Toronto Maple Leafs assistant coach gets told no by Phil Kessel

The Toronto Maple Leafs may be run by MLSE and coached by Randy Carlyle, but it’s their superstars that the team answers to first and foremost. At least that’s the message resonating in the locker room after it was revealed a new assistant coach on Carlyle’s crew was panned by star winger Phil Kessel when he showed Kessel a new breakout strategy for the team.

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Dave Feschuk at the Toronto Sun reports that assistant coach Steve Spott drew up a new breakout strategy per the orders of head coach Carlyle. When he presented it to Phil Kessel, he was reportedly told by Kessel that he wouldn’t be running those plays.

"“Spotter said that when he went to Phil (with the breakout play), Phil said, I’m not doing it,” said one of the attendees, a former professional player."

"Said another: “Spott was saying (that) these are the things I’ve got to deal with now that I’ve never had to deal with. In the AHL (where Spott coached last season with the Toronto Marlies), when you’re the coach what you say goes. Whereas now that I’m here (in the NHL), I’ve got a guy telling me: No. I’m not going to do that.”"

There’s no word on whether Phil had something else in mind or if he simply wasn’t up for running that gameplan. Either way, if true, this story is just another example of the power of an irreplaceable superstar on a roster desperately lacking such players. Kessel is one of the faster, purest goal scorers in the league and his acumen on the ice renders moot the word of any coach off it.

Don’t expect the soft-spoken Kessel to have much to say publicly about this incident, but also don’t expect it to be a lingering issue in the season. The offseason and training camp are times for such friction, but all parties are professionals here and will prepare accordingly for the games that matter.

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