TORONTO - Milan Michalek decided to talk to his family and sleep on it.
The next morning he accepted the request to switch sides in the Battle of Ontario.
While all the focus was on the return of former Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf to the Air Canada Centre for the first time since he was dealt to Ottawa in a nine-player deal last month, Michalek, a former Ottawa winger, was one of the last Toronto players off the ice Saturday morning.
Michalek, who is recovering from a broken finger and hopes to play Monday, told Postmedia that he was asked by GM Bryan Murray to waive his ‘no move’ clause to go to the Leafs about 24 hours before the trade was official but didn’t accept right away because he had to speak with his family first.