On the heels of a $20 million donation to the University of Toronto, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment chairman Larry Tanenbaum had some interesting statements.

The handsome donation was presented to the school to kickstart a new sports science institute at the university. In an article published by The Globe and Mail, Tanenbaum spoke about the benefits and even promised fans a Stanley Cup.

"Well, let’s put it this way: My vision has always been that the Stanley Cup is what we are absolutely working for, each and every day. I know that we can achieve that goal, and I promise you we will achieve it. I know we’re close," Tanenbaum told The Globe and Mail's Simon Houpt.

When asked if this program is going to help achieve that goal, Tanenbaum replied with an emphatic belief that this will help all of Toronto's sports teams, not just the Leafs.

Tanenbaum went on to speak about how he feels about the Maple Leafs being handed yet another first-round loss and continuous failure of reaching the second round.

"Two words: disappointed, but hopeful," said Tanenbaum. Hopeful, because I really feel we are close. And you know, this is not about a one-year journey, this is a multi-year journey that we’re on. And, granted, it’s been way too long, it’s been way too long since Canada has had a Stanley Cup. But we’re close. We’re close – just the result of going seven games with Tampa, and you saw Tampa beat Florida, the President’s Trophy winner.

Outside of hockey, Tanenbaum touched on his bid for the English Primer League club Chelsea as Tanenbaum was one of the finalists to be awarded the franchise after Roman Abramovich was forced to sell Chelsea after being sanctioned by the British government. He discussed how his motivation to secure Chelsea is in line with his current motivations surrounding the Leafs.

"Chelsea is 104, 105 years old. Those franchises are, as I described to our people – it’s like buying a piece of the Rock of Gibraltar. So, that still motivates me, the idea of creating and buying teams that are in good leagues, and building them. …I’ve always felt I hold a public trust here, and that’s why I’m so anxious to win championships for our fans."

On the topic of expanding his portfolio, Tanenbaum touched on the topic of Toronto bolstering its roster of women's sports teams.

"We’re right in the throes of working on that. We’ve got a group within MLSE that is looking strategically how that might work here, but we are very interested in actually all three: hockey, basketball, and soccer."