Tuesday’s FTB: Go behind the scenes of the Maple Leafs draft

Good morning Toronto Maple Leafs fans and those of you who got lost on your way to the good hockey blogs.

It’s the dead time of year for hockey news - we’re a week past free agency and the draft is long gone. All the big moves have been made, now we’re at the point where teams are waiting each other out, seeing who makes the first cap related move, and which GMs arrive back from vacation and realize what a mess they’re in.

Thankfully the Maple Leafs have given us something to fill ten minutes of our lives with. The newest episode of the Leafs online series The Blueprint has come out and this one is focused on the draft.

You can watch the full episode here:

If you’re like me and video averse, I have an excellent summary for you:

First, we get an unshaven, haggard Kyle Dubas talking up his scouts, what a hard job they’ve had this year, all while looking like he himself spent the past week watching game tape of all 200+ potential draft picks and not sleeping:

The Maple Leafs brought in Morgan Rielly and Mitch Marner to help announce the teams first round pick (Rodin Amirov), and as Rielly talks up how important it is to have players involved, I can’t hear a word of what he says. All I can do is stare at that off-season moustache and wonder how Tessa stands looking at it.

Oh hey Kyle Mentioned Sault Ste. Marie! Drink!

As Morgan talks about how you only get drafted once in your career, we get the best Leafs dad reaction at the draft once again:

And we get some young, awkward, draft Mo:

Is it just me or is Mitch wearing a retainer?

Oh hell yeah, Mitch reveals he went to Disney World before the draft. Someone get me a photo of him and Tigger.

We go back to the Leafs dressing room and see Kyle talking about the 15th overall pick, and he has the line of the night:

“Either we pick someone we really like, or we get a shit ton for (the pick)”

The captions do not add Kyle’s foul language, because we know Grandma Dubie is watching.

Mitch and Mo prepare to announce the pick, and Marner has a problem.

They play the clip of the two players making the announcement, and then they reenact that moment from drama class when your scene is over and you don’t know what to do:

After this awkward pause there’s an interview with Amirov (in Russian with subtitles) mixed with people talking about the player and some highlights. Dubas speaks about Amirov and mentions he’ll hit his prime when the core is pushing 30, and practically dead.

Moving on to day two, we see Kyle calling Roni Hirvonen right after the Leafs announce him as their pick, welcoming him to the team.

Nice touch by Roni to be sitting up, and not lying in bed.

As the Leafs make their picks, they attach nameplates to the previously blank jerseys hanging in the player stalls.

We have a montage of the Leafs making their picks and video chatting or calling the players. A rare moment of an under 40 saying goodbye on the phone too. Unlike some blogger’s brothers...

The video ends with Rielly talking about how important the draft is, and what it means.

And finally, please, Morgan, for the love of Bower, shave.

Now, some news.

The schedule for the 2021 Men’s Under 20 World Junior Championships was announced. If it happens.

2021 WJC Schedule Revealed

The numbers of Ilya Mikheyev’s arbitration hearing came out:

Ilya Mikheyev’s arbitration ask is more than double the Leafs’ offer

Patrick Marleau helped play a big role in getting Joe Thornton to come to Toronto:

How Patrick Marleau helped sell Joe Thornton on joining Maple Leafs

Bob McKenzie made an appearance to talk World Juniors - click the tweet to see the whole thread:

Now that the 2021 @iihf_wjc schedule has been released, there are a lot of questions being asked about eligible players and who might play or not, as well as selection camp logistics for Team Canada. I’ll try to answer a few of the more common queries as best as I can. Here goes:
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) October 20, 2020