Kelly McCrimmon declines Maple Leafs' job offer

Not even the allure of hockey's biggest market could pry Kelly McCrimmon away from his beloved Brandon Wheat Kings.

The Toronto Maple Leafs offered McCrimmon a management position in Brendan Shanahan's new front-office regime, but on Monday, he announced his intent to remain owner, general manager, and head coach of the WHL franchise.

"I have made the decision to remain with the Wheat Kings," McCrimmon said in a statement on the team's website. "I was honoured to have been considered for a position with the Maple Leafs. It would have been a tremendous opportunity."

McCrimmon played for the Wheat Kings from 1978-80 and joined the organization as an assistant coach in 1988, rising to GM the following season and eventually becoming the franchise's sole owner in 2000. He has been owner, GM, and head coach for 11 seasons.

Brandon finished the regular season atop the WHL in 2014-15 with a 53-11-4-4 record, but fell to the Kelowna Rockets in the WHL Championship. As many as 18 players from the roster are expected to return next season.

"With our team expected to contend this season, I felt I owed it to the group to stay here and try to help us take the next step," McCrimmon said.

The Maple Leafs have been aggressively pursuing coaching and management from the junior level under Shanahan's guidance, hiring OHL general mangers Kyle Dubas and Mark Hunter, and recently adding Oshawa Generals bench boss D.J. Smith as an assistant coach.