Phaneuf and Leafs President Brendan Shanahan decided some time ago to coordinate the announcement of Phaneuf’s retirement — made official this morning — with a ceremony at the SBA, which meant biding some time due to the Covid restrictions over the past year and a half (Phaneuf last played an NHL game in April of 2019).
Brought here with the impossible task of carrying a deeply flawed team — a club steeped in a losing culture, one that lacked enough high-end centers, good defensemen, consistent goaltending, and competent management — Phaneuf took a ton of heat in a largely-toxic market atmosphere during his time as a Leaf.