Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke addressed the departure of Francois Allaire on Tuesday, suggesting that the goaltending consultant's methods were outdated and any previous 'interference' on Allaire's work with the Leafs' goalies was to improve upon them.
"I regret that I have to deal with this matter publicly but I feel the need to respond," Burke told blogger Mike Ulmer on MapleLeafs.com on Tuesday. "Was there interference from the staff as he said there was? Yes. But it was done reluctantly and it was done to change elements of our goaltending that was sub-par."
Allaire parted ways with the Leafs on Monday after working three seasons with the club, saying there were too many voices in on how he handled the goaltending. "To be honest, I don't think the Leafs need a goalie coach," Allaire told The National Post on Monday.
"I think they have enough of them. They have two or three guys who were making decisions with the goalies. In the NHL, that's not the way it works. If that's the way they want to operate, then I'm not there."
Burke, who won a Stanley Cup in Anaheim in 2007 with Allaire as goaltending consultant, added that Allaire's approach never changed and suggested that the NHL's rule changes ultimately led to the ineffectiveness of the butterfly technique in net.
"The position has evolved in the last three to five years," Burke told Ulmer on MapleLeafs.com. "Nobody plays the classic stand-up any more either. Everything advances."
Prior to working with the Maple Leafs and Ducks, Allaire spent 12 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens as goaltending consultant.
Allaire has worked extensively with goaltenders for over 20 years, helping develop players like Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Patrick Roy into elite NHL netminders.
With Allaire, Giguere backstopped Anaheim to the 2007 Stanley Cup championship and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the 2003 Playoff MVP.
He also helped the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup in 1986 and 1993, working with Roy beginning in 1984-85 until 1995-96. During that period, Roy won two Conn Symthe Trophies, four William Jennings Trophies, three Vezina Trophies and was named to the league's end of season All-Star Team five times. Roy also appeared in six NHL All-Star Games in that span.
Rick St. Croix is expected to be named the team's next goaltending coach.
