6 fun facts about new Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving

The Toronto Maple Leafs made it official Wednesday afternoon, announcing Brad Treliving as their new general manager.

Treliving wasn’t out of work long, as he only recently chose to part ways with the Calgary Flames after serving as their GM for the past nine seasons.

Despite his lengthy stint in Calgary, there may be some fans in Toronto who aren’t all that familiar with him. With that said, here are six fun facts that will help you get to know the Leafs’ new GM better.

1. Father was on Dragons’ Den

For those who watch the show Dragons’ Den, you will remember the name Jim Treliving as one of the investors. The 82-year-old was part of the show from 2006 to 2021. He also happens to be Treliving’s dad.

Aside from being a regular for so many years on Dragons’ Den, Jim is also well known for being a longtime co-owner of the famous restaurant Boston Pizza. The chain has over 435 locations throughout North America.

2. Had a playing career of his own

Though most familiar with him recognize him for his front-office work, Treliving had a playing career himself. The 53-year-old had a four-year junior hockey career, including stints with the Portland Winterhawks, Brandon Wheat Kings, Spokane Chiefs, and the Regina Pats.

After finishing his junior career, Treliving played five seasons of professional hockey, split mainly between the ECHL and AHL. While his point totals weren’t overly impressive, the former defenceman was a tough customer, proven by his 234 penalty minutes during the 1992-93 season with the Columbus Chill.

3. Helped co-found the WPHL

Chances are you haven’t heard of the Western Professional Hockey League, as it ceased to exist after the 2000-2001 season. That said, it was a minor professional league that ran for five seasons and boasted plenty of talent, including former NHL goaltender Daniel Berthiaume.

Treliving himself not only helped start up the league but was a big part of the merger between it and the Central Hockey League. The CHL has since folded itself but had a much lengthier run, continuing to operate until the end of the 2013-14 season.

4. Has a great relationship with Mark Giordano

While Treliving doesn’t have a ton of working history with many players on the Leafs’ roster, he does have a lengthy past with one of their veterans, Mark Giordano. Treliving worked as the Flames GM for Giordano’s final seven seasons in Calgary, all of which he served as their captain.

Giordano’s time with the Flames ended when he was left unprotected for the Seattle Kraken expansion draft, a decision which made sense from a hockey perspective but was tough on Treliving. When speaking at a press conference shortly after Giordano was selected by the Kraken, Treliving’s respect for the defenceman was on display.

“We don’t have enough time here today to talk about what Mark Giordano means, has meant, not only to this team but to our community, to his teammates, to the fans, myself personally, that have been around him. He’s a tremendous leader. I’ve said on countless occasions, to me he has been the moral compass of this team for a long time.”

5. Leaned on his father during difficult 2022 offseason

Things were quite bleak for the Flames organization last offseason. After appearing willing to sign an extension, Johnny Gaudreau chose instead to sign with the Columbus Blue Jackets in free agency. Shortly thereafter, Matthew Tkachuk let it be known he wasn’t willing to sign an extension, which put Treliving in an extremely difficult spot.

Treliving made the best out of a bad situation, moving Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar. Though the deal doesn’t look great as of now, most gave him a ton of credit for pulling it off at the time. Shortly after making the deal, he admitted that his father helped him get through a stressful period.

“I had a couple conversations with him. He was, as usual, just real supportive,” Treliving said. “He’s always been real supportive. He’s a great ear to bounce ideas off. At those times I think he was more sympathetic and just listening to me bitch and complain a little bit, more than anything else.”

6. Drafted Adam Fox

Everyone knows Adam Fox as one of the game’s elite defencemen on the New York Rangers back end. But did you know there was a time he was a part of the Flames organization?

At the 2016 draft, the Flames selected Fox in the third round with the 66th overall pick. It proved to be a great selection, but the now 25-year-old made it clear he had no intentions of signing a deal in Calgary. As a result, Treliving shipped him as part of a package deal to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin.

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