Ex-Leafs star Kaberle delivering orders for wife's restaurant

Tomas Kaberle was one of the league's better passers during his 14-season NHL career, and now he's dishing out a different type of sauce during retirement.

The former All-Star defenseman has been delivering orders for his wife Julia's Italian restaurant, Quanto Basta, in Toronto during the coronavirus pandemic, he told CBC's Carol Off.

Kaberle said customers routinely start giggling and take pictures or look at him and say, "I know you from somewhere" when he shows up at their door.

"It's kind of fun," he said. "If I can make them laugh at this time, whatever it takes."

The 42-year-old was an eighth-round pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1996 and spent parts of 12 seasons with the club from 1998-2011. He ranks second behind Hall of Famer Borje Salming in assists (437) and points (520) by a defenseman in Leafs history, and it's safe to say he's a familiar face around the city.

"I've got repeat customers asking for me, which is just funny," Kaberle said. "One of our customers, I made their son laugh and made their day, and stuff like that. So that makes me happy."

Like all restaurants in Ontario, Quanto Basta is limited to takeout or delivery orders due to COVID-19, so Julia Kaberle urged her husband to help out.

"He didn't really offer. I kind of pushed him a little bit," she said. "I said, 'Please, can you help us out? It's getting so busy.' And he said, 'Absolutely. You know, anything to give this a go.'"

Kaberle had stops in Boston, Carolina, and Montreal after his tenure in Toronto, winning a Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011.

Copyright (C) 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.