Bryan McCabe On His Time In Toronto: "It Was The Hardest Year Of My Life, It Sucked The Life Out of Me"
Bryan McCabe was a standout and feared defenseman during his time with the Maple Leafs although the retired NHLer would tell you different.
From 2000-2008, Bryan McCabe was part of the Toronto Maple Leafs and alongside defensive partner Tomas Kaberle was one of the most fearsome one-two punches in the league.
With a blistering slap shot, a relentless engine that threw his 6'2, 220-pound frame around with lightning speed, and was willing to drop the gloves regardless of who dared to poke McCabe.
However, according to McCabe speaking during an appearance on Spittin' Chiclets, his tenure with the Maple Leafs ended on a sour note, and it had to do with the reactions of the fans.
Then we're in Buffalo in overtime, it's a 4-on-3 powerplay for them. There's four seconds left and 'Razor' [Andrew Raycroft] stops the puck.
He comes to me at the front of the net and I'm boxing my guy out. I'm trying to whack it in the corner, and I catch it just right and hit both posts and I score the overtime winning goal on my own team!
But as soon as it happened, I was front page of The Sun for three days, my wife still has the posting it says 'Bryan McKlutz'.
Then every time I went to touch the puck, the boo birds came out. It was misery; it sucked the life out of me."
Bryan McCabe's History With The Maple Leafs
It was an unfortunate end to McCabe's Toronto tenure, but as much as fans wanted to hate him for that blunder against Buffalo, there is no denying how impactful he was.
For the eight seasons he played with the Leafs, McCabe had 83 goals and 214 assists over 523 games, showcasing his two-way game and the bevy of assists often came with the legendary Mats Sundin providing the screens.
Originally drafted by the New York Islanders in 1993 (40th overall), the St. Catharines, Ontario native spent two seasons with New York before heading to Vancouver in a trade for Trevor Linden. He was traded to the Maple Leafs for Alex Karpovtsev and a pick.
Since retiring in 2012, McCabe works with the Florida Panthers as a Director of Player Personnel, winning a Stanley Cup last season as part of the front office.
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