Matthew Tkachuk Shares His Thoughts on the Leafs' Decision to Hire Brad Treliving

PUBLICATION

Julien Trekker
June 2, 2023 (10:32)

SHARE THIS STORY

The Leafs have officially hired Brad Treliving as their new General Manager.

The former Flames GM brings a lot of experience and could very well lead the Leafs to the Finals.

Even if he's qualified for the job, a lot of people are afraid that he'll handle players the way he did when he sent Matthew Tkachuk to Florida.

This was probably one of the worst trades of last year's off-season, and there's no better proof than looking at how Tkachuk has played since the start of the playoffs.

When Treliving was hired, Tkachuk shared his thoughts on his former GM.

"I saw on Twitter that he was going to be named, so I sent him a text right away. He's an awesome guy and a great GM. He'll do great there. He did an unreal job in Calgary, so I know he'll be great there. I can't tell you what the specific differences might be, but he's one of the most respected people in the business.

I know what the pressure is like playing in Canada. I can't speak to the specifics of his job, but he certainly handled it well in Calgary, which is obviously a Canadian market. I truly believe he'll be successful [in Toronto].

I still have a great relationship with 'Tree,' and we still talk once in a while. Either he'll reach out or I'll reach out. He's one of the best, most well-respected GMs in hockey and pretty much could have gotten another job in hockey - pretty much any [job] he wanted. He probably had his pick of where to go, and that's exciting.

I don't really know what happened there in Calgary, but I know I liked my time with him. He was super great to all the players and everybody." - Tkachuk on Treliving landing the Leafs' GM job.

Tkachuk likes to troll Treliving about trading him.

«[Tkachuk], who I'm very close to, he reminds me all the time that his success always gets my name brought up, so he says �you're welcome,'» said a smirking Treliving.

It's great to know that even if it didn't end smoothly for Tkachuk and Treliving, they keep a good relationship. In a way, he's a bit like Dubas. They understand the importance of genuinely caring for their staff.

As seen on Maple Leafs Daily -
Matthew Tkachuk gives his honest opinion of the Leafs hiring ex-Flames GM Brad Treliving