The leaked Rogers cost-cutting list proves the richest franchise is acting like a broke team
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
A new expose revealed how Rogers and MLSE cut costs and it turns out that for a team who's a multi-billion dollar franchise — their frugality has no bounds.
On Wednesday, the lid was completely blown off the entire Maple Leafs organization as The Athletic published a scathing expose on the club that delved deep into the fractured culture, management concerns, and serious red flags that have plagued the team the past few years.
A lot of the flak was thrown towards MLSE CEO Keith Pelley, as he was supposedly hands-off executive yet came armed with AI-based trade information and was front and centre of every single decision.
But it's what he and Rogers are doing elsewhere that is really starting to make fans and players ticked off — for lack of a kinder word.
Why charging kids to wave the flag completely destroys the working class fan connection
It was revealed that executives wanted to make sure the bottom line looked a lot more positive and introduced several cost-cutting measures to ensure they made more moolah.
First, they reduced the 50% discount at Real Sports Bar and Grill, as well as merchandise to 30%. That's fine. Then it turns out that tickets for friends and family of teammates were going up; alright things are getting a bit odd.
What's that? You also cancelled the father's trip, replaced it with a haphazard 'Mentor's Trip' in March, and then told staff members that they weren't allowed to bring someone; only player.
That has to be the worst of it? It's not like they're also exploiting their young fans too...right?
Well according to Pelley and company, no price is too much for an experience. They are charging young fans a staggering $956 to wave the flag at centre ice as part of the 'Fan Access' program.
Oh by the way? That doesn't include your game ticket either. Hopefully little Timmy has a seat.
They're also charging $1,000 for a dinner in the Leafs Dressing Room as well as the same for a chance to dine in the ownership lounge. If Pelley could monetize the air the fans breathe you could bet your life he'd try to find a way to charge for that too.
You've just completely destroyed any incentive to be a young Maple Leafs fan. Back when a team fan club consisted of $20 in an envelope, it's now become a capitalist utopia where everything has a price.
Forcing the minor league roster onto a bus actively hurts the Toronto development culture
Switching gears from fans to an often overlooked part of the organization which is the Marlies. The AHL doesn't really have the luxuries of NHL-level teams but for group like Toronto with seemingly unlimited resources; you'd think they'd be flying high.
Well, Pelley and company don't want them flying at all it seems. It was made known that the Marlies had their travel budget slashed and were expected to bus to destinations they otherwise would have flown to such as Laval.
For context, a direct trip from Toronto to Laval with no stops takes about 5.5 hours. A flight takes 1.5 hours and roughly costs about $200 a ticket for your average Joe.
This multi-billion dollar conglomerate that manages the Marlies can't afford like...$50,000 for flights to Laval? Were the Biscoff cookies really that expensive on the airline?
I would like to draw attention to the MiLB; or Minor League Baseball. Their AAA/AA affiliates are given next to nothing, expected to pay out of their own pocket, and get paid barely enough to survive anyways.
Up until 2025, the following were not supplied by the minor league teams:
- Housing
- Transportation to the ballpark
- One or two buses only; no flights
- Health insurance coverage (ends immediately upon release)
- Transportation to the ballpark
- One or two buses only; no flights
- Health insurance coverage (ends immediately upon release)
They had to threaten a stoppage in order to have some standard of living, and you're going to run into the same issues with the Marlies specifically if they are having some of their livelihood taken away.
Who wants to play or represent a team that would rather care if they make an extra couple million over trying to provide an elite experience for the guys who make them the money in the first place?
If this were the 1800's then Keith Pelley, MLSE, and Rogers would be running a snake oil racket.
I guess there's really no lengths to what this boardroom will sell — including their souls.
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
The private Auston Matthews meeting with Keith Pelley puts the Toronto roster on high alert
The private Auston Matthews meeting with Keith Pelley puts the Toronto roster on high alert