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The Toronto Maple Leafs made quite a splash with the hiring of an Assistant General Manager Tuesday. That might sound ludicrous, considering hes an Assistant General Manager, but it really is a pretty big deal. By hiring Kyle Dubas, a 28-year-old who has been the GM of the Ontario Hockey Leagues Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds for the past three seasons, the Leafs are bringing in a new voice. I dont know Dubas. I met him at this years Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston, enjoyed talking hockey with him for a little while and we were both wowed by the advances in baseball tracking technology. I came away impressed and sure that he would be in the NHL before long. That he landed an NHL job this summer comes as no surprise. Landing with the Toronto Maple Leafs, however -- a franchise that has eschewed the use of analytics -- was a legitimate shock. When the Maple Leafs hired Brendan Shanahan to be the clubs new president this spring, there was a lot of talk of a culture change but, as the offseason progressed, it didnt appear that any grand change was taking place. They had fired three assistant coaches, but had the same GM, head coach and front office. If assistant coaches were dictating the culture of the franchise, that would be a first, so it didnt look like the culture change was forthcoming. Enter Dubas, and exit veteran hockey execs Claude Loiselle and Dave Poulin, who were let go. That is the start of a culture change and one of the best parts of it is that Dubas isnt one to get caught up in a buzz phrase like "culture change." He recognizes that winning does a lot to change a teams culture but, for fans and media, having a new voice in the board room -- one that has different ideas than those that have been in place for a while -- does mark a change in the Leafs culture. While teams like the Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings have found value in using advanced statistics, the Maple Leafs have been resistant. If those teams, likely the two best teams in the league over the past five seasons, were using analytics, why would any team not at least ensure that they were up to speed on the latest concepts? Never mind any team, why would the most valuable franchise in the sport, not spend a relative pittance to make sure that they knew and could comprehend the data? Upon hiring Dubas, Shanahan said that he perceived some problems in the Toronto front office. "I believe we have people in our organization who have maybe been afraid of certain words and certain information," said Shanahan. "Once you speak with Kyle, I think he makes it seem much more logical and easy to apply." This, I agree with. Dubas helps crack through old-school hockey minds because he can speak their language. Hes a bright guy with a hockey history and that allows him to communicate on the level of people who arent necessarily inclined to look at some of the more modern statistical advances, whether that means Corsi, zone starts, zone entries, whatever. And, ultimately, its not about the statistics, its about using them to help make better organizational decisions. "Im not going to rush in tomorrow and try to tell everybody how it is," Dubas told the Globe and Mails James Mirtle. "Thats not really the way I am." From my brief conversation with Dubas at the Sloan Conference, he noted that the Greyhounds possession numbers skyrocketed under head coach Sheldon Keefe, going from 47% to 57%, using their own manually-calculated metrics (because, unlike the NHL, the OHL doesnt have a stats feed of every event that happens in every game). Getting the information, and applying it to how a team should play, is a textbook example of how to use statistics as part of a teams overall strategy. The Greyhounds valued puck possession, coached their players to value puck possession and became a much better team as a result. On other topics, we talked about employing four forwards on the ice at times. He said the Greyhounds were experimenting with it, adding a top-line forward when the other team put their fourth line on the ice, figuring that there was a potential mismatch available, with minimal downside because other teams fourth lines werent necessarily a big threat. Merely thinking that little bit outside the box qualifies as creative in hockey circles and its the open-minded approach to try it that makes Dubas such an intriguing hire. Hes not stuck on the same old, same old because thats the way it has always been done. While Dubas has been painted as a stats guy in some corners, there were soldiers at the ready to make sure the world knew he was not just some nerd (as if they could help a hockey team). Player agent Todd Reynolds, whose firm, Uptown Sports Management, hired Dubas as a player agent when he was 21, told TSNs Jonas Siegel, "I dont think its all about analytics like people have wanted to make it out to be today. Hes not a computer nerd. Hes not sitting there crunching numbers and bringing sheets of paper into the GMs office with recommendations. Hes much more complete than that." Some people are really concerned that you dont think too highly of Dubas use of analytics. These are deeply-held notions in the hockey world, that stats guys must sit in front of a computer and print out sheets of recommendations without watching the games and applying that analysis. Keep in mind, there may not be anyone doing more watching of the games than guys involved in analytics, who are constantly finding new ways to look at the sport. This isnt a bad thing, particularly in a sport that, relatively, has been in the statistical stone age. So, why is Dubas considered a stats guy? Because that is a point of differentiation. He has scouted players, been an agent and a junior hockey GM, so he has made his hockey bones, but hes 28-years-old, so he hasnt necessarily seen as much hockey as veteran NHL executives. But, if you are looking for a difference -- beyond merely age -- that helps Dubas stand out, it is that he understands modern analytic concepts and there wasnt a lot of evidence, through many radio interviews last season, that Loiselle, Poulin or Nonis had a firm grasp on those matters. Shanahan, describing the interview process with Dubas, said, "I was learning things I didnt know and just wanted to learn more." This is a three-time Stanley Cup winner, a Hall of Famer who scored 656 career goals (ranking 13th all-time), who was not only learning about hockey from a 28-year-old who never played in the league but, much more importantly for the Maple Leafs, he was actually open to the idea! That the Maple Leafs havent seriously applied analytics to their management is one thing. Its another matter entirely to have effectively taken this approach without a real understanding of how analytics apply to the modern NHL game. Even Dubas acknowledged that this was an area in which Nonis was learning. What does it mean for the future of the Maple Leafs? Dubas is a 28-year-old Assistant GM, coming into a team that, barring trades, largely has its roster set for the 2014-2015 season, so its not like immediate results can or should be pinned on his hiring, but this is about changing the long-term direction of the franchise and doing so in a progressive way. Dubas presents a voice that should be different and, for a team that has reached the playoffs once in the past nine seasons, new voices need to be heard. Dubas has Shanahans ear and that should have some influence in the decisions that the Maple Leafs make going forward. While that could make for some uncomfortable times for GM Dave Nonis, considering this franchises track record, no one in the Leafs organization ought to feel too comfortable. Getting better is the goal, right? "I havent run the team in Sault St. Marie based solely on statistics," said Dubas. "Its been a good size part of what weve integrated in, but the rest of it is just hockey. Its evaluating players, scouting reports, dealing with the personalities on the team, trying to hire the best scouts and people. And certainly the analytics, Ive found it to be a major help to me personally in the way that I view the game and just create a better level of certainty to decisions." Thats what any team should be striving to achieve in their use of statistics and analytics. Stats arent everything. No one is suggesting to use statistics on their own, without anything else. You can still watch the games. Use the stats as a tool for evaluation and make better decisions. There probably arent a lot of analytics about hiring a 28-year-old Assistant GM, small samples and all that, but this decision by the Maple Leafs was smart. If theyre not careful, that could become a thing. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Cheap Vapormax 2019 .ca look back at each of the Top 10 stories of 2013. Today, we look back at LeBron James and the Miami Heat winning their second straight NBA championship. Cheap Vapormax Womens . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.clearancevapormax.com/cheap-vapormax-flyknit-clearance.html .com) - Blake Griffin led five Clippers in double figures with 24 points and the LA Clippers got back on track with a 101-97 win over the Utah Jazz. Cheap Vapormax Flyknit 3 . Goodell said in an ESPN Radio interview Monday (http://es.pn/1gkbauy ) that participants played harder and made the game very competitive. Goodell says he had fun watching the game Sunday and thinks fans did, too. Cheap Vapormax . -- Isaiah Pead took a stutter step forward, then raced to the left sideline and travelled 60 yards up the field before finally getting tripped up by a leg tackle. LOS ANGELES -- In their first game with the Lakers and coach Mike DAntoni, MarShon Brooks and Kent Bazemore made sure Los Angeles came out a winner in the latest matchup of the NBAs most storied rivalry. Brooks scored 10 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter against his former club, spearheading a 101-92 victory over Boston on Friday night and helping snap a franchise-record eight-game home losing streak. Bazemore had 15 points, including a pair of clutch 3-pointers less than 2 minutes apart during the final 4:20 as the Lakers outscored the Celtics 38-18 in the final period. "Me and Kent just wanted to come out here and play with some energy," Brooks said. "I was tired -- real tired. But DAntoni gives you that confidence and he lets you go out there and play your game. So I felt free doing that. The difference in the game was on the other side of the ball. We played real good defence, forced some turnovers, and that really got us going in the fourth quarter." The Lakers are Brooks fifth NBA club and third this season. He played 10 games with the Celtics before he was dealt to the Warriors on Jan. 15 in a three-team trade that brought Joel Anthony to Boston. "You know what, man? A lot of people think I should be mad at the Boston Celtics. But I guarantee you, no one is happier for me than (coach) Brad Stevens and (assistant coach) Jay Larranaga," Brooks said. "Theyve seen all the work Ive put in, and its paid off." The two guards barely had time to get acquainted with their new teammates following Wednesdays trade that sent Steve Blake to the Golden State Warriors. But Brooks and Bazemore both turned the game around after the Lakers fell behind by as many as 13 points late in the third quarter. "Jordan Farmar did a great job down the stretch leading us. Hes been around a while, and he told us to just go out there and have fun and leave it all out there on the floor," said Bazemore, who played more than 33 minutes. Gasol had 16 points and seven rebounds in his first game since Jan. 31 after missing seven games with a groin strain. But teammates Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Xavier Henry and Nick Young were still among the walking wounded. Jeff Green scored 21 points during a foul-plagued 33 minutes for the Celtics, who have lost eight of their last 11 games against thee Lakers at Staples Center.dddddddddddd Brandon Bass had 20 points. Rajon Rondo had 11 assists, six points and six rebounds. The four-time All-Star point guard, who tore the ACL in his right knee almost 13 months ago, is averaging 10.2 points and 7.7 assists in 12 games since his return to the lineup on Jan. 17. The Celtics have lost 10 of them. The Celtics pulled away to a 72-59 lead with 2:48 left in the third quarter, their largest advantage to that point, with a 12-2 run capped by Bass dunk. But the Lakers opened the fourth with a 13-2 surge, which Brooks helped fuel with eight points, including a fast-break dunk that tied it at 76 with 9:15 to play after he stole the ball from Jerryd Bayless. "MarShon can score and get can get going," Stevens said. "... As difficult as change is sometimes, its also an opportunity -- and (Brooks and Bazemore) both took great advantage of that opportunity today." The Lakers and Celtics have combined to win 32 championships and have met each other in the finals 12 times -- most recently in 2010, when Los Angeles beat Boston in seven games and avenged the Celtics six-game triumph over them two years earlier. But the teams have experienced a severe reversal of fortune. The Lakers (19-36) are 6-23 since Dec. 21, and the Celtics (19-37) are 7-23 since Dec. 18. Their combined winning percentage of .342 is the lowest since the rivalry began in 1948-49. Lakers players have missed a combined total of 200 games because of injuries, forcing DAntoni to employ 28 different starting lineups -- and six different players at the starting point guard spot. Rondo missed Bostons first 40 games, after the Celtics lost Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen to free agency over the summer -- and coach Doc Rivers to the Clippers. Only once have the Celtics and Lakers missed the playoffs in the same season. That was 1993-94, Robert Parishs final season in Boston and Laker great James Worthys final season in the NBA. NOTES: Lakers team physician Stephen Lombardo examined Bryant, Henry and Young at halftime. Bryant still has pain, swelling and soreness in his knee and will be re-evaluated in three weeks. Henry has been given clearance to resume basketball activities on Saturday, and Young got the green light to play Sunday against the Brooklyn Nets -- another of Brooks former clubs. ' ' '