Marlies reach Calder Cup final

--The Leafs' farm team, the Toronto Marlies, were down 3-0 to the Norfolk Admirals in the Calder Cup final heading into Game 4in Toronto on June 9.

This is Toronto's first visit to the final since the Leafs pulled their affiliate from St. John's, Newfoundland, in 2005. The absence of injured forwards Mike Zigomanis, Matt Frattin, Nazem Kadri and defenseman Jesse Blacker was evident early in the series against the healthy, higher-seeded Admirals. But the Marlies lost Game 3 on a fluke overtime goal, when Norfolk's Mike Kostka fired a puck deep in the corner that struck a stanchion and went in an empty Toronto net. G Ben Scrivens, anticipating the puck was coming around the boards, was fooled.

--Player personnel director Rick Dudley's departure to the Montreal Canadiens happened faster than expected. On May 25, he was named assistant to new general manager Marc Bergevin. The Leafs were worried about Dudley's possible impact on the draft, but he will simply stay away from any decisions made at the Habs' table on June 22-23 in Pittsburgh.

--Leafs senior vice president Davis Nonis confirmed on June 4 that assistant coaches Scott Gordon and Greg Cronin would return for a second year. They were brought in under orders of GM Brian Burke last summer when he thought coach Ron Wilson's staff needed a shakeup. Burke's influence in their hire might have influenced their status, given new head coach Randy Carlyle likely had other assistants in mind, but he did get to bring in old pal Dave Farrish as his right-hand man.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"I'd rather someone take a pair of steel-toed boots and kick me in a delicate region than to lose a hockey game like that." -- Toronto Marlies coach Dallas Eakins on losing a 1-0 game in the Calder Cup final on a fluke bounce off a stanchion.

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