International Law

Fletcher In, Lawyers Out

By Garry J. Wise, Wise Law Office, Toronto

With yesterday's firing of Toronto Maple Leaf General Manager John Ferguson Jr., and Cliff Fletcher's return to the club as Interim General Manager, the Leaf franchise has indeed begun a new era.

In fact, for the first time since 1997, when the Toronto Maple Leafs appointed Ken Dryden as President and General Manager, the club has handed hockey control of the organization to a non-lawyer.

Mr. Dryden, a recipient of a degree in Law from McGill University, and now a member of Canada's Parliament, was succeded as General Manager in 1998 by Pat Quinn.

Mr. Quinn obtained his law degree from Widener University, Delaware School of Law.

He was replaced in August 2003 by the Mr. Ferguson, who graduated Cum Laude with the degree of juris doctor from the Suffolk University Law School and was admitted to the Massachusetts State Bar in 1996.

(For the record, I'll note that we were not alone in our prediction last June that Mr. Ferguson would be unlikely to survive in the GM role to the 2008 All-Star break).

Bear in mind this one caveat, however, from sports writer Howard Berger: Nothing Changes Unless Richard Peddie Steps Aside.

Peddie, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), has a mere honourary Doctor of Laws.

Yesterday's announcements and press festivites are below:

Maple Leafs Hire Cliff Fletcher- Press Conference - Part 2

Maple Leafs Hire Cliff Fletcher- Press Conference - Part 3

Maple Leafs Hire Cliff Fletcher- Press Conference - Part 4

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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Full post as published by Wise Law Blog on January 23, 2008 (boomark / email).