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This Twice Former GM Is Still Working for the Toronto Maple Leafs

By Jeff Borsuk |
Cliff Fletcher, Senior Advisor to the Toronto Maple Leafs, looks on prior to the start of the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft at the Wells Fargo Center on June 27, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Cliff Fletcher, Senior Advisor to the Toronto Maple Leafs, looks on prior to the start of the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft at the Wells Fargo Center on June 27, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Cliff Fletcher has been around the Toronto Maple Leafs for many years, and, incredibly, he’s still going strong at age 87 and continues to work for the team.

Cliff Fletcher may be one of the most well liked people in hockey and in Toronto Maple Leafs history. It’s difficult to find anyone who knows the man that says a bad word about him.

Fletcher, who is lovingly referred to as “The Silver Fox” and “Trader Cliff”, is still officially working for the Maple Leafs.

He holds the title as Senior Advisor. This is a man who was with the franchise as far back as 1991 as the team’s chief operating officer, president, and general manager.

This Twice Former GM Is Still Working for the Toronto Maple Leafs

Fletcher was hired not long after Former Maple Leafs owner Harold Ballard passed away. He remained the franchise’s GM until 1997, but never fully went away. Fletcher was back with the Leafs as their Interim General Manager in 2008.

The man is turning 88 years old later this summer. Somehow, he’s still with the Maple Leafs.

Some may speculate that he remains in the MLSE offices to be close to his daughter. However, that theory doesn’t hold up since Kristy Fletcher left the organization and is now the president of musiCounts, a music education charity.

With his years and wealth of experience, he has a lot of wisdom to share. Let’s keep in mind that Fletcher is a Hall of Famer, inducted in the HHOF in 2004.

The man doesn’t need to be hanging out in cold hockey arenas regularly eating hot dogs for dinner.

With all he’s done, the man has earned to right to retire and step away from the game for good. Instead, he clearly loves hockey and doesn’t appear to be interested in retiring.

Ever.

And good for him. The wisdom and experience of Fletcher has been beneficial to countless Toronto Maple Leafs GMs dating back almost 20 years.

Given the early reviews on new GM Brad Trelving, maybe the Leafs should have replaced Kyle Dubas with someone with even more experience!

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No matter why he continues to work at his advanced age, Fletcher is a man to celebrate and remember for always being there for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He is the author of the best years in recent franchise history, and the one can always hope that his wisdom and talent rubs off on the current guy running the show.

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