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Maple Leafs CEO apologizes for comments of team's past

Maple Leafs CEO Tim Leiweke says he wants to focus on the future not the past. (Getty Images)

Maple Leafs CEO Tim Leiweke says he wants to focus on the future not the past. (Bloomberg/Getty Images)

Toronto Maple Leafs CEO Tim Leiweke apologized and said he meant no disrespect towards the team's former players in talking about taking down photos of past Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre.

Leiweke said he still wants to focus on the present and not the past. He also upset some fans by saying he had already planned a Stanley Cup parade route. The Maple Leafs have not won the Stanley Cup since 1967.

"I'm not here to stomp on the alumni," he said Monday to the Canadian Press. "One of the reasons anyone wants to come and be a part of this organization is the history and tradition of the Maple Leafs. "And so this is not a debate nor is it meant in any way to criticize or minimize our history. It was never meant to do that. And for that I'm extremely apologetic, because I don't want the alumni thinking there was any debate there.

"It is 100 years that is unbelievable and, quite frankly with the exception of maybe the Canadiens, unmatched.