Growing up in Toronto, it's a rite of passage to be let down by the Maple Leafs. But, this annual dose of disappointment isn't enough to stop me from being hopelessly optimistic every time a new season arrives.
This year, Leaf fans got to relive the ups and downs of their boys in blue and white in the Prime Video series All Or Nothing: Toronto Maple Leafs.
Here are 22 things that stood out to me as I binged all 5 episodes.
1. Auston Matthews is particular about what he wears on and off the ice.
2. Sheldon Keefe has a potty mouth.
3. Joe Thornton brings the laughs.
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Jumbo Joe's play on the ice may have been lacking this past season, but he was clearly the comic relief in the dressing room.
4. Kyle Dubas has magnets in his office with every Leaf player's stats and contract details like its NHL 21.
5. Will Arnett bleeds blue and white.
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As the narrator of the series, Arnett always refers to the team in the first person. "We won", "Our goalie" etc. These colours run deep baby.
6. Mitch Marner was that kid at school dances.
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In episode 1 Marner reveals he would always pester DJs to play songs he wanted to hear. I can only assume "Livin' on a Prayer" was one of them.
7. The Leafs have top of the line medical staff and equipment.
8. Kyle Dubas can rip a slapshot.
Kyle Dubas has a decent shot
In epsiode 2 we see the Leafs' GM lace up the skates himself to get on the ice with his young son. He rips a beauty of a slap shot from the point. Kyle may wanna consider signing himself if the injuries pile up this season.
9. It's "all about the chem".
holl and muzzin talking about aliens while playing golf in episode three is incredible lmfao
Getting through the season under COVID-19 restrictions meant the boys had to exclusively hang with each other. It was a treat to watch defensive partners Holl and Muzzin work on their golf games on Muzzin's backyard green.
10. Jack Campbell is a human golden retriever.
Favourite moment in the series: MAN I love Jack Campbell. @MapleLeafs #AONLeafs #goleafsgo #MapleLeafs #nhl #NHL22 #NHLLeafs
Every clip they showed of this guy just made him seem even sweeter than we already knew him to be.
11. Kyle Dubas was competing with at least 3 other teams to acquire Nick Foligno at the trade deadline.
12. David Rittich is a big Alvin and the Chipmunks fan.
13. Nick Foligno's dad was stoked that his son was joining the Leafs.
Nick Foligno rocking a '93 edition Leafs Starter cap with the snap strap. "A little bit of the old with the new." Embrace the throwback.
Close fans of the team will know his dad played for the iconic ’93 team. It was touching to see Nick carry on the legacy, wearing the same number as his old man.
14. Thornton is a joker in the locker room but an animal on the ice.
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The scrap and verbal altercation he gets into with Winnipeg’s Nik Ehlers in episode 4 is incredible to hear. Some choice quotes include “I'll eat you for f***in' breakfast!” and “I'm embarrassed for him!”. I just wish we could hear what Ehlers was chirping back.
15. The Leafs have their own secret club behind the scenes known as COFFEE GANG.
They might all be on the same team, but only a few are a part of the club ☕️ Watch @MapleLeafs spill the beans on what's brewing behind-the-scenes with their traveling Secret Coffee Club. #AONLeafs
Seems they have a few amateur baristas in the organization. It makes sense that the new dads like Hyman and John Tavares are coffee snobs. With having infants at home while being in the NHL, something tells me these guys don’t get much rest. Of course Soupy keeps things classic: “I just grab a cup of Timmies from the lounge".
16. Leafs captain John Tavares named his sons Jayce and Axton.
17. Tavares' injury in Game 1 of the playoffs is even worse to see a second time.
18. Spezza is an old school stick nerd.
19. Sheldon Keefe did the best he could to rally the troops in Game 6.
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I was ready to run through a brick wall after listening to him try and coax a win out of the buds. It's a shame this speech was wasted on a loss.
20. Assistant coach Paul Maclean could see the demons lingering over Marner and Matthews.
21. Kyle Dubas reached out to Mitch Marner before Game 7.
22. Seeing Jack Campbell cry after Game 7 was worse than watching the Leafs lose.
yeah jack campbell crying is ‘bout to make a whole city cry too
LOOK WHAT THEY DID TO MY BOY! LOOK HOW THEY MASSACRED MY BOY!
As a Leafs fan I was nervous to relive the painful letdown that was the 2021 season. But if I've learned anything from my therapist, it's that we can't move forward without acknowledging our past. I think she was talking about hockey when she said that.
Kyle Dubas says at the end of the series, "From the outset of the journey of this team, their greatest successes are usually directly proceeded by their greatest disappointments. If the organization can stand with its convictions and continue to drive right ahead, it will be rewarded".
God, I hope he's right.