As we approach the end of the decade, there is much room for reflection within the hockey world, but especially in Toronto. In the last decade, you could make an argument that there has not been a more polarizing player for the blue and white than former Maple Leaf Jake Gardiner.
From the infamous 2013 collapse, right through to last year's game 7 loss to the same Boston Bruins, Gardiner has been the target of a heap of criticism. Some fair and warranted, some unfair and unwarranted. But should one man really shoulder so much of the blame on a 23-man roster? Ask that question to Leafs Nation and you'll have to draw a line in the sand, because there really are two groups of people here: Those who believe Gardiner's presence made the Leafs a better hockey team, despite his defensive miscues, and those who believe his presence hurt the team's chances to be truly successful.
Hockey fans are a passionate bunch, to say the least. If the team is winning, all is right and good, but as soon as a winning streak gives way to a nasty stretch where wins are few and far between, you're looking for players to crucify right, left and center. Jake Gardiner was undoubtedly crucified by fans in Toronto. Fans would rain down boos everytime Gardiner touched the puck if he was having a rough game. Tough to play through, when you have so much love toward the team and the city.
But as we turn the page, Jake has found a new home in Raleigh, NC, with the Hurricanes, who are having another strong season, despite early struggles from the new rearguard as he acclimates himself with a new city and a new team. Gardiner took some time to talk with The Athletic's James Mirtle about life in Toronto and life after Toronto.
“Obviously the goal is to win, and I felt like we had the team to do it. It obviously wasn't ideal. But I enjoyed every game I played there and all eight years. I don't really have any regrets.”
Gardiner, a casualty of the cap situation in Toronto, signed a 4-year, $16.2M contract with the Hurricanes in early September, just before training camp. Finding a suitor did not come easy for the 29-year-old, as he had spent 20 games on the sidelines during a contract year. The eye-test was not good upon his return either.
“In your contract year, you're trying to play through everything,” Gardiner said on a call, ahead of Thursday's matchup with the Avs in Denver. “Finally I just said, this is too painful. I had to take some time off. Luckily I didn't have to do surgery or anything. That was probably one of the harder things to go through (in my career), especially in a contract year."
Prior to his decision to sign with the Canes, Gardiner was being courted by the Montreal Canadiens as well. The Habs really pushed to acquire the slick-skating left-shooting dman late into the summer, but to no avail.
“(The Montreal decision) was definitely tough,” said Gardiner. “That was basically kind of crunch time. They wanted to know if I was going to sign there or not. Ultimately I, honestly, especially playing for Toronto, all of those years, basically going to their enemy or rival or whatever you want to call it, was one part of the decision. And also the Canadian market I think, I'm a little bit older now, I've got a kid, and it's just kind of nice to be in a place where, in a sense, it's a little bit more relaxed. You can breathe a little bit more.”
Gardiner has not watched many Maple Leafs games this season, obviously due to being a little pre-occupied with battling alongside his new teammates in Carolina, putting together an impressive 22-11-2 record through 35 games. That aside, his heart still aches for the situation in Toronto, despite having moved on to a better situation for himself and his family.
“Honestly, I loved it there,” he said. “And that team – I know they're not doing well right now, but that's a team that is very, very good. I'm sure they're getting a lot of criticism up there, but that's a team that's definitely got a chance to win every single night. I'd be shocked if they didn't make the playoffs," he added.
Not many folks would be surprised to hear that playing in Raleigh is very different than playing in a media-heavy Toronto market. Less attention is definitely one of the perks that Gardiner has really enjoyed, playing in a low-pressure environment like what exists in Carolina.
“It's been great,” he said. “Team's awesome. Weather is great. My wife likes it. Really good guys on the team. It's been a pretty easy transition, to be honest. It is very interesting how, playing in Carolina, it's basically like the polar opposite (of Toronto's fan and media environment). If I have a bad game here, you're not going to hear about it, really. In Toronto, if I scored a hat trick, I'm the best player in the league. If I'm dash three (minus-3) or something, it's ‘We need to trade this guy.' It's very, very opposite.”
Monday will be a bit of a mixed-bag for Gardiner, who returns to Toronto for the first time since signing with the Hurricanes, but it's an opportunity he really looks forward to, calling Toronto his "home away from home".
While he does not know what to expect, as far as the type of reaction he will receive from the Toronto crowd, he does look forward to mixing it up with his old teammates.
“It'll be really good to see those guys,” Gardiner said. “I'm sure it'll be a little bit emotional … It's definitely going to be weird. I don't know. It's just another hockey game, I guess? Maybe I'll slash Mo or something a few times. Or Mitchy. We'll see.”
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