Thirty years onward, the Maple Leafs are in dire need of another “Wendel Moment” on draft day.
It can be argued the turnaround of the early ’90s, with consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup semifinal, began June 15, 1985, when a fearless farm boy was picked first overall and became No.1 in the hearts of a downtrodden team and its fans.
When Gerry McNamara, general manager of the last-place team, announced Wendel Clark of the Saskatoon Blades, those few hundred Leaf loyalists jammed into the Metro Toronto Convention Centre roared their approval. Here was water in the desert, sunlight after the cave-in, a Messiah with a mullet.