Visits by the Toronto Maple Leafs to every NHL team over the next few months are going to get a lot of attention from some opposing players, coaches and general managers. The players especially are looking to make an impression on the visitors. But it is not because the Leafs warrant any special notice. What the some of the players want to do is make a favourable impression on Leafs general manager Brian Burke and head coach Ron Wilson because they are running the U.S. Olympic team that will compete in the men’s hockey tournament in Vancouver in February. When the Leafs play the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night, for example, forwards Mike Modano and Toby Petersen and defenceman Matt Niskanen will be looking to impress Burke and Wilson. Modano, of course, was a fixture for years on the U.S. Olympic team. But at...
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