‘It was determined that a new voice was required to take the team to the next level in the years ahead,’ MLSE President and CEO Keith Pelley said in a statement on Thursday.
The Maple Leafs had one playoff appearance in nine years before Shanahan, a Hall of Fame player, was hired in 2014. They now have the league’s longest active playoff streak at nine seasons, but the postseason woes continued for a team that last reached the conference finals in 2002 and last won the Stanley Cup in 1967.
They reached the second round this season for the second time since 2004 and won the first two games against the Florida Panthers in the second round. But they lost the series in seven games. Games 5 and 7 were 6-1 blowout losses at home.
That collapse could cause changes in the Core Four, especially since Mitch Marner and John Tavares are pending unrestricted free agents. Recently extended Auston Matthews and William Nylander also are part of that key group.
‘While I am proud of the rebuild we embarked on starting in 2014, ultimately, I came here to help win the Stanley Cup, and we did not,’ Shanahan said in a statement. ‘There is nothing more I wanted to deliver to our fans, and my biggest regret is that we could not finish the job.’
Sportsnet reported Wednesday that Islanders have sought permission to talk to Shanahan about a front-office position.