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All season long, the Toronto Maple Leafs young stars Auston Matthews (23-years-old) and Mitch Marner (24-years-old) led their team in scoring. They also placed well across the entire NHL. Matthews was the Rocket Richard Trophy winner with 41 goals scored and tied for fifth in NHL scoring. Marner was fourth in NHL scoring. Recently, Matthews was nominated for the Ted Lindsay Award as the NHLs best player.

In headline should read something like Matthews and Marner Have Magnificant Seasons. And that would have been the narrative had the team put together any kind of playoff success. But, the Maple Leafs as a team went down yet again, falling out of Stanley Cup contention by being dumped during the first round by the Montreal Canadiens.

It also didnt help that neither Matthews nor Marner were able to keep up their regular-season prowess. Both first-line partners scored a little basically one or two games, but they couldnt sustain the pace they had built during the regular season.

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The way their first line is built, Matthews and Marner are a partnership. They feed off each other. They have great chemistry. When one doesnt score its also likely the others offense also dries up. In contrast, when one line-mate flourishes the other usually does as well.

This time it worked the other way. Marner kept feeding Matthews pucks, and Carey Price kept shutting the door. The fact that Marner doesnt have the best shot didnt help. By the end of Game 7, Marner hadnt scored in 18th consecutive playoff games.

On June 2, Matthews was interviewed about a number of topics including his own and Marners lack of playoff production. I cant imagine that these are kind of interviews that any NHL player engages happily. Youve just failed to win; in fact, you blew a 3-1 game series lead. What youve worked for all season is now toast. You feel bad anyway, now you have to in and get to speak about it on a video that everyone can see.

The context of those interviews hurts if youre a player. You just got dumped; and, now you have to suffer public scolding from people who personally feel that youve let them down. Cant be fun for these players. I know Id dread that and it makes me glad I was a professor.

During that interview, Matthews answered appropriately and said appropriate things. He never once fell into returning fire. He kept his calm well, mostly. During the short video clip of the interview, you can see his responses.

Matthews was asked to comment about the redundant suggestions some people are making that the big four on offence may need to be split up. Then the media questioner named Matthews first-line partner Marner in two potential ways. First, might Marner be involved in a possible trade? Second, should he be moved away from Matthews so that the teams top six might achieve a better balance based on what happened again this year?

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Matthews answer was revealing.

First, he quickly dismissed the validity of the entire idea by suggesting, I dont make much of that to be honest.

Second, he used the opportunity to stick up for his first-line partner by saying Mitch is an unbelievable player and an unbelievable teammate.

Third, he clearly demarcated who the questioner was and who he was talking with. In doing so, Matthews constructed the narrative of an in and an out. That is, he positioned the questioner (and others) as outside. And, he positioned Matthews, Marner, his teammates, and the organization as inside.

Matthews did it all thoughtfully, carefully, graciously, and without any sense of obvious irritability. But to me, his answer was immediately revealing. In it, Matthews shared a great deal of information about how the team was proceeding to delineate where they (re)sided in response to whats by reputation known to be a difficult and critical fanbase and media.

Matthews said, Thats just you know something I dont think anybody really thinks about here or focuses on. (my highlight of here)

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Matthews then added, I know in this room you know everybody loves Mitch and everybody loves everybody in this room. He went on to add that We really have a tight bond. (again, my highlight of in this room)

Then, Matthews put the writer in his place and I dont mean in any way rudely, but also matter-of-factly. Matthews added, So, I think all the stuff on the outside noise coming from the outside its you guys. (again, my highlights of noise, which is defined as sound that makes no recognizable sense, and outside and you guys.)

Finally, and perhaps the most telling was Matthews last response to the questioner Have fun with that. Could it be that Matthews and his teammates believe that outsiders are actually having fun as a result of his teams disappointment? He clearly said that these are men he loves. Thats tough stuff!

To me, this short video at least suggests theres a present and perhaps growing narrative among the Maple Leafs players that they are not supported by the fans or the media. In fact, are they alone?

Might there also a narrative being constructed that this 2020-21 disappointment has become a situation where the players feel that those on the outside might actually be enjoying as Matthews said having fun with the players disappointment and lack of success? Are outsiders abusing the people they love (love is Matthews word, not mine)?

To me, a discourse analysis of this one short video suggests that Matthews the Maple Leafs brightest young star is feeling theres an inside/outside split between the team (inside) and the media and the fans (outside). If thats true, where do the players, the team, the media, and the fans go from here?

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Furthermore, thinking well down the road, if this narrative takes hold and grows a life of its own, how might these little encounters and the narrative created by them impact the players desire to remain in Toronto?

But this is temporary right? Theyll get over it right? Well, if youve ever had relationships with other people, as Matthews says Have fun with that.

The Old Prof (Jim Parsons, Sr.) taught for more than 40 years in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta. Hes a Canadian boy, who has two degrees from the University of Kentucky and a doctorate from the University of Texas. He is now retired on Vancouver Island, where he lives with his family. His hobbies include playing with his hockey cards and simply being a sports fan hockey, the Toronto Raptors, and CFL football (thinks Ricky Ray personifies how a professional athlete should act).

If you wonder why he doesnt use his real name, its because his son whos also Jim Parsons wrote for The Hockey Writers first and asked Jim Sr. to use another name so readers wouldnt confuse their work.

Because Jim Sr. had worked in China, he adopted the Mandarin word for teacher (). The first character lo () means old, and the second character sh () means teacher. The literal translation of losh is old teacher. That became his pen name. Today, other than writing for The Hockey Writers, he teaches graduate students research design at several Canadian universities.

He looks forward to sharing his insights about the Toronto Maple Leafs and about how sports engages life more fully. His Twitter address is https://twitter.com/TheOldProf

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Maple Leafs and the Media: Trying to Control the Narrative - The Hockey Writers