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Phil Kessel: Leafs Fans ‘Classless’ This Season

By Catherine Silverman

Nov 20, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs center Tyler Bozak (42) and left wing James van Riemsdyk (21) and right wing Phil Kessel (81) look on from the bench in the second period moments after van Riemsdyk s goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 20, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs center Tyler Bozak (42) and left wing James van Riemsdyk (21) and right wing Phil Kessel (81) look on from the bench in the second period moments after van Riemsdyk s goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Phil Kessel thinks Toronto Maple Leafs fans are being ‘classless’

The Toronto Maple Leafs are off to a less-than-stellar start this season, but they’re far from the worst team in the league.

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At least, that’s what winger Phil Kessel (who has 11 goals and 11 assists on the season in 20 games) told the media during practice on Wednesday. Sportsnet said that Kessel isn’t impressed by the fans who have repeatedly thrown their jerseys onto the ice in protest during bad games.

"“It’s disrespectful, right?” the star winger told reporters after Wednesday’s practice. “Not just to us but to the organization, to all of the Leafs players that have ever played for Toronto. If you want to boo us [that’s alright], but you’re disrespecting all of the great players and the great teams that they’ve had before us [by tossing jerseys] here. That’s the way I look at it.“I think that’s pretty classless to throw your jersey on the ice like that.”"

The fans have practically made it a tradition this season, throwing jerseys and scarves on the ice when the team performs poorly. Kessel is right — it’s classless, and the fans who aren’t doing it should be upset with the few that are.

While the fans clearly aren’t behaving in an admirable way, though, the team isn’t performing up to par — and Kessel admitted it. During the same practice in which he called the fans classless, he spoke on head coach Randy Carlyle — and placed all the blame on the players, not Carlyle.

"“It’s not Randy’s fault. I mean, we’re on the ice,” Kessel said. “I don’t think people should be blaming him. We’re out there making mistakes and not playing well the last two games…It can’t get worse than that, can it?”"

The team has been characterized for seemingly turning good play on and off from game to game, as was indicated by a blowout win over the Bruins being followed by two blowout losses… then another blowout win.

At least we now know what Kessel had to say.

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