It feels like 20 years have passed since the Toronto Maple Leafs played, and man, do I ever miss it.
There’s something strange about not being able to watch the Toronto Maple Leafs right now.
I mean, it’s almost May, so typically their season would be over by now anyway (insert First Round loss jokes here), but this season is unfinished with so many unanswered questions.
For those of you who read Editor in Leaf daily, thank you. Even for those of you who chirp us in the comment section and disagree with our opinions, thank you.
If it wasn’t for you, this site wouldn’t exist and Leafs Nation wouldn’t be what it is today.
Toronto Maple Leafs Season on Pause
I’m writing this more for myself than for the public, but I hope that some of you can relate to what I’m going through.
Over the last month without hockey, a part of me has been lost. Late March and early April is the greatest time of the year for hockey, and for Leafs fans it’s not ever year that we get to experience this joy.
Depending on your age, it’s quite possible that you don’t even remember the Toronto Maple Leafs winning a playoff round. For me, one my earliest memories of being a Leafs fan is filled with sadness:
Game 6, 2004 NHL Playoffs against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Jeremy Roenick went bar-down past Ed Belfour in overtime to eliminate the Leafs at home. I can still picture a young me sitting in the dark for hours after that goal in-shock at what just happened.
For most of my life, my favourite Leafs moments have no playoff correlation at all. It’s events like Mats Sundin scoring his 500th goal that are more fondly remembered than anything else. Kind of sad isn’t it?
But for whatever reason, I continue to love this team. Even without a hockey game anywhere near, I’m writing this with a Leafs hat, Marlies sweater and Leafs Roots track-pants on, while drinking out of a Leafs-branded cup. Subconsciously, this team is always with me and that will never change.
As I reminisce about my life-long fandom for the Leafs, this stoppage has made me realize how much I miss this team. Not only does it give me pure-joy to watch hockey every other night for six months a year, but this team is actually good for once.
I’m not sure if you remember this, but the Leafs are never good. I mean, they’ve made the playoffs the last few years, but it’s been 20 years since Leafs and Stanley Cup contender were used in the same sentence.
I love that no matter how good the Leafs get, the fans always want something better.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have Auston Matthews, John Tavares, William Nylander and Mitch Marner, but instead of being happy about it, the everyday chatter is that we need to trade one of these guys and get a defenseman!
There was a time not that long ago when Clarke MacArthur was the second best player on this team. Please never change Leafs Nation, but let’s be thankful for what we have.
More specifically to this team, I miss the buzz. I miss discussing if Matthews was going to break Rick Vaive’s goal record. I miss Hyman grinding in the corner. I miss Nylander being good again. I miss Joe Bowan screaming “Holy mackinaw!”. Hell, I even think I miss Codi Ceci right now.
Okay, maybe that’s a stretch.
The Leafs should be getting ready for a playoff game tonight, but instead we’re forced to watch another episode of something on Netflix that doesn’t provide us the same joy that Leafs hockey does.
Let’s hope the league is back up and running safely again soon, but I’ll tell you one thing. I’m never taking regular season hockey for granted again.
Go Leafs Go.