Toronto principal in controversial controversy over explicit poems he wrote and posted to his website. This is of course the first recorded case ever of somebody getting in trouble for something they wrote on the Internet, and the scandal has sent shock waves through the online community. "Wait, somebody actually reads this shit?" said Patrick Metzger. "Dammit, I better re-emphasize that my erotic snuff story about Geri Halliwell is purely a work of fiction!"......

The saga of John Ferguson, Jr. is mercifully over: the beleaguered General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who's been a whipping boy for the team's misfortunes ever since his appointment in 2003, has been fired. Say what you will about Ferguson (and if you're a Leaf fan then you probably have): the way he's been treated by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, particularly during his final few weeks in charge, has been nothing......

We have no problem admitting our man-love for Mats Sundin: he's been the captain of our favourite hockey team for most of our adult lives, he's one of the greatest Toronto Maple Leafs of all-time and he's a shoe-in hall-of-famer once he retires. Seeing him score his 500th career goal still ranks as the greatest sporting moment we've ever witnessed. We know we're supposed to be too old and too sophisticated to have favourite......

The rumour mill is swirling around the Maple Leafs this week, as a less-than-stellar season and mixed signals from club ownership lead to daily reports about the fate of the team's management and captain. With all signs pointing to a third straight early vacation at season's end, the team's followers are steamed. Fans 70 years ago may also have been frustrated with the club, though in their case the problem was a team that......

It's been a strange week for Leaf Nation. On Tuesday, Toronto was embarrassed 7-1 (on home ice, no less) by the Carolina Hurricanes—and by Wednesday, the media was gleefully sounding the death knell for this year's edition of the Maple Leafs. On Wednesday night's edition of Off the Record, the panel spent ten minutes analyzing what was going wrong with the Leafs' year, which by then was exactly four games old. The team had......

With much-maligned NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in the crowd, the Toronto Maple Leafs dropped the puck on the 2007-08 season at the Air Canada Centre last night. He was probably unable to catch a glimpse of a homemade sign halfway across the arena that read: “Bettman: ruining the NHL since 1993.” Despite the Buds’ slightly new uniforms (which either look like pajamas or practice jerseys, depending on who you ask), one might have been......

Torontonians outraged by satirical ads for a children's camp where kids learn to be soldiers. The posters (which we wrote about earlier this week) are the brainchild of War Child Canada, which promotes aid and awareness for child soldiers and why that's bad. This story is further proof that satire is not only dead, but has in fact become a zombie. (The campaign's website is here.) New training and licensing regulations for Ontario's security......

Taking a page from David Miller's Big Book of Intergovernmental Panhandling, Dalton McGuinty is complaining that Ontario is going to need a hot cash injection from the Feds if we're going to get those manufacturing jobs back from Bangladesh. Q: What do you get when you have an NDP mayor, a Liberal Premier, and a Tory Prime Minister? A: If you pay taxes in Toronto, pretty much nothing! In related "news," New York Governor......

Artist Damien Hirst's diamond-studded skull reminded us that we used to live across the street from a lady who kept a magical Mayan crystal skull in her house. Which got us to thinking about other spooky things. So we've compiled a list of ten, supposedly haunted places in the city. Make your own ghost walk and if you do actually see a spirit, please let us know. 1. The Hockey Hall of Fame (pictured here)......

The Anaheim Mighty Ducks win the Stanley Cup. Thus finally fulfilling the lifetime goals of Emilio Estevez. Asked to comment, the Ottawa Senators said "aggghhhhhhhhhhccckkk," then scored on their own net again. Quebec to collect Canada's first carbon tax. Quebec's Natural Energy Minister says it's possible oil companies might not pass the tax on to the consumer. Petroleum companies agree with the minister—it is possible. Other things that are possible: the invention of a perpetual......

It was one of the wildest final weekends in NHL history. The Toronto Maple Leafs delivered a knockout blow to the Montreal Canadiens in one of the most electric matches in recent memory, only to have the New York Islanders break our hearts and take the final playoff spot in a shootout against the New Jersey Devils the following day. The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin tonight, but for the second consecutive year, the Leafs won't......

Every five years, the bean counters at Statistics Canada dole out the census numbers. Well, the 2006 model is in the showroom, the tires are getting kicked, and those who care about such things are saying things like, "Hey, Toronto is STILL the biggest city in the country!" Indeed, Toronto's population has grown—albeit by a mere 0.9% in the last five years—to include 2,503,281 urban dwellers.It's not surprising that the suburbs have been experiencing......

For the long-suffering fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the year 1967 has become synonymous with past glories and forty years of failure. On Saturday night, the surviving members of the last Leaf team to win the Stanley Cup were reunited at the Air Canada Centre for the first time since that storied championship. An Alex Trebek-narrated video tribute began the proceedings, in what turned out to be a relatively simple, modest, and perhaps......

With their 4-1 loss to the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes Tuesday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs slipped back to a .500 record (19-19-6) yet again, and now sit tied for ninth place in the Eastern Conference, fighting for their playoff lives after having played more than half of their games this season. They're missing a hospital ward full of regular players due to injury (Mike Peca, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Ian White, Kyle Wellwood, Darcy......

The Maple Leafs have announced that GM John Ferguson will get a one-year contract extension. It's not that we think he's doing a bad job per se (though, sorry to break it to you, no Stanley Cup this year) but we kinda find ourselves agreeing with the Globe's David Shoalts in saying, "So what?" It's a slightly more exciting announcement than, "Our team colours will continue to be blue and white or white and blue,......

Since 2004, signs have hung on the southeast corner of Maple Leaf Gardens promising an historic Loblaws Real Canadian Superstore. "Soon you'll discover a store filled with fresh flavours, shops and services," the billboards cheerily stated, but the Gardens at Church and Carlton has loomed a decrepit shell since it went dark in 2001, despite some minor action hosting the filming of Cinderella Man. The last Leafs game was on February 13, 1999, where......

Sports fans, clear your calendars and get ready to deck your car out with flags. The World Series is over and the Stanley Cup still months away, but one of the world’s great sporting competitions is coming to town. That’s right, on Saturday, November 11, Toronto will be hosting the 2006 Rock, Paper, Scissors World Championship. The sport that’s settled a thousand disputes between drunks, children, and drunk children will see it’s best and......

This Torontoist is slowly becoming a sports fan (as if.) After watching 1.5 Stanley Cup games, (my first hockey games ever,) and with plans to go to a baseball game, I'm a changed man. The plans are to see at least one game of each sport... Yes, even the CFL. But now to the NBA. They had their draft on Wednesday and our cuddly Raptors had the number one pick! Who did they choose.........

Edmonton's Cup run is over, while Carolina has proven that they're a hockey town. Last night, in an incredibly exciting game seven of the Stanley Cup finals, the Oilers lost 3 - 1 to the Hurricanes. That there even was a game seven is a testament to how hard the Oilers fought, but in the end Carolina was just way too strong. The Globe & Mail has an excellent write-up of the game. Photograph......

An officer was shot at earlier today which prompted a manhunt in Etobicoke. Police kept a nearby school and community centre closed for safety reasons. A retired gang cop points out that Toronto had a number of great anti-gang units which were dismantled a decade ago. He argues this is one of the reasons the city has seen more gang-related violence in recent years. The CAA is calling for a ban on cellphones and MP3......

Matt Stajan was eight years old the last time Pat Quinn was considered to be the NHL's best coach. That's right... this season will mark fourteen years since Quinn was at the top of the game. So with the way things unfolded for the Maple Leafs and Team Canada this year, one might expect him to quietly disappear into retirement. Unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the case. Although Torontoist may not be a big......

The Toronto Maple Leafs looked like a real team this past weekend. After a hard fought shootout loss to the New York Islanders on Friday, they went on to capture their third point in two nights, defeating the defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning 5-1 at the Air Canada Centre. After avoiding a trade deadline move this past Thursday, centreman Jason Allison played one of his best games as Leaf, scoring a pair of......

Also, where are your clothes? Yes, we know, this ain’t anywhere near la province du poutine, but last time we checked there wasn’t a Montrealist site…so we will make an exception today. Ben Stiller has requested that production and filming of his new movie move to Vancouver from Montreal, because he hates Montreal, according to these guys. This will cause a loss of 500 jobs in the Montreal film industry, as well as a loss......

For those of you still in mourning over the lost hockey season, Torontoist says “Get a Life Loser”. Both this Friday and next will offer Toronto sports fans something they have been waiting for since the Argo’s Grey Cup win… Excitement! The abysmal basketball season will be pushed aside tonight as baseball returns to the newly revamped Rogers Centre, with the Blue Jays taking the field against the World Champion Boston Red Sox. The 2-1......

Torontoist had a lot riding on this years Stanley Cup, you know. Financially and personally. Since the Cup is not the property of the NHL though, it could still theoretically be awarded to the best team in world. But as Dalton McGuinty and his provincial government found out, "target="new">that isn't going to happen. The Stouffville Clippers would have definitely taken the trophy anyway.......

Torontoist likes to make our own rules, so when it comes to year end lists and such, there are no rules. Along the lines of Torontoist's kinda-sorta-best-of's for 2004, while out and about we've noticed some good stuff, some bad stuff, and some damn near ugly stuff: The Good: Rediscovering Cheap - it's out there, you just have to find it--on Queen West of course. $2.50 beers at The Queenshead, $3.99 Breakfasts at Still......