Signed, Sealed and soon to be delivered?

Sportsnet broke into their US Thanksgiving Day coverage of really bad football Thursday (CFL fans breath easy the northern game is still far more entertaining to what they peddle below the 49th), to share details with an anxious Leaf Nation that deliverance was soon to visit in the visage of Brian Burke.

Not exactly the scoop of the century, considering the fact that most media outlets have been suggesting all week that the big announcement is to come on Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday, a move that will share the joy across the country or more likely annoy the hell out of the outposts beyond Toronto with the idea that what's good for Toronto is of interest to the rest of the Canadian teams.

While Toronto does need a bit of direction it would seem, this coronation broadcast to the rest of the nation might just rekindle those ancient hatreds of the Leafs that have given way to pity over the last few years.

As for the big announcement, Sportsnet seeking to find a share in the story of the month, said that they had the goods on the deal, a contract valued at 18 million over six years, with Burke only answering to one management name, Richard Peddie firmly ensconced in the Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment command bunker.

Upon the puffs of white smoke from the Air Canada Centre on Saturday will be the announcement of Burke as the Leafs thirteenth General Manager since the franchise joined the NHL. It's been one of the most anticipated of announcements in Leaf Nation in many a year it would seem, judging by the amount of attention his every move has been greeted with since he announced his departure from the Anaheim Ducks.

While the bankers, accountants and lawyers work on the final bits of detail, the stage is being built for Saturday's announcement, a sideshow that seems to be one part sports negotiation and one part papal election.

We aren't sure if we are looking forward to that wall to wall coverage from the CBC on Saturday, we wonder if they'll remember that there are five other teams in the league, some of which have played some fairly entertaining hockey for most of the last ten years. Hockey that has come without near the drama that every burp, cough and conversation that comes out of Toronto seems to provide for.

If nothing else finally getting Burke's name on a contract might return the focus to the hockey that the Leafs play, which has been surprisingly half decent for the bulk of the season so far.

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It will be with interest that Leafs fans (and those that are inclined to follow the soap opera they've become) watch and see if the Burke years will match up with all the hype of deliverance that they have been heralded to bring.

National Post-- Burke, Leafs appear to have reached a deal

National Post-- Former GM MacLean breaks down Burke's big questions

Globe and Mail-- Burke in the bag

Globe and Mail-- The life of Brian

CBC Sports-- Burke, Leafs hammer out deal: source

Toronto Sun-- Burke's in, what's next?

Toronto Star-- Burke and Leafs reach deal

Toronto Star-- All Burke has to do is sign name

Toronto Star-- Burke, Wilson dynamic duo

Family ties may yet see Burke Fly

While the Toronto Maple Leafs continue to acquire acquaintances and former co-workers of Brian Burke for Central Canada’s greatest circus, Burke himself has provided yet more grist for the Burkie’s on his way mill.

Yesterday Burke appeared on the NHL Live radio program and offered up that he has no problems with his current work environment with the Ducks, but that he still has concerns with much of his family still on the East coast, while he works on the Western one.

Now if ever that was going to be music to the ears of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment than this is the time.

Last week, Cliff Fletcher suddenly advised the media battalions at the gates of the ACC, that the big job search was on the back burner for a bit, while he took the reins to run the Leafs for this coming season. That less than surprising development sent conspiracy buffs of hockey into overdrive. More than one coming to the conclusion, that Fletcher was merely keeping the seat warm for the eventual arrival of everyone’s favourite pick to pick up the pieces in Toronto.

Subsequent hiring’s of Ron Wilson as head coach and Al Coates as player personnel developer have only confirmed for the converted that no matter what, it will only be a matter of time before the brash, boisterous, articulate and occasionally bullying Burkie will be holding the press briefings that hockey’s most intense press corps are longing for.

The prospect of such media events leaves you with an air of excitement, as the famous Irish temper and wilting one liners clash with some of the nations most tenured group of hockey journalists. A battle of give and take that will liven up the Toronto sports scene like nothing we’ve seen before.

While the Ballard years were a sideshow in need of a closing act and the recent follies just leave you almost sympathetic for Leaf fans (not quite but for a second eh), should Burke take on the task of turning around the NHL’s most financially successful, yet statistically diminished hockey team, the folks will at least know that they are in store for some entertaining times and stories told on their television sets, radios and delivered to their newspaper boxes.

With the FOB's (Friends of Burkie) now in place, many say its only a matter of time before the Chairman of the Board himself takes his rightful place in the boardroom of the leagues most talked about franchise.

And with Draft day almost upon us, the eyes of the HockeyNation will be upon Scotiabank Place, to see if Burkie and Cliff happen to strike up a conversation and if anything other than draft picks and trades come up for discussion.

All that bluster and potential theatre is surely being wasted in California, bring it on to Bay Street where it belongs, it will be just the thing to shake Toronto from its sleepy hockey slumber…