Doug Gilmour Back With The Leafs As Talent Evaluator
Posted September 15, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Rumblings about the return of fan favourite Doug Gilmour to the Leafs organization were confirmed on Friday when the club offered him a full time position as a talent evaluator.
The feisty player aptly nicknamed ‘killer’ will assist GM John Ferguson, assistant GM Mike Penny and player development coach Paul Dennis on assessing young talent.
“I’ll be hands on with John, Mike and Paul,” said Gilmour. “It’s baby steps right now.
“I’m going to give it all the effort I have and at times give an opinion. Whether it’s right or wrong, they’ll decide that.”
Gilmour, 43, retired as an active player three years ago after suffering an injury, but hockey wasn’t out of his blood. He admits coaching may still loom on the horizon.
“That’s a decision I’ll figure out in the next couple of years,” he said. “Because I’m not that far removed from the game, I have some passion for the coaching side.
“But I’ll learn the player development side now. I want to learn. I live here, my kids were born here, so I’m very proud to be part of the organization. I’m looking forward to it.”
Gilmour captained the Leafs from 1994 to 1997, and grew to be one of the most recognizable and beloved characters in Toronto’s rich athletic landscape.
“Bringing Doug back into the organization on this side of the business is going to allow us to use his experience, his passion, his competitiveness — those intangibles — to drive them into the organization,” Ferguson said during an impromptu news conference with Gilmour. “I couldn’t be more pleased to bring him back and make him part of our future.
“We all know what he’s done as a player. We think he can contribute (in the new role). We value his opinion. He’ll learn and contribute, and who knows what the future holds.”
