Thank you, everybody. First off, I apologize for for conducting this on a on a Friday at three o'clock, front of a long weekend, and before I get started on a bit of a timeline here, and questions.

I thought it was really important at this point, say as well. I want to thank Kyle Dubas for the nine years that he has given to this hockey organization and all the tremendous contributions that he has made to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He's been a fantastic employee and a fantastic person the entire time.

Well, this is going to be a first, which we're about to hear is a combination heel toe carcass courtesy of Elliott Friedman. Welcome to 32 thoughts. The podcast presented by the GMC Canyon 84 X right now. Elliott is walking soon. He'll be driving Jeff Merrick on the mic right now, sitting Amel Dalloch at his place, probably moving around shaken buzzing, editing, getting everything done because that is the beehive that is Amel Dalloch and his brain. So the big story.

The big story of the day Friday was a drama filled day around leafland, the news coming around noon. Elliott, you broke this on Twitter, the news of the day that the Maple Leafs had parted ways with general manager Kyle Dubas.

There was a Brendan Shanahan press conference in the afternoon, and I think it's safe to say a number of jaws hit the ground with a level of transparency about process and decision making.

That is rare in these types of situations. One thing we should point out we have heard this now from the Maple Leafs side of things because a lot of this is going to be schedule.

We've heard this now from one side of the equation here, the Maple Leaf side, but before we start to drill down on some of the specifics as we say in the Atlantic, what is your big takeaway, Elliott?

That was some press conference. Jeff, you know my overall opinion that I'm never going to complain with someone pulling back the curtain.

Like we always say we want more people to be honest with us. When they come out and they reveal details, you can't complain about it as a member of the media.

So that's always my default.

You know what I thought of? There's a great old quote that goes like this, our society has become so fake that the truth actually bothers people.

This was interesting. Like we're so used to press conferences where nothing is said that this one was pretty jarring, Elliott.

It was, it was very jarring. And like I think the key thing is is that you said we've heard from one side of the story.

And to this point in time we have not heard Kyle Dubas' side.

So let's talk in that lens, but that was very revealing. Jeff, how much do in this business do you hear?

I'm not going to negotiate through the media. You rarely get a situation where an entire negotiation is brought out like that on the record.

It is extremely, extremely unusual.

Timeline on the Kyle Dubas contract. I suppose you could go back to last off season.

I approached Kyle in his office at the Ford Performance Center and explained to him that he would be not receiving a contract offer prior to his final year of his contract.

I tried to reassure him that it wasn't a reflection on his future with the club. I reminded him that it was a situation I found myself in a few years prior as well.

And that it was my hope and it was my intention that at the end of the year and after being judged for the full five years of his contract that we would be extending him and moving forward.

And it's very clear that Brendan Shanahan from his position wanted nothing that we felt happened to be unturned. He wanted it all out there.

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