Update: Kyle Clifford updated his profile #LeafsForever
Nation Sites
The Nation Network
The LeafsNation has no direct affiliation to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, NHL, or NHLPA
Page 6ix September 16th – What’s New in Hockey Gossip?
Howdy, hockey gossip readers. It’s time for your weekly rundown of what caused a stir in the online hockey world these past few days. We’ve got some fun drama to dive into, so buckle up.
The Leafs Lads (and Lasses)
Last week, we were all *eyes emoji* about @Kyle Clifford removing all traces of the Leafs from his social media. Well, either some PR person told him to put it back, or talks intensified to keep him on the team, because look who’s a Leaf again on Twitter:
***Author’s Note: Shortly after publishing this week’s column, we received word that Kyle Clifford is headed to free agency and will likely not be re-signing with the Leafs***
We’ve been following former Leaf @Kasperi Kapanen’s drama with on-again/off-again girlfriend Paige pretty closely. After unfollowing each other on social media and taking down all pictures together, it seems Paige has moved to LA, and she posted a very interesting message on her way there:
Seems like Paige and Kappy are no more and she’s off to LA.
Finally, in more wholesome news, @Travis Dermott joined a kids’ hockey podcast this past week, because he is adorable.
Checking in on all our hockey gossip fans to mention that Travis Dermott joined a kids’ hockey podcast and it was adorable
In Leafs-adjacent news, rumours have once again intensified over @Alex Pietrangelo joining the boys in blue once free agency opens up:
Darren Dreger on TSN1050 said he thinks Toronto and Las Vegas would be near the top of Alex Pietrangelo's list of preferred destinations if he does not re-sign with the Blues
We at Page 6ix still believe that, if possible, the Pietrangelos and their four very young children likely don’t want to move to a different country, but stranger things have happened!
Dallas Does Dangle
There were definitely some *eyes emojis* earlier this week when noted Leafs superfan/podcaster/YouTuber Steve Dangle and the Dallas Stars official Twitter had a bit of a disagreement over a play involving @Corey Perry in a recent Stars/Vegas Golden Knights game:
Ron Weasley voice: "Well – it's not funny really – but as it's Corey Perry...”
Alex Tuch gets away with running over Corey Perry in front of the ref
Did I find it? x.com/DallasStars/st…
Click the tweets to see the full conversation that unfolded.
Well, It IS Florida…
We’re back in Florida this week (seems like we’re always either in Florida or Arizona these days) to take a peek at what’s going on with the Panthers, redux:
Full story with details - #FlaPanthers are expected to part ways with assistant coach Mike Kitchen after he allegedly kicked a Panthers player on the bench during an #NHL game this season: tsn.ca/florida-panthe…
That sounds, well, Ungood.
On A Serious Note
Finally, to tie this week up, we want to close out on a more serious note. This week, a young hockey player named Yanic Duplessis came out publicly.
Yanic Duplessis hopes to inspire the hockey community by coming out. 🏳️🌈 #HockeyIsForEveryone (Quote via @Eags37)
We wish Yanic the very best, and hope the hockey community continues to support him as he embarks on his career.
There was also a serious conversation happening on Twitter yesterday about an alleged incident at the final Stars/Vegas Golden Knights game.
Disappointed in the @DallasStars for letting this go down, especially after Seguin took a knee. For a biracial person, the term "mutt" references mixed heritage and the convo around IF it was said and to whom are tired. Stop gaslighting Black hockey fans. It's racist. Address it.
An unknown Dallas Stars player called the most visible black player in the NHL a racist slur and no one noticed? russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2020/09/14/a-d…
There are conflicting reports and understanding of who said what, and to our knowledge there is not at this time an official investigation into the incident:
It’s important to me that we get this right. As a matter of conscience, here’s my full account of the “mutt” comment overheard in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final. Sharing it so that hockey fans can make up their own mind with full access to the facts as I understand them.
Both Yanic’s story and the Stars/VGK incident highlight the ongoing struggle for full inclusion and equality in the hockey world.
Though we ended on a more serious note, we’re still here on Twitter and with the weekly column for all your gossip and drama needs. See you next week!
Breaking News
- Guy Gadowsky thinks Gavin McKenna is perfect for Toronto: Leafs Morning Take
- 2 Maple Leafs draft picks go unsigned, will re-enter 2026 NHL Entry Draft
- Frederik Andersen reflects on friendships with Mitch Marner, late agent Claude Lemieux ahead of Cup Final
- Luke Haymes deems Marlies’ Game 3 loss ‘just not good enough’, Toronto holds 2-1 series lead
- Jack Eichel feels Mitch Marner was treated unfairly in Toronto