I don’t know that booing a former player that some fans feel that they have a legitimate gripe with should diminish the fact that Toronto fans universally respect the American national anthem.

Now, if he gets booed when his number is honoured then yeah, fuck them.

well the shocking part of this whole saga is that Sundin has been made to look like the bad guy. The real bad guy in this case is Fletcher. When have you ever seen a GM publicly hang a player out to dry in such an obscene manner. Eddie Jovonoski’s departure from the Canucks could have brought a bag-full of prospects and players, but he had a no trade clause, and like so many other UFAs, the next year he left, a total loss for the former team. That is the nature of the business. If you don’t mean to stand by the contracts that you sign, don’t sign them!

Fletcher decided to play the only card he had available once he decided Sundin was no longer part of the plan, the public shunning of the most respected player on the team, a player who most certainly would have been happy to play out his career in Toronto. Fletcher is among the very best GMs over the course of the past 30 years. His tactics in this case, though, fall into the scum-bag class. Every year the same scenario plays out, cellar dwellars looking to get a trade deadline premium for veterans. Occasionally, the veteran has a NTC and is willing to waive it, but that whole negotiation is done in private. The issue dies if the player stands by his no-trade. Not in Fletcher’s case with the handling Sundin. In his eagerness to turn the page on a dismal situation Fletcher mounted a media campaign to discredit Sundin and force an exit from Toronto. The shame here should really be on Fletcher.

It is a backward notion similar to the thinking in certain cultures and at certain times, that if a man cheats on a wife, it is the wife’s fault. If you really think that, it shows a cowardice in failing to stand by your own actions.

Another management shuffle, the fourth of his tenure, has not rattled Mats Sundin. He still wants to remain a Maple Leaf.

It appears the captain might get his way and remain in Toronto through the Feb.26 trade deadline.

While interim general manager Cliff Fletcher said he will need more time to analyze Toronto’s situation before commenting publicly on his plans for the team, when it comes to Sundin, he said “the most important thing to do is what’s right for Mats.”

And, as far as Sundin is concerned, that means staying with the Leafs. “Nothing changes in terms of my own position,” Sundin said yesterday. “I’ve told you guys all year long how I feel. It doesn’t change now.”

It was Fletcher who acquired Sundin in 1994, trading Toronto icon Wendel Clark to the Nordiques in a multi-player deal that brought in the splendid centre. Fletcher also brought in Doug Gilmour, watched his popularity skyrocket, before trading him away to New Jersey for building blocks Steve Sullivan, Jason Smith and Alyn McCauley.

Now, there is a school of thought that says the best thing Sundin could do for the Leafs is allow himself to be traded. Sundin signed a one-year, $5.5 million (U.S.) contract last summer that included a no-trade provision.

“Mats is driving the engine here,” said Fletcher. “He’s an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year and he has a no-trade clause.”

Mats’ position was known and restated the day Fletcher came to Toronto. Fletcher acknowledged it at the time.

Why was it ever discussed again? Fletcher’s answer should have been: “We’ve discussed it and I am not taking offers for Sundin at this time.”

Fletcher was making deals without the consent of the players involved, hoping to convince them once he had something in place – see Kaberle, Tomas.

Wait, why did they sing God Bless America before the game?

Those Marines that screwed up should have never gotten the chance to rectify their error. They should have been caned in front of that SkyDome crowd.

For a country that treats it’s flag like a freaking Bible you’d think they’d extend the same courtesy to other countries.