Top Toronto Maple Leafs Pop Culture Moments of All-Time

The Love Guru

Following the obscure Toronto Maple Leafs references that Mike Myers had included in his Austin Powers films, the comedian decided to go overtly Leaf fanatic with his film, The Love Guru.

The Love Guru was almost universally panned by critics and flopped at the box office. It was the last film that Myers made for many years and even made some lists of worst films of the year for 2008.

For a pop culture junkie and Leafs fan this little matters as the film has practically been scripted as an excuse to put the Toronto Maple Leafs in a major Hollywood movie-that’s as noble as an excuse as any I can think of for producing a film.

The story goes as follows: The Toronto Maple Leafs are on another severe losing streak and Leaf fans are up in arms against owner Jane Bullard (Jessica Alba). The Leafs are losing because their star player, Darren Roanoke is depressed due to his wife’s affair with Los Angeles Kings’ goalie Jacques Grande (Justin Timberlake).

Bullard hires the L.A. New Age guru Pitka (Myers) to bring Roanoke out of his funk and save his marriage.

Bullard believes that the Maple Leafs will win the Stanley Cup with Roakoke playing well and the Bullard curse handed down from her late father ( a very thinly-veiled reference to late Maple Leafs owner Harold Ballard) will be forever lifted and life will be good again.

Guru Pitka hopes that changing the fortunes of the Toronto Maple Leafs will land him everlasting fame as the world’s top guru.

The film is definitely not for the kiddies for those who are easily offended, as I had to leave out character nicknames and story details to keep this article G-rated.

As a comedy, it does have its moments-especially if you appreciate juvenile humor. This little matters, however. This is a Hollywood film about hockey and the Maple Leafs. It is the ultimate example of Mike Myers using his star power to put his hometown and favorite team in the spotlight, and kudos to him for doing it.