2008–09 Toronto Maple Leafs Season
The 2008–09 Toronto Maple Leafs season was the franchise's 92nd, and their 82nd as the Maple Leafs. The Leafs did not qualify for the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. Offseason The Leafs faced an off-season challenge to hire a general manager. Brian Burke was a favourite for the position held by interim general manager Cliff Fletcher, but Burke opted to stay with the Anaheim Ducks. He was not given permission to talk to the Leafs about their vacancy by Ducks owner Henry Samueli. Burke had one more year left on his contract as the general manager of the Ducks, and those close to him say he was interested in the Maple Leafs' job. On May 7, the Leafs fired head coach Paul Maurice, along with two assistant coaches, after missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. On May 8, the Leafs asked the Vancouver Canucks permission to speak to Dave Nonis about hiring him for a position with the club. In mid-May, there were rumours that Wayne Gretzky was in the running for ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Eastern Conference (NHL)
The Eastern Conference () is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League (NHL) used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. History Originally named the Prince of Wales Conference (or Wales Conference for short), it was created in 1974–75 NHL season, 1974 when the NHL realigned its teams into two conferences and four divisions. Because the new conferences and divisions had little to do with North American geography, geographical references were removed. The Prince of Wales Trophy dates back to 1925, when it was donated to the League by the Prince of Wales, who later became Edward VIII, King Edward VIII and then the Duke of Windsor. It was originally given to the NHL's playoff champion. (Until 1926, the Stanley Cup was presented to the winner of a post-season playoff between the NHL and Western Canada Hockey League, Western Hockey League champions.) Since 1926–27 NHL season, 1926–27, the Stanley Cup has gone to the NHL' ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The club is owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, a company that owns several professional sports teams in the city, while the team's broadcasting rights are split between BCE Inc. and Rogers Communications. The club was founded as the Toronto Arenas for the inaugural 1917–18 NHL season and rebranded to the Toronto St. Patricks after two years. Conn Smythe renamed the franchise to the Maple Leafs after buying it in 1927. The team played home games at the Mutual Street Arena for its first 14 seasons before moving to Maple Leaf Gardens in 1931. Since February 1999, the Maple Leafs play at Scotiabank Arena, which was formerly known as ''Air Canada Centre.'' Toronto has won more S ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. They are the third major professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the Calgary Tigers (1921–1927) and Calgary Cowboys (1975–1977). The Flames are one of two NHL franchises based in Alberta, the other being the Edmonton Oilers. The cities' proximity has led to a rivalry known as the "Battle of Alberta (NHL), Battle of Alberta". The team was founded in 1972–73 NHL season, 1972 in Atlanta as the Atlanta Flames before Relocation of professional sports teams, relocating to Calgary in 1980–81 NHL season, 1980. The Flames played their first three seasons in Calgary at the Stampede Corral before moving into the Scotiabank Saddledome (originally the Olympic Saddledome) in 1983–84 NHL season, 1983. In 1985–86 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The Capitals compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team is owned by Ted Leonsis through Monumental Sports & Entertainment, and initially played its home games at the Capital Centre (Landover, Maryland), Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland, before moving to Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., in 1997. The franchise was founded in 1974–75 NHL season, 1974 as an expansion team, alongside the Kansas City Scouts, and struggled throughout its first eight years of existence. In 1982–83 NHL season, 1982, David Poile was hired as general manager, helping to turn the team's fortunes around. With a core of players such as Mike Gartner, Rod Langway, Larry Murphy (ice hockey), Larry Murphy, and Scott Stevens, they became a regular playoff contender for the next fourt ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. The Stars compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The Stars played in Reunion Arena in downtown Dallas from 1993 to 2001, when they moved into the American Airlines Center in Dallas's nearby Victory Park, Dallas, Victory Park neighborhood, an arena they share with the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Stars were founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. Before the 1978–79 NHL season, the team merged with the Cleveland Barons (NHL), Cleveland Barons after the league granted them permission due to each team's respective financial struggles. The franchise relocated to Dallas for the 1993–94 NHL season and was renamed the Dallas Stars. The Stars have won nine division titles in Dallas, two Presidents' Troph ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. The Sharks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The franchise is owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainment Enterprises. Beginning play in the 1991–92 NHL season, 1991–92 season, the team initially played its home games at the Cow Palace, before moving to its present home, now named SAP Center, SAP Center at San Jose, in 1993; the SAP Center is known locally as "the Shark Tank". The Sharks are affiliated with the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Wichita Thunder of the ECHL. The Sharks were founded on May 9, 1990, after the owners of the Minnesota North Stars sold the stake to award the NHL franchise based in the San Francisco Bay Area. They were the first team to be based in the region since the California Golden Seals relocated to Cleveland in 1 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes are an inactive professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. They competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division (1996–1998, 2021–2024) and the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division (1998–2020) in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and the West Division (NHL), West Division (2020–2021). They played at America West Arena (now PHX Arena) in downtown Phoenix from 1996 to 2003, at Glendale, Arizona, Glendale's Gila River Arena (now Desert Diamond Arena) from 2003 to 2022, and at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona, Tempe from 2022 to 2024. The organization was established on December 27, 1971, as the Winnipeg Jets (1972–1996), Winnipeg Jets, a charter franchise of the World Hockey Association (WHA). After seven WHA seasons, they were one of four organizations 1979 NHL expansion, enfranchised by the NHL on June 22, 1979, when the WHA ceased operations. Due to ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One", he has been called the greatest ice hockey player ever by the NHL based on surveys of hockey writers, ex-players, general managers and coaches. Gretzky is the leading career Point (ice hockey), point scorer and Assist (ice hockey), assist producer in NHL history and has more assists than any other player has total career points. He is the only NHL player to total over 200 points in one season, a feat he accomplished four times. In addition, Gretzky tallied over 100 points in 15 professional seasons. At the time of his retirement in 1999, he List of career achievements by Wayne Gretzky, held 61 NHL records: 40 regular season records, 15 playoff records, and 6 NHL All-Star Game, All-Star records.For his titles, see * Regarded as ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Dave Nonis
David M. Nonis (born May 25, 1966) is a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman and is currently an assistant general manager and senior VP of hockey operations for the Calgary Flames. Playing career Growing up in Burnaby, B.C., Nonis played junior hockey with the Burnaby Bluehawks of the BCJHL in 1982–83. He then began collegiate hockey in the NCAA at the University of Maine, playing 153 games from 1984 through 1988. Nonis spent his final two years for the Bears as team captain, leading Maine to back-to-back NCAA championship tournaments. After completing his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1988, Nonis played a year of professional hockey for Aalborg (AaB) in the Danish Hockey League. In 1989, he returned to the University of Maine as an assistant coach for one season. Executive career Nonis replaced Brian Burke as the Vancouver Canucks' general manager in 2004. At 37 years old, he was the youngest general manager in team history. Prior to being GM for the Canucks, he spent s ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. The Canucks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The team plays its home games at Rogers Arena. Adam Foote is the head coach, Jim Rutherford serves as the president of hockey operations and Patrik Allvin serves as the general manager. The Canucks joined the league in 1970–71 NHL season, 1970 as an expansion team along with the Buffalo Sabres. The team has advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals three times, losing to the New York Islanders in 1982 Stanley Cup Finals, 1982, the New York Rangers in 1994 Stanley Cup Finals, 1994 and the Boston Bruins in 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, 2011. They have won the Presidents' Trophy in back-to-back seasons as the team with the league's best regular season record in both the 2010–11 NHL season, 2010–11 and 2011–12 NHL season, 2011–12 seasons. Th ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Paul Maurice
Paul Maurice (born January 30, 1967) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the head coach for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). At age 43, Maurice became the youngest coach in NHL history to coach 1,000 games, reaching the milestone on November 28, 2010. He also holds a record for the most losses by an NHL coach with 767. Maurice played four years of junior ice hockey as a defenceman in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) prior to suffering an eye injury. Maurice started his NHL coaching career with the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes franchise from 1995 to 2003 and the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2006 to 2008. On December 3, 2008, Maurice was rehired by the Hurricanes after the firing of Peter Laviolette, who had replaced him in 2003. On November 28, 2011, the Carolina Hurricanes announced that Maurice had been fired for a second time, whereupon, after a brief stint coaching Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the Kontinental Hockey Lea ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Henry Samueli
Henry Samueli (born September 20, 1954) is an American businessman and engineer. He is a co-founder of Broadcom Corporation, owner of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL), and a prominent philanthropist in the Orange County, California, community. He is chairman of Broadcom Inc. He is also a professor (on leave of absence) in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at UCLA, and a distinguished adjunct professor in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department at UC Irvine. He holds honorary doctorate degrees from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and the National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan. He is a named inventor in 75 U.S. patents. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for contributions to VLSI architectures and realizations for high-bit rate digital communication systems. He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS). He was also elected a member o ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |