The news about Randy Carlyle’s firing by the Toronto Maple Leafs has set off numerous debates regarding the Leafs and their players, most notably star right wing Phil Kessel. Being in Toronto means your every move will be scrutinized and over analyzed, much like in Montreal. With Kessel, it’s no different.
Since coming to the Leafs organization in September 2009, Kessel has been an extremely useful player for the Leafs offensively, racking up four 30-goal seasons in six years. While he hasn’t had much playoffs success, only one series in 2012-13, this can be attributed to playing on the Leafs.
Playing as good as Kessel does though will open the door for reporters, like Dave Feschuk and others, to get under the player’s skin and use them as fodder for losses and bad games. Yesterday was no different, as Feschuk asked Kessel if he was a dick, meaning if he was at fault for Carlyle’s firing and if he was an uncoachable player. Kessel said he didn’t think so, and that it was a weird question to ask on the day of Carlyle’s firing. He then said, “so it’s my fault? Is that what you’re saying?” and went on to the point where the Leafs PR had to shut down the interview, but you still could hear the shouting between Kessel and Feschuk in the background, and you could hear Kessel say “this guy is such an idiot. He’s always been this way.”
Kessel and Feschuk are both in the right and the wrong here. We’ll start with Feschuk first. If you’re a reporter in a team’s locker room, you need to respect the players. Asking tough questions is part of being a good reporter and interviewer, but asking if a player is a dick is more than pushing it. There are better and cleaner ways to ask this question. Pushing a player to answer a question he does not want to answer makes you seem unprofessional and will not help building relationships with players. This also isn’t Feschuk’s first attempt at getting under Kessel’s skin, writing numerous articles about him ranging from his weight being a problem to suggesting he is a reason for the Leafs being… well, the Leafs. While Kessel isn’t the clear-cut savior to bring the Stanley Cup back to Toronto, he certainly doesn’t hurt with his offense. Feschuk is reaching a bit here, just to get attention which is a piss-poor way of being a journalist.
On the other hand, you have Kessel, who has been known to be a hot-head, and was being a hot-head while talking to Feschuk. He has had numerous run-ins with the media, and while not all of these run-ins are entirely Kessel’s fault, you have to wonder: will a 27-year-old who has been playing in one of Canada’s biggest hockey markets ever stop and recognize he needs to bite his tongue sometimes and go on with his day? Just by blowing up, and reacting to the reporter’s questions, he’s proving that he may not be thick-skinned (no overweight pun intended) enough to play in the polarizing market of Toronto. His participation in the team-wide fan snub at the end of the Leafs 5-2 over the Tampa Bay Lightning back in November shows that he just doesn’t have those leadership qualities. Those same leadership qualities can also be used with the media to give a good interview and keep your cool while being prodded with the tough questions.
Former Leafs coach Ron Wilson also had some words to share about the Leafs, going on TSN Radio, confirming rumors about the Leafs being an uncoachable team, and that Phil can be a huge problem with the team when he’s off, getting emotional and not being consistent with his numbers. Like previously stated, Phil is a gifted goal scorer, having the potential to reach 40-plus goals if he had a true number-one center rather than Tyler Bozak, but that’s all he is. Phil is an one-dimensional player, just rolling with goal scoring. In today’s NHL, you need to play defense too, in order to be successful. All players are depended upon to bring forth offense and defense, but Kessel doesn’t bring much to defense, or just doesn’t want to. Either way, this is why he is an uncoachable player, because of his reluctance to play defense.
Was Wilson in the right by breaking the locker room code, going on air and saying how the Leafs are an uncoachable team? Maybe, maybe not. Anybody can see, Leafs fan or not, and I’m not, that this team is in a huge hole because of untradeable contracts, seemingly bad attitudes, bad habits, and what seems to be a defiance to buying into the coach’s system. When a team with this core for the last four-five seasons goes through two different coaches and only one playoff series, you know something is wrong. Makes you wonder if maybe it’s time to tear down and trade out for picks and prospects, if they even can with the amount of albatross contracts they own.
Back on topic, Kessel responded to Wilson’s comments by first saying he hadn’t heard what he said, didn’t care, then changed his answer to that he had heard bits and pieces, and that he still didn’t care. Chances are that he did read it and that he does care. It’s good that he didn’t respond to the comments, but considering how the Leafs fell 6-2 to the Washington Capitals not long after this, and Kessel was not able to put up a point on five shots on goal, seems like his emotions, once again, probably got the best of him.
To wrap this up, I think both are at fault here, to varying degrees. Kessel needs to learn how to not react to tough questions being asked, and if he wants to stay in Toronto, he needs to recognize this will happen more and more, especially if he keeps on reacting. He, and the rest of the Leafs, will also need to work on this uncoachable problem. To Feschuk: respect the players and the organization. You were fortunate enough to get a press pass to speak with the players. Use it wisely. Don’t ask dumb questions like that. Ask smart questions. Don’t act so surprised if no players will answer that question, and secondly, don’t act surprised if no player will want to talk with you now.
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