Wednesday FTB: Stuck in a rut, on and off the ice

Good morning Toronto Maple Leafs fans!

Boy what a fun time we're having, eh?

All snowed in, trying to navigate slick streets, unkept sidewalks, and temperatures that will freeze your Winnebago.

Yesterday I spent some time sideways in a ditch, and I was wondering how this felt so familiar.

Stuck. Spinning your wheels. Not making progress no matter how much you try to do the same thing over and over and over. Cold. Lonely. A little hungry.... Sorry, I've lost my train of thought.

So the Leafs played last night.

Ah there it is.

The Buffalo Sabres are having a pretty good season for themselves. They may even make the playoffs for the first time in 14 years. It's very disappointing.

Then we have these bums who are constantly letting in five or more goals.

A 7-4 loss. Absolutely unacceptable, yet so easy to accept. It will be a fun couple of week before the Olympics. The more fun with lots of "why can't Matthews perform like that here" stories.

It was supposed to be a special night, with it being the 50th anniversary of Darryl Sittlers 10 point game.

The Leafs celebrated him well enough before the game, even if they forgot about him during.

An incredible achievement, and a stark reminder that this is the highlight of the past half century for the Leafs.

Yeah!

Over at the CCC, the Sceptres are in need of a big post-olympic break turnaround.

Toronto Sceptres’ road to a playoff spot won’t be an easy one

But despite rocky first half, belief is high that turnaround is possible. Read more.

Toronto SunMike Ganter

Speaking of the Olympics, we're coming to the end of an era for two big stars.

Captain America vs. Captain Clutch: Knight and Poulin face off for 5th and perhaps last Winter Games

Team USA’s Hilary Knight and Canada’s Marie-Philip Poulin have gone at it for nearly 17 years and over 100 games in an intense but friendly rivalry involving two of the greatest players in the history…

Associated PressJOHN WAWROW

The New Jersey Devils got some business done ahead of the deadline. Moving an expiring vet in Ondrej Palat out for a younger player.

Devils trade Palat, picks to Islanders for Tsyplakov

The New Jersey Devils traded forward Ondrej Palat, a 2026 third-round pick, and a 2027 sixth-round pick to the New York Islanders for forward Maxim Tsyplakov, the teams announced Tuesday.The Devils aren’t retaining any of Palat’s $6-million cap hit. The 34-year-old is signed through 2026-27 and has a 10-team trade list. He ranked 24th on theScore’s trade deadline big board.Palat has recorded four goals and 10 points in 51 games this season, with just two goals and no assists in his last 11 contests. The Devils held him out of Tuesday’s outing against the Winnipeg Jets for roster-related reasons.The Czech native will represent his country at the Olympics in February. A two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021, Palat has appeared in 155 playoff games - ninth-most among active NHLers.Palat has totaled 181 goals and 515 points in 876 career contests between Tampa Bay and New Jersey. He’s compiled 38 goals and 92 points in 248 games since signing a five-year, $30-million contract with the Devils in 2022.Tsyplakov has struggled significantly in his sophomore NHL campaign, registering one goal and two points in 27 games. He notched 10 goals and 35 points in 77 appearances last year, his first season in North America after seven campaigns in the KHL.The 27-year-old inked a two-year pact with a $2.25-million cap hit in July.The Devils free up $3.75 million of cap space with the transaction.The Islanders also acquired defenseman Carson Soucy from the New York Rangers on Monday.

theScoreKyle Cushman

Minor hockey should just be about kids enjoying and learning the game. Then adults get involved and try to relive their dreams that never came true.

Clubs cast GTHL lawsuit as ‘vindictive’ battle for control of minor hockey

Teams respond to lawsuit with letter accusing league of using the courts as a ‘retaliatory measure and scare tactic’ to preserve unchallenged control over its members.

TSNRick Westhead

Financial abuse, and then there's secret recruitment and player testing.

OHF Tampering Update: Upholding Integrity, Fairness, and Player Well-Being Across Minor Hockey - GTHL Canada

Amendments have been made to correctly identify Streetsville Tigers Hockey Club, rather than Streetsville Minor Hockey. The Ontario Hockey Federation is providing a public update on tampering allegations and resulting sanctions since the introduction of open player movement in Minor Hockey in December 2024. This update reflects the OHF’s continued commitment to its core organizational

GTHL Canada - GTHLStephanie Coratti

I'm kinda glad my kids never left house league.

That's a depressing end. Here's some more Sittler video. Enjoy your day!