The Toronto Maple Leafs are set up for an offseason full of changes after another playoff disappointment. They went up 2-0 in the second round of the playoffs and collapsed, losing Game 7 at home. With Mitch Marner and John Tavares hitting free agency, the team on the ice will change. But there are also changes in the front office. Maple Leafs CEO Keith Pelley already let Brendan Shanahan's contract expire and announced Friday that he will not replace him.

“Pelley says he’s NOT looking to replace Shanahan but rather will look to work closer with Brad Treliving, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported from Pelley's press conference. “So the Leafs GM reporting directly to Pelley.”

Pelley became the CEO of Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) in January 2024, leaving his post with the DP World Tour in golf. Before taking that job, he was the president of Rogers Communications. In September 2024, Rogers announced they were buying out Bell's stake in Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment. Elliotte Friedman, who works for Rogers, spoke about the possibility of not replacing Shanahan on his Friday podcast.

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“I don't think this is just about job performance,” Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts Podcast. “We work for Rogers, and they're in the process of owning 75% of [MLSE], and eventually they're going to own 100% of [MLSE]. Rogers is not afraid to spend money, I think we've all learned, but we also know that they don't believe in bloat and they don't believe in spending money if it does not make sense.”

Friedman went on to ask the question whether or not the team needed Pelley, Shanahan, and general manager Brad Treliving all working on hockey operations. That led Pelley to let Shanahan's contract expire and not chase after a replacement. Treliving just finished the second year of a four-year contract and got the vote of confidence from Pelley on Friday.