Talkin' with Mike Van Ryn

Good guy, dealing with and working through another tough break. He says he watches every Leafs game and even while rehabbing in London keeps in close contact with his Blue and White mates, especially head coach Ron Wilson. Mike's a free-agent at the end of this season so it's possible he's played his final game as a Leaf, but not if he had the choice. He'd like to re-sign in Toronto. For one, he says the Leafs' dressing room (the people in it) is the best he's been a part of in the NHL. And hey, part of the reason he welcomed the move up from Florida is that it sent him home, back to Ontario. And home is where he wants to be for now on. Is retirement a possibility? Of course. At his age and at Fowler Kennedy more than ACC, it's always in the back of his mind. But the reason he's busting his ass to get better is because he wants to get back in the game. He wants to play, then ultimately end his already abbreviated NHL career on his terms, not when an injury and certainly not when a reckless competitor forces the issue. In the case of Mike Van Ryn, time should both heal and tell what happens next.