Toronto fans will never forget it: The 2008 trade deadline, when the captain of the Maple Leafs, Mats Sundin, refused to waive his no-trade clause.
As a consequence, Year 41 of the Leafs’ 50-year plan to rebuild the team was completely undermined, and Sundin was vilified for (a) standing in the way of a youth-and-draft picks movement, and (b) being too comfortable to take on the challenge of trying to win a Stanley Cup with a real contender.
His excuse? He said it would feel wrong, in his heart, to chase a Cup in another team’s uniform.