Leafs President, Brendan Shanahan Doesn't Care for Big Hits

When the Toronto Maple Leafs made Brendan Shanahan their President in 2014, it was because of his storied career on the ice and his vision for the game off the ice. Turns out Shanahan's preferences for what he sees on the ice may surprise you.

The Leafs President was a guest on a recent podcast with actors Jason Bateman and Leafs super fan, Will Arnett and had this to say about the classic hits vs goals debate:

The way (today), I think, is not necessarily the way I played. I know people get pissed off at me when I say stuff like this, but I don't get excited to see a big hit. I get excited when I see a big goal ... I don't want to see any of these young guys on the ice getting carried off (on a stretcher). I don't get off on it.

If I see a fight in hockey and it's because someone was protecting somebody or somebody was bullying somebody and you're addressing it. There's probably still a place for that in hockey, but using it as a tool to intimidate or hurt, I don't know, it's going away from that.

Retirement from the game can bring change, and for Shanahan, considering this is how he used to play the game....cheers to new beginnings.