Toronto Maple Leafs: 1 Thing We Miss About Every NHL Team

The regular season is over and the Toronto Maple Leafs will be playing the Columbus Blue Jackets in a Best-of-Five play-in series.

As we recap the regular season for the Toronto Maple Leafs, you could call it a success as they finished third in the Atlantic Division, or you could call it a failure because they weren’t a team that got a bye into the Round of 16.

Whatever you think about the regular season doesn’t really matter now because it’s officially over. Although the Leafs technically had 12 games left in their schedule, those games no longer exist.

There’s so much that could have happened in that 12-game stretch that we’ll never know.

We’ll never know if Auston Matthews would have scored 50-plus goals, won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy and broke the single-season record for goals by a Toronto Maple Leafs player.

The Toronto Maple Leafs could have gone on a 12-game winning streak into the playoffs and finished with home-ice advantage, or the opposite could have happened and they could have actually missed the playoffs.

There’s a number of what-ifs but the biggest thing we’ll miss is home and away games. As a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, every visiting arena has their own aroma or fact about them. Whether it’s a good memory, bad memory or a fun discussion that comes with every game, there’s always a narrative no matter where the Leafs play.

Instead of starting the playoffs at home, every team will be playing away games for the remainder of the NHL season at a neutral Hub City not yet determined.

As we reminisce about the season and what it was like to watch the Leafs play in a different city every other night, here is one fact about every NHL team that we’re going to miss from a Toronto Maple Leafs fan perspective, starting with the Pacific Division.

Pacific Division

Anaheim Ducks

• Reminiscing on the 100 trades the Leafs have made with the Ducks, including a happy time when the Leafs received Frederick Andersen and sad trade when they gave away draft picks that turned into Rickard Rakell and John Gibson for Tyler Biggs.

Arizona Coyotes

• Auston Matthews’ home-coming in Arizona and not thinking about the fact that he’ll probably by a full-time Coyote in four years.

Calgary Flames

• How every single Calgary Flames fan owns a red jersey and how awesome that arena looks. If only the lower-bowl attendees in Toronto had enough money to buy a jersey and wear it to a game…

Edmonton Oilers

• Remembering how close Connor McDavid was to becoming a Leaf and discussing with friends if you’d trade McDavid and Leon Draisaitl for Matthews and Mitch Marner.

Los Angeles Kings

• Never thinking about that high-stick by Wayne Gretzky in 1993, but instead wondering if Drew Doughty would ever come home and play in Toronto, then quickly realizing that he’ll never leave LA.

San Jose Sharks

• The Shark Tank, but more importantly wondering if Joe Thornton is going to play until he’s 50 and if he’ll ever pull a Patrick Marleau and play in Toronto.

Vancouver Canucks

• Listening to Vancouver Canucks fans hate everything about Toronto and hearing them complain how they have to play a Saturday Hockey Night in Canada game at 4:00PM PST.

Vegas Golden Knights

• Remembering the Leafs playing on New Years Eve in Vegas thinking that they actually had a chance at winning that game, then realizing how that was the most predictable loss in the history of hockey.

Central Division

Chicago Blackhawks

• Patrick Kane and Matthews going goal-for-goal and topping each other’s celebrations.

Colorado Avalanche 

• Thinking that Tyson Barrie was the second-coming of Bobby Orr when the Leafs traded for him, then hating that trade so much, and missing Nazem Kadri every night this season.

Dallas Stars 

• How good Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin are, and that they’re quite possibly the most talented un-talked about duo in the NHL.

Minnesota Wild

• Miss the outdoor tournament that Jake Gardiner used to host when the Leafs traveled to Minnesota, when he was a member of the Maple Leafs.

Nashville Predators

• The electricity in the crowd when Nashville scores, even when it’s against the Leafs. You can probably hear that goal horn from Tootsies.

St. Louis Blues

• Old School hockey battles of St. Louis vs Toronto in the 1993 Playoffs and being happy for Tyler Bozak lifting a Stanley Cup last season.

Winnipeg Jets

• Toronto always seeming to score 5 or more goals when they visit Winnipeg and the intimacy of their small arena that’s sold-out every night.

Atlantic Division

Boston Bruins

• Game 7’s at TD Garden. Sure it brings back terrible memories, but it would put a huge smile on my face knowing Toronto would be getting another re-match in Boston.

Buffalo Sabres

• Toronto somehow having a career 32-74-6 away record in Buffalo, despite it being 80 percent Leafs fans every time they play there.

Detroit Red Wings

• When the broadcast shows Nikolai Borschevsky’s Game 7 goal every time Toronto plays in Detroit even though it happened 27 years ago.

Florida Panthers

• Missing “Dress Like a Seat Night”, except when the Leafs are playing as it’s the only time fans show up to their games.

Montreal Canadiens 

• The historic rivalry of Montreal vs. Toronto and how Montreal has the best fans and arena in the NHL. Sorry, Leafs fans.

Ottawa Senators

• Missing a Leafs take-over in Ottawa and how the Senators tried to stop Ottawa fans from selling their tickets to Leafs fans.

Tampa Bay Lightning

• Trying to figure out which team is who since they’re jersey colors are so similar to each other!

Toronto Maple Leafs

• Overpriced beers at Scotiabank Arena, Auston Matthews going bar-down and the platinum section always being empty when a period starts. I’d pay almost anything for a ticket at Scotiabank Arena at this point.