5 Things for Toronto Maple Leafs Fans to Do This Off-Season
By Oliver Smith
It doesn’t matter how long ago the Toronto Maple Leafs crashed out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the fact that hockey is still on and Toronto isn’t participating stings. Usually Toronto fans will turn to the Blue Jays, Raptors or perhaps TFC. With basketball long since over, Toronto FC floundering in the bottom half of the standings, only the Blue Jays offer a sporting interest.
If you cannot be tickled by the steady rise and thumping offence of the Blue Jays and Vladdy Guerrero Jr’s charge to MVP, fear not. There are still options to keep you diehard Toronto Maple Leafs fans interested before the puck drops on next season.
It has to be mentioned first and foremost that what hurts the most about the Leafs crushing loss is that the Montreal Canadiens are still in the race for the cup.
Take some solace Leafs fans, the Habs are in tough against the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Way back when Leaf Land was optimistic about the playoffs, many held up the Colorado Avalanche as the one team that truly stood in the way of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
With Auston Matthews, John Tavares and Mitch Marner firing on all cylinders plus some stellar defensive play from Morgan Reilly and TJ Brodie, the Leafs stood a decent change of pushing the Avs all the way.
If goalie Jack Campbell could steal a game or two, then Toronto would be in the Stanley Cup Final – not an easy task by any means, but it was certainly thought a plausible one. As it would turn out, neither the Avs nor the Toronto Maple Leafs were able to turn that dream into a reality.
Now it is mid June in Toronto, and for all the anxious hockey fans and jersey burners alike, so many are twiddling their thumbs with what to do next. Toronto Maple Leafs fans, here are five options for how to spend your 2021 off season.