No successor for Brendan Shanahan as Leafs GM, coach and CEO go it alone

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That “new voice” Keith Pelley promised for the Maple Leafs’ hockey hierarchy won’t be coming from outside Scotiabank Arena.

When only one microphone was set up Friday afternoon at SBA it was clear Pelley isn’t going to replace team president Brendan Shanahan, let go a day earlier, leaving his office vacant.

The Leafs will be run for now by a triumvirate of Pelley (CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment since the last spring) with general manager Brad Treliving and coach Craig Berube. Assistant general manager Brandon Pridham and special adviser Shane Doan will be part of key decisions, too.

Pelley, as a career broadcast exec and marketing man, said his role is to be a “sounding board,” which would be preferable to him meddling the way Richard Peddie did with hockey matters in the early days of MLSE.

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“As much as I love the game, and love the NBA and MLS, the people who will make the key hockey decisions are hockey-oriented people,” Pelley said. “My role is to try and create a culture and chemistry within that builds winning championships. I look at it as a holistic leader who can provide support and guidance from the culture side.

“I’m not going to decide who we draft and what free agents we’ll sign.”

Treliving wasn’t sitting with Pelley on Friday. The fast-tracked decision to can Shanahan on Thursday afternoon saw the GM in Calgary at his daughter’s graduation. Pelley says they’ll get right to work at a Sunday dinner when Treliving returns, doing likewise with Berube already.

“I have the utmost confidence in Brad and Craig. We will, just like in any other business, examine all facets of the organization in how we utilize resources (the Leafs have lots). But it’s using them in the right way. That’s what we’ll spend the next weeks working on.

“We made strides this year, we won the Atlantic Division and came one game away from the conference final. But winning is what matters.”

Pelley did leave the door open for a new president, but seems to be steering the other MLSE sports properties away from such a management structure.

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“We’re on Day One and anything is possible. My plan now is to not replace Brendan. Whether Brad takes on a larger role is something that will be determined down the road. There’s not a right or wrong way to do it, but there’s no particular need at this time to make a hasty decision.

“We’ll be methodical. If we think we need to make a decision like (adding outside help) we will. One of the best sounding boards (Treliving can have) is Craig, who won a (Stanley) Cup in St Louis. I’m a firm believer that the coach has to be more involved than just the day of the game and in the dressing room.”

There was no easy way for Pelley to close the door on 11 years of the Shanaplan. Even with its major flaw, inability of the Core Four to get it done in the playoff crunch, the Leafs led the NHL with nine straight post-season appearances. The right bounce here or there in all those elimination games or even keeping the Florida series close instead of Game 5 and 7 home-ice blowouts might’ve bought Shanahan more time.

“Brendan put this franchise in better position in so many ways, but it’s about results and winning,” Pelley said.

“Change is hard, We made progress under Brad and I think we’d all agree Chief changed the culture. Now we’ll make another step. Further change will be needed to get us to the next level and (Thursday) was the first step in that direction.”

lhornby@postmedia.com

X: @sunhornby