Toronto Maple Leafs: The Forgotten Colin Greening

There are many factors behind the recent success of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Factors oftentimes oblivious to the casual fan.

Few things are certain in this wild sport we call hockey.

Crazy as it may be, predicting the outcome of a game in which contestants traverse a frozen ice surface with knives strapped to their feet while attempting to slap bouncing chunks of rubber into narrow openings of a heavily guarded net is a difficult undertaking.

Which isn’t to say it’s impossible. At least, not completely.

Those far more intelligent than I have developed statistical models with terrifically high success rates to do exactly that, igniting a groundswell shift in the way predictions have been made ever since.

And while many come close, even the most intricate algorithm can’t bat 1.000%.

So, where is this going? Well, in a sport whose foundation is built upon pillars of pure chaos, one prediction remains that I can make with near absolute certainty;

Colin Greening, whenever he chooses to do so, will make a phenomenal coach.

Mark it down.

Intelligence

Speak to Greening for all of five minutes and one thing becomes abundantly clear; this is an individual who observes the game with a lens shared by few around him.

The 32-year-old is remarkably consistent, his on-ice approach carrying into his dealings off of it. He’s methodical, with answers reading as both calculated and refreshingly honest, a rare combination in the heavily filtered landscape of modern media.

You needn’t look far for examples.

“What was the feeling like right before that second goal was scored in the third period? “, quizzed one reporter back in January, following a 3-2 Marlies shootout victory over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

“Was it a feeling of desperation-” 

“Our second goal or their second goal?” interrupted Greening, clarifying the question’s exact meaning.

Immediately, this exchange stuck out amongst the constant assembly line of numbingly similar quotes. It was different.

As a concept, the postgame media availability is largely seen as a chore by those required to fulfil them. It’s really not hard to see why. Players barely catch their breath before finding themselves thrust in front of the microphones of a hoard of quote-hungry media members, all waiting to ask differing versions of what will inevitably boil down to be the same exact question.

At the time, the Marlies were in first place. Not only had the team just eeked out an extra-period victory against a top opponent, they’d be back to do it all again tomorrow with puck drop for their next contest less than 24 hours away.

Clearly, no one wanted to talk to the media. Well, no one but Greening.

At a time when most veterans retreat to the privacy of their locker room to ice every square inch of their bodies in preparation for the rigours ahead, Greening was different. In that cold Ricoh Coliseum hallway, he was content to simply converse.

“Your goal,” clarified the reporter. “Was it a feeling of desperation?” 

Greening looked skyward for a moment, gears turning as he begun to formulate his answer.

“I wouldn’t use the word desperation,” he responded.

“I would probably use the word urgency more. And I think that has a more positive connotation with it because there’s no panic. That’s one thing that our team has really prided itself on.” 

His answer was a fitting one, for reasons extending past the game at hand.

Course Correction

Greening’s entire tenure in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization has been underscored by positive connotation, a decision Greening himself chose to make upon arrival.

Few players, when faced with similar circumstances, would have done the same.

Lumped in as a glorified salary dump by Ottawa in the Dion Phaneuf trade, Greening entered Toronto in 2015 at a crossroads. The writing had been on the wall for quite some time by then, obvious to all.

Coupled with a steep production decline after inking his 3-year extension in 2011, Greening additionally sat in the midst of a constant battle with injuries, one that had been waging on for the past calendar year.

Prior to the trade, his health limited him to suit up for just one game, going pointless.

Every single person who sets foot in the National Hockey League, at one time or another, faces the point where their career path extends no further. It’s a reality few handle gracefully, with most opting to ignore the glaring physical limitations placed before them and instead grasp desperately at glory they once had.

Greening faced that same reality as well, albeit far earlier than most of his peers. And rather than undergoing the Sysyphian task to recapture his past value, he made a sobering and unblinkingly honest decision that inevitably lead him to that postgame scrum in early January and, months later, to a Calder Cup.

Greening willingly accepted his demotion to the Toronto Marlies prior to the 2016-17 season, a blow softened by expectations for him to assume a crucial leadership role within the fabric of the team.

He took to it quickly.

“I’ve always assumed that type of role,” Greening told me back in January.

“I think that’s one of the reasons why they (The Marlies) brought me back. So far it’s been a positive experience for me and I hope it’s been a positive experience for the Leafs organization. There’s a lot of younger guys here, certainly far younger than me, but it’s fun to play with them and show them the ropes”

That’s precisely what he’s done, with the team reaping the rewards ever since.

As Sheldon Keefe began formulating the lines he’d enter into the playoffs with this past April, he made the bold decision to place Pierre Engvall, an offensively inclined prospect, alongside Greening on the Marlies’ shutdown line.

Engvall, by all accounts, had never before encountered such defensive responsibility, and yet Keefe stood by his decision, emboldened by visions of the inevitable impact he expected Greening to have on the young Swede.

Four rounds later, not only did Engvall emerge with a vastly improved two-way game, he shone as a more well-rounded player in general as well.

Greening’s tutelage allowed Engvall to take legitimate strides in his development, all while providing a showcase for the value his veteran linemate regularly imparts upon the Marlies’ future.

Outlook

At this moment, fan focus may be directly pointed upwards at the Leafs as they enter into a critical year. And while that’s all well and good, this attention shouldn’t come by ignoring the various factors which got them there in the first place.

Greening is one of those factors, and his presence in the organization will be felt for years to come.

Thanks for reading!