Rigamarole - A Foot In The Crease - Episode 4.5

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Throughout much of last season, it was clear that the Maple Leafs were not a tough enough team to play against – except for when Wade Belak was in the lineup, which wasn’t very often. The reasons for the Leafs’ disinterest in utilizing Belak a year ago to fill a role in which he excelled at – protecting his teammates by striking fear into opponents but without taking unnecessary penalties – I will never understand.

Instead Belak was shipped to Florida in exchange for a 5th round draft pick and Ryan Hollweg was acquired from the New York Rangers to fill his void and in return the Maple Leafs sent a different 5th round pick back to New York.

Essentially, the Leafs traded Belak for Hollweg and so far, the switch has been anything but a good one for the Maple Leafs. Inexplicably, Hollweg dropped the gloves an astounding five times in the preseason including three times in one game, losing all five bouts. Late in the exhibition schedule, Hollweg picked up a boarding major and a game misconduct against St. Louis netting him an automatic two game suspension for accumulating three boarding majors in forty one games dating back to his time with the Rangers.

No sooner does he return after serving his suspension, Hollweg lasts only four minutes of ice time before taking another boarding major penalty against the same St. Louis Blues netting him a three game suspension this time and possibly even more supplemental discipline. On the ensuing five minute power play, the Blues scored twice to tie the game on their way to winning in come from behind fashion.

Hollweg’s play has absolutely no place on the Leafs nor in the NHL and as wrong was Chris Simon was in tomahawking Hollweg across the head with his stick two seasons ago, Hollweg’s play thus far with the Leafs begins to allow people understand Simon’s frustration.

Here’s hoping Hollweg gets handed at least a twenty game suspension because that will be twenty games the Leafs will be better off without him. But hey, all that was just rigamarole.