"So the firings will happen Thursday" - NHL fans speculate as Toronto Maple Leafs announce unconventional end-of-season media availability schedule

NHL fans online were left speculating that significant changes might occur on Monday due to the Toronto Maple Leafs' unusual end-of-season media availability plan.

According to NHL Insider Chris Johnston, the Toronto Maple Leafs will host a post-season media event for players and head coach Sheldon Keefe on Monday, with the media and management scheduled to address the media on Thursday.

"The #leafs will hold an end-of-season availability for players and head coach Sheldon Keefe tomorrow, with management not due to speak until Thursday. That's a significant departure from past protocol in these parts," Chris Johnston wrote.

This marks a notable shift from the usual procedure followed in this region. The timing of the club's post-season media availability has sparked speculation among fans about potential changes or other major announcements.

Fans reacted quickly to the news and shared their opinions on X (formerly Twitter).

One fan tweeted:

"So the firings will happen on Thursday. That's fine. I can wait."

Another fan speculated:

"Who cares? Let me save you some time: Players "tight group, played hard, believe in the guys in the room" Keefe "changed how we played, a few bounces, so close" Let us know when a coach is fired and "star" forwards have been traded. haha."

Here are some of the other top reactions on X:

"Will only be Pelley and Treliving come Thursday. Keefe and Shanny should be gone tomorrow morning. Marner and Tavares should be ready to answer the NMC question," on X user voiced their opinion.

"Thursday is D day for Keefe. Has to be," another chimed in.

"Wait they are gonna march him in front of the media? Just fire the man," one user commented.

"Goodbye Marner, Shannon and the entire coaching staff," another fan wrote

The change in media availability setup follows after the Boston Bruins eliminated the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 of Round 1 on Saturday.

It appears the team is reevaluating things after another disappointing outcome in the playoffs and gearing up for some significant announcements in the coming days. It'll be interesting to see how things unfold during these media availability periods.

Boston Bruins eliminated Toronto Maple Leafs in Round 1

Game 7 of Round 1 between the Maple Leafs and Bruins was played at TD Garden in Boston on Saturday.

William Nylander gave the Toronto Maple Leafs a 1-0 lead after scoring a one-timer at 9:01 of the third period. Three minutes later, Hampus Lindholm tied it 1-1 for the Bruins after beating Ilya Samsonov on the left face-off dot, forcing overtime.

David Pastrnak scored the winner for the Bruins at 1:54 in overtime to eliminate the Toronto Maple Leafs from the playoffs. It was notably the seventh first-round exit for the Leafs in eight years.

Meanwhile, on Monday, the Boston Bruins will be up against the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of Round 2.