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“Harold was the most pissed off that McLellan had refused,” Stellick said. “Gerry didn’t want to do it, but it got as far as Hockey Night In Canada’s Brian McFarlane asking to pre-record an interview with Gerry as coach, just in case.”

Meanwhile, the confused players showed up to work at the Gardens through a phalanx of reporters.

Neilson, still hoping to confront the absent Ballard, was at work as usual at 7 a.m., looking at game tape and even running practice, before conceding he’d better pack up.

“It wasn’t Roger’s fault how we were playing,” Sittler said. “Playing for a guy like that, he always had players at the highest degree of readiness. Maybe we weren’t as good as some teams, though Roger always had us prepared. But we were sure in a rut at that time.”

Later that night came a bizarre meeting of the principals. As told in William Houston’s biography of the Leafs owner, Neilson was moving out his belongings when he came across the 75-year-old Ballard stretched on a bench, having his toenails clipped by Leafs trainer Guy Kinnear.

Ballard fumbled his way through the conversation, then asked his ex-coach what he had planned that weekend. Neilson said he’d been invited as Peter Maher’s colour analyst on CKO radio for Saturday’s home game against the Flyers.

“Well, don’t go too far away,” Ballard advised.

On Saturday, the players were running the morning skate by themselves. The more they reflected on what happened to the popular Neilson, the angrier they became. Sittler and a small group of senior Leafs went to Ballard and asked for a reprieve.