Jonathan Bernier’s baby causes controversy with Maple Leafs

Martine Forget is the fiancé of Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier. She was featured on the first season of “Hockey Wives” – didn’t watch it, considering a summer binge – and is prolific on Instagram, with many photos featuring the couple’s adorable son Tyler.

Hey look, it’s Tyler in an adorable Maple Leafs onesie to signify the passage of another year!

Hey look, it’s Tyler in another adorable hockey onesie and … wait a moment … where are the Maple Leafs on that jersey?!

Yes, just when we thought hysteria over the Toronto Maple Leafs couldn’t get any wackier than “Stick Salute Gate,” here comes “Did a player’s fiancé send a coded message about his future with the team through a photo of a baby?”

The answer is … “maybe?”

As you can see, she left a cryptic message about the photo, that would indicate there's a reason the Leafs aren't featured. The image on the baby’s clothing appears to have been altered in some way to remove the NHL logos from it and I can’t believe I’ve just written this please save me from the offseason someone…

From Thomas Drance of Leafs Nation:

The obvious angle to explore here is that Bernier is a restricted free agent who is just a year removed from unrestricted free agency and would surely like to get paid this summer. The problem is that he's the old Maple Leafs regimes 'future starter', and the incoming regime may not care to pay a legitimately above average starter like a massive star. 

… Whatever. Who cares. It's a baby photo and a cryptic comment.

We sort of expected Bernier to either get traded or have a tough negotiation with the Maple Leafs this summer anyway, and this doesn't really change that. It's just fuel for the ever smoldering crater of hockey news that we fondly call the big smoke.

So is Bernier going to sign an offer sheet? Is there a trade in the works? Are the Leafs changing their logo? Is this Tyler Bernier announcing he’s foregoing college for the NHL as a free agent?

Really, everything’s on the table at this point.

s/t to Adam (@ElSeldo) for the image.

UPDATE: JT from 25Stanley.com reports that a source close to Bernier's family said the altered image is "related to Martine Forget's work, not Bernier's future with the Leafs."

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