Toronto Maple Leafs: Which Type of Fan Are You?

With the Toronto Maple Leafs in the post-season, you may run into a lot more fans this time of the year.

And when I mean run into, it’s probably more through Zoom, texts, or FaceTime where you’ll find these Toronto Maple Leafs fans who have been hiding since last April.

Regardless of the category you fall under, if you’re reading this, we’re just happy to have you because the more fans in Leafs Nation, the more fun it is when this team wins.

We all know fans who will do anything for their team and have different superstitions that they think will help their team win. I’m sure we also have those people in our lives who talk about the game like they’re the biggest expert in the world but if you ask them to name five players, they’ll draw a blank.

Either way, it’s just great to have hockey back in our lives because it brings people together. Although we can’t attend games in real-life, fans everywhere have been able to celebrate the ups and downs of being a hockey fan.

In some cases, your favourite team is already out of the playoffs, but if you’re reading this, your Leafs are still in. For now.

What Type of Hockey Fan Are You?

Mr. or Mrs. Pessimist: 

“Do you get angry at every signing and trade the Leafs make?” If you answered ‘yes’ to this question, then you probably fall under this category.

No matter how great things are going for the Leafs, they’re always mad about something. Whether the Leafs need better defense, the Big-Four were signed for too much money or you never have faith heading into a playoff game, then you’re Mr. or Mrs. Pessimist.

You’re not the most fun to have at parties, but it is fun to listen to you yell at a complete stranger that Auston Matthews is overrated. If you know your friend is a pessimistic Leafs fan, just do yourself a favor and don’t start the argument. Even though it’s not true, they’re always right…

Die-Hard Optimistic:

After we just said you didn’t want the pessimist at your party, you definitely want to invite the die-hard optimist instead.

This guy or girl is the best. They watch every second of every game and the Leafs could be down 6-0 with three minutes left in the game and they find hope. Frederik Andersen could be the reason for all of those goals but they would still back him until he plays for another team.

Every player on the Leafs is the next Wendel Clark or Doug Gilmour and they have the Stanley Cup Parade route already planned on Google Maps.

If you find yourself feeling symptoms of being die-hard optimistic, I recommend watching Game 7 of the 2013 Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals to calm yourself down for a bit.

The Bandwagon:

It’s playoff time, so you’re bound to run into a number of these fans. They’re not typically part of the ride for all 82 games of the regular season but when the team gets into the playoffs, they don’t miss a game.

This fan can come in all forms. They could be an everyday San Jose Sharks fan but since their favourite team is out of the playoffs, they’re all of a sudden a Leafs fan.

Although the bandwagon fan is easy to root against, you can’t help but love them because they’ve joined the good-side of finally becoming a Leafs fan. However, don’t get used to seeing them around that often because once the Leafs are out of the playoffs, they turn into a bear and go into hibernation until next years playoffs.

The Broken:

Unfortunately you’re going to find a lot of these fans in Leafs Nation.

If you watched the Leafs win their last Stanley Cup in 1967, I wouldn’t exactly say you’re a broken fan, as you at least saw the joy of that victory. Instead, those born between 1967 and 1980 are probably in the wheel-house of broken.

You’ve yet to see your favourite team win a Stanley Cup and throughout that time you’ve seen Harold Ballard ruin the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Gretzky high-stick, Eastern Conference Finals defeats, the 4-1 Boston loss and an 18-wheeler falling off a cliff.

It’s been a tough time for you broken Leafs fans, but hang in there. As Mr. or Mrs. Optimistic says, “there’s always next year.”