Jeff O’Neill Makes The Cut Despite Disappointing Training Camp
Posted October 3, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Toronto Maple Leafs coach Paul Maurice wants Jeff O’Neill to shape up, but he’s apparently not ready to ship him out.
Maurice has been publicly vocal about his displeasure with O’Neill’s conditioning throughout training camp, but come roster deadline time Tuesday O’Neill was still with the big club. That could be in part because of a slew of injuries and a suspension, but it’s more likely that Maurice believes O’Neill can recapture his scoring touch once he drops a few off-season pounds.
O’Neill vowed to do his best to conform.
“I’m just going to go out there and just try to prove people wrong,” he said Tuesday. “I think that, you know, listening to you people and all this other bull**** the last couple days, I just want to go out there, work hard, you know, prove that I belong and if they don’t think I do, then, you know, things will change.”
Maurice believes his relationship with O’Neill, whom he coached in Carolina, is still salvageable.
“I thought our relationship was really simple and really good. I still think it is. It doesn’t mean we agree with each other on everything. I’m not angry at him. I’m hopeful for him.”
