 58 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014, something that many thought should have been done in the years prior to his passing. He, remains one of the greatest coaches the Leafs have ever had.
| POLL | ||
MAI 29 | 323 ANSWERS On this day in 1992: The Leafs shocked the hockey world with a major announcement Is Pat Burns the best head coach the Leafs have ever had? | ||
| Yes | 208 | 64.4 % |
| No | 115 | 35.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
