David Kampf's time with the Toronto Maple Leafs may have ended unceremoniously, and he has since landed in Vancouver. Kampf, who spent four full seasons with the Leafs, made a name for himself as a defensive forward, putting up 85 points in 301 games, with 14:15 of average total ice time.
When the Maple Leafs waived Kampf and reassigned him to the Toronto Marlies to kick off the 2025-26 season, it was clear he wasn't happy and he left the Marlies after just four games. The Leafs weren't impressed and suspended Kampf before ultimately putting him on unconditional waivers and terminating his contract.
The situation surrounding Kampf was even more complicated
Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts Podcast summed up potential complications by citing clawback language, saying, "I have heard return of the signing bonus has come up in the middle of this. So, I am thinking, that either the Maple Leafs said, 'hey, there's clawback language here and we're gonna enforce it,' or the league has said, 'hey, there's language here that we want you to enforce.'"
This is sometimes the case with teams handing out bonuses, and Kampf had a $1.35 million bonus. During the summer, the Leafs paid Kampf that signing bonus. Since the deal was terminated, clawback language would allow the Leafs to take that money back if it was in the contract. That led to the complicated scenario.
David Kampf doesn't sound like he has a problem with the Maple Leafs
The easy assumption is that there was a lot of bad blood between Kampf and the Leafs, especially when you consider his demotion to the Marlies, and his suspension from the team. For a seasoned veteran player expecting to earn a spot in the lineup, that would cause a rift between them and the organization.
But there was no proof of that. Instead, with potential clawback language emerging following Friedman's comments, that may have been the case. But that didn't stop Kampf from sending the city of Toronto and its fans a message.
In a recent Instagram post. Kampf wrote, "It’s been a pleasure Toronto. A great chapter of my life but the time has come to move on. I gave everything I had to this organization and city and I’ll always be thankful for the opportunity I got here. Thank you to all my teammates I got to spend those years with I wish you guys all the best. Also, special thank you to each and every one of the Leafs staff for taking care of me and my family through the years. Toronto will always have a special place in our hearts. Excited for the future with Canucks!"
Regardless of whether relations deteriorated between Kampf and the organization because of recent events, if there was lingering bad blood between Kampf and the Maple Leafs, he wouldn't have been so quick to recognize the city, his teammates, and the staff.
When somebody walks away from an organization in such an unceremonious way, they won't comment or will give bland reasons in the aftermath of moving on. But Kampf's comments above didn't look performative, mundane, or short. They instead carried a heartfelt vibe that resonated with the fans.
Those responding to Kampf's post were overwhelmingly positive, and it shows that a strong contingent of Toronto fans hold no grudges against him. So when he inevitably returns to Toronto as a member of the visiting team, don't expect fans to voice their displeasure.
David Kampf's fanbase in Toronto isn't going away anytime soon
Kampf wasn't a lifetime member of the Maple Leafs, so he won't get a hero's welcome like Brad Marchand did earlier in the year upon returning to Boston. But fans who enjoyed watching him play in Toronto will be more likely to voice their appreciation when he's skating by the glass during warm-ups.
Kampf was a valuable member of a Toronto Maple Leafs team that made the playoffs every season he was in town, and he helped them win their first playoff series in 2023 for the first time since 2004. So fans won't be quick to forget all the good he did during his stint with the Leafs.
Toronto's loss is a definite gain for the Canucks, who are currently looking for a way to stay relevant in the tight-knit Pacific Division. Kampf may be in a different uniform and helping another team win, but taking time to relay such a positive message to the fans and city of Toronto despite what had transpired, it's closure that he wanted to make sure he wasn't leaving them with a bad taste in their mouths. It was a classy move on Kampf's part.