Glee in Toronto over Allaire.
The Toronto media came about as close to "swooning" as one can about hiring a goaltending consultant. Here's some of what was printed after the Maple Leafs hired Francois Allaire away from the Ducks:
From the Toronto Star (bold mine):
The Maple Leafs, undercut by substandard goaltending most of last season, have hired highly regarded goaltending consultant Francois Allaire to help fix the problem. While it is still unclear who Allaire will be helping - the Leafs are pursuing Swedish prospect Jonas Gustavsson to become Vesa Toskala's backup -- to land the Montrealer is something of a coup.
The 53-year-old spent the past 13 seasons as the goaltending consultant in Anaheim and is credited with helping Jonas Hillier emerge as a promising NHL netminder. Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who won the 2003 Conn Smythe Trophy and a Stanley Cup in 2007, also frequently spoke glowingly of Allaire's mentoring.
But Allaire said, with two teenaged children, the travel between California and his Montreal home was becoming untenable. He sought permission from the Ducks to pursue job opportunities in the east and the Leafs were the most proactive in trying to land his services.
"With teenagers, I felt I had to be a little bit closer to my family," Allaire said last night. "I'm really excited to get another chance in the NHL to prove myself and hopefully win a Stanley Cup with the Leafs."
Allaire said the decision was easier because he had worked, and won a championship, with Leafs general manager Brian Burke in Anaheim. With the Ducks he also worked with Toronto's assistant GM Dave Nonis and coach Ron Wilson so it was a very comfortable fit.
The Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday confirmed the hiring of the man who helped Conn Smythe and Stanley Cup winners Patrick Roy and Jean-Sebastien Giguere hone their craft.
François Allaire will join Toronto as a goaltending consultant after serving for 13 years in a similar capacity with Anaheim, where he worked with Giguere.
"We consider François to be one of the best in the world at his craft," said Burke. "He brings a tremendous amount of experience and I know that he will make an immediate impact with our goalies. I would like to thank the Anaheim organization for making François available to us."Then check out the comments over at the Globe and Mail.
About J.P.
J.P. Hoornstra has been covering the Anaheim Ducks since 2007. Eight months after the University of Wisconsin won its third NCAA hockey championship, he was born in a frigid Madison winter. He betrayed his blue-blooded beginnings by graduating from UCLA in 2003, and welcomes any and all dialogue on the finer points of hockey.
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