In one of the most pivotal times in recent Toronto Maple Leafs history, fans tuning in to TSN 1050 this week hoping to hear from afternoon host Jeff O’Neill were surprised to learn that he was still absent.
O’Neill has been missing from his seat on OverDrive since sometime last week. Co-host Bryan Hayes has assured listeners that O’Neill is fine, but neither he nor parent company Bell Media would give a reason why Jeff has been placed on leave.
“The ODog is on leave right now,” said Hayes on Monday according to The Athletic. “He’s OK. He’s getting messages from people. He’s seeing all this kind of stuff. But that’s as far as we can go. That’s what we’re going to leave it at – that the ODog is on leave.”
O’Neill, Hayes and Jamie McLennan comprise the most popular sports radio show in Toronto. O’Neill has been contributing to coverage of the Maple Leafs since 2013.
Jeff grew up in a Toronto suburb and eventually lived out his dream of suiting up for his hometown team. He scored 237 goals over 11 seasons in the NHL, the final two were for the Leafs.
