Toronto Maple Leafs apologize for season

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TORONTO, April 10 (UPI) -- The Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team, for the first time in its 84-year history, has issued public apologies for its performance this past season.

Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment Chief Operating Officer Tom Anselmi Monday night e-mailed season ticket holders an apology. The team also ran full-page ads in all four Toronto newspapers Tuesday with a differently worded apology to fans.

Anselmi encouraged season ticket holders to contact him directly.

"We fell short of your expectations and for that, we are truly sorry," he wrote. "Results are the only measure of success in sports and the results speak for themselves. Unfortunately we got off track and that is completely unacceptable. "

In the newspaper ads, the COO spoke of the management team.

"We take full responsibility for how this team performs on the ice and we make no excuses," he said.

One of the original six NHL teams, the Leafs haven't won the Stanley Cup since the league expanded in 1967, the longest championship drought among the original six teams.

Toronto hasn't been able to make the playoffs in the last seven seasons. They finished the 2011 season in fourth place in the Northeast Division with a record of 35-37-10.

Regardless, last year the franchise was valued at $520 million, the highest of any NHL team.