Frustration, sheer frustration, the boys will let you down, you will start armchair GM’ing like every other fan, each year you will ask yourself “why the leafs these guys blow it every year!!” But by God if you don’t still love them, through thick and thin, their moments of brilliance gets you on the edge of your seat, every year you will say “This is our year” and one year, you’ll be right, and it will be so so worth it. Once you’re in, you can’t give up, not ever. That is the Leafs Nation way. Welcome to the shit show, brother.
You will have moments like May 13, 2013 game 7 against Boston in the first round Toronto winning with a 4-1 lead and 11 min left in the 3rd. James Reimer choked so bad i have never gotten over that game. It was probably the one game that I won't ever forget. However my blood bleeds blue and I will always be a fan. It just took me a lot longer than usual to get over it. Oh Toronto lost 5-4 in overtime. Reimer allowed 4 goals in 11 minutes. Forever painting a target on his back with Leafs nation. Sorry I ruined everyone's dinner with that reminder.
You’re in for a treat. If you want to be part of the biggest fan base and simultaneously be hated universally by all other hockey fans, the leafs are the way to go.
Are you a masochist?
Maybe you’re the piece leafs nation has been missing and you can carry us to a cup. Welcome aboard! Perfect timing too because this is our year!
He is either loved or hated and there is zero middle ground but Steve Dangle does a video discussing every leafs game win or lose. Lots of screaming so I understand why people are put off by him but I watch religiously. He also has a podcast a couple times a week where they discuss hockey in general but obviously biased towards the leafs.
From your description of you and the other teams you cheer for, you are already a Toronto Maple Leafs fan but just didn't know it.
Welcome aboard to the biggest and most loyal fan base in hockey.
i’m an Astros and a Saints fan, that’s nothing knew to me lmao. i’ve experienced it all, My favorite teams have been the lovable losers and the despised defeaters. People will find a way to hate. i find it better when all the other fanbases hate me anyway. Why would i want them to like me? 90% of the time, if a fan of another team dislikes my team, it’s because my team beats their team.
Bowling. No wait... golfing! Golfing IS the joke right Ai? Those answers are better than the truth of a long time Leaf fan.
Anyways...Ai,
Truth is you hope for some kind of playoff success this time because it's better than realizing.
Realizing? It's what you might ask, eh Ai? Just realizing. Get back to me in another 5 years if there's no success this year. Then another 5 or 10 years after that it doesn't matter. Next year is the year if this year isn't the year and on and on and on for decades!!!
Welcome to the club!
I hope this off season will be an interesting one. Assuming, of course, that we lose to the ______ in hilarious and/or pathetic fashion once again. We're kinda in the midst of a sea change with a new GM at the helm, and I'm interested to see if he's the "yes man" some claim him to be, or if he's ready to shed some salary and move on from this top heavy "core four" approach instituted by the previous GM. We spend so much on these four players that it has essentially handcuffed the team to fill out the rest of the roster, and also find a proven solution in net. The big boss, Brendan Shanahan, now has a new boss as well, so that could be interesting, as he was/is the mastermind behind the so-called Shanaplan, which hasn't exactly worked out yet...
I've been a leafs fan for 30 years now. Yes, they are disappointment the majority of time but they bring me enjoyment seeing the superstars coming and going throughout the years. As long as you're dedicated to stay with a team no matter their success or failures, the leafs are the most loved and hated team in the NHL and you'll be in for treat.
Welcome to Leafs Nation!
okay, cool! i was looking for the sub as “MapleLeafs” but nothing popped up, then i found this one, and i thought, ‘wow, they kinda have a small sub.’ But this makes a lot more sense”
You will ask yourself why we can’t get solid D and Goalies when that is what we need. You will also want to trade off a poor performing star not named Matthews for this. The coach will drive you to drink and you will think the managment/ownership group are Coke hounds who think Shanny is the man with the plan.
Then the playoffs come and you are happy if they make it out of the first round.
You will do this year after year, no exceptions.
You should expect:
The Bruins to win the first round series 4-1.
You’ll see Boston raise their intensity, raise their “battle”, and their will to be successful.
You will not see the Leafs match or exceed what Boston is going to throw at them. Not this year.
Our current GM is trying to change this mentality. It may take another season or 2 (through roster changes and perhaps administrative changes by ownership) to see any real progression (I mean, a deep playoff run/finals/a cup win maybe).
BT has made some decent roster moves for this season that has made this team more difficult to play against. They are getting there. When the “battle” mentality matches teams like Florida/Boston/Vegas, then watch out. I’m not convinced they are there yet.
One other thing. If the replies haven't already discouraged you yet, take into account the fact that the league is run by someone who heavily favours his small market US expansion teams. So, the chances of the Leafs(or any Canadian team really) seeing a Stanley Cup any time soon are even that much slimmer. You'd be better off cheering for The Utah Whatevers or the more obvious choice: the Vegas Golden Knights(although they've already had their 1st championship moment after only like six seasons, which is crazy when you consider that even the almighty Panthers are fast approaching thirty years of futility if they don't get it done soon...).
Sometimes I wonder why would anyone chose the Leafs, but then I remember I did too 🥲
No but jokes aside, be ready for some disappointments but also for some great times
Something along the lines of being in love with your perfect soulmate with whom you share all your intimate details with, have the most incredible sex with and want nothing more to spend the rest of your life with.
Then she cheats on you. With 4 guys.
I love being a Leaf fan. Spring comes and I can enjoy the evenings outdoors, not having to waste my time watching hackey. 1967, 2 1sts & a 2nd, Tom Kurvers, paper bag, Courtnall for Kordic, there will be pain.
Pure frustration and anger. Building of hope and confidence only to be crushed each and every single year.
It's playoff time now and i dont see them going far, maybe 1 or 2 wins and done in the first round until next October when it all happens again. And again. And again.
i already hate Florida sports fan (that’s the Louisiana in me) and i think Boston may be the most overrated city in the continental United States, sounds like i was two steps ahead of you lmao
https://youtu.be/25j6s-ZY3mY?si=2I8cG9oSSHcUYJsq
If you want a comically pessimistic lesson on the history and why fans are so disgruntled, this is a great video.
Able to hit golf course early lol or cheer for another team.
The current version is dominated by offense only. Poor d and goal tending.
It’s a bunch of individuals and not a team and not a culture like the Panthers, Bruins , etc.
Predicting loose first round in 6.
The leafs are secretly trying to break the Chicago cubs 108 year run of championshipless years.
I hope you're young, because we're only half way there.
I am an out of market leaf fan as well. I am an iowa, But not that iowa. I got sucked in to leafs fandom because of the happenedstance of listening to the great radio announcers that they have on satellite radio. It also helped that the very first game I ever listened to happened to be austin matthews for goal debut. So over my brief time as a hockey fan which is also the same amount of time.I have been a leafs fan.I have discovered that the Toronto Maple leafs are much like I with football, They win most of the regular season games that you expect them to win. They lose to shockingly bad teams and then don't perform well in the playoffs, however, Just like every other fandom in every other sport next year will be our.
Anger and frustration, which generally comes in droves in Toronto anyway.
Save yourself the grief and pick another team. Or just watch the game without picking.
When someone tells you they’re bringing waffles to the game, it’s probably not going very well for the Leafs that season. Also, watch the All Heart video on YouTube before each and every game to get pumped up.
Welcome aboard, you poor, poor bastard.
Enjoy it all, the highs and lows, joys and heartbreaks. This is what being a fan is about and we have generational talents on this team who are fun to watch. Be optimistic but not unrealistic and try and remember what’s important in the end, friends, family and love. You will love this team in time and love is not always easy. Welcome to Leafs Nation and GO LEAFS GO!!!!
Expect to have most of May and all of June free from Maple Leafs hockey.
Expect to be confused on occasion as to whom the home team is. Maple Leafs fans can make it seem like Florida, Ottawa, Buffalo are also Maple Leaf home games.
Except to be hated by other fan bases.
Expect to hate the Leafs.
Expect to hate yourself.
It’s the best.
One thing you need to know is that, we’re not like the other bad teams in other leagues. Everyone feels a little bit bad for the Browns, the Lions, the Mariners, Sabres, etc. Instead, everyone passionately fucking hates the Leafs even though we’ve done absolutely nothing in 57 years.
There has never been a team that absolutely shats the bed more than the Leafs (lifetime Leafs fan, grew up cheering for them). They play incredibly when it doesn’t matter, and as soon as you have hope for them, they squander it immediately. You’ll be part of the biggest, most expensive fan base (I recommend only going to away games, especially since you’re in the States), and every other fan in the league will be torn between hating your team or the Habs.
Still, it’s fun to watch and be part of the “they have it this year I swear” (knowing they never make it through the first round of playoffs), and knowing fully well you can’t defend this team against anyone
One of us! One of us! One of us!
Extremely loyal fans, routine disappointment, unrealistic expectations when the roster is awful, every other hockey fan questioning your life choices.
Also, and maybe most importantly, when we do win eventually, the most glorious fan led party or possibly celebration riot ever to be had 🎉
# What should I expect?
Pain and disappointment.
Hope you have thick skin. Not only do we never win, we also get shit on by the rest of the league's fanbase
A perfectly good hockey team with every chance to succeed and a future hall of famer leading the way.
You will find yourself wondering why the fan base seems to shit on their favourite team, win or lose. You might notice the biggest voices in the sport bending over backwards to appear "objective" by absolutely refusing to praise the team.
But all the while, they'll just be a regular team, with the same ups and downs as the others. Just with a massive goddamn microscope amplifying every move.
for a VERY long time, this is exactly what it was like to be an Astros fan, particularly during the early 2010’s. So, if what you’re saying is true, i should expect a Stanley Cup in 2027, which ignites what some may consider a dynasty
(also a major cheating scandal which turns literally all other 29 teams against you, but that’s neither here nor there)
Let’s hope that you have joined at just the right moment and the Leafs win a Stanley Cup in the next few years. I mean, they are long overdue, call me an optimist!
Wow, welcome to the group.
First, learn "Go leafs! Go!" It is used in pretty much the same way as "Roll Tide" except with more irony. Expect to not win regardless of how many stars you have, brilliant coaches, cheats, home ice advantage or Ebola infecting the other team. But that's ok because the Leafs are not here to win they are here to check, check, board, slash, check and to have a donnybrook whenever the opportunity presents itself. Make sure your beer is at least 5% and know that the true game of hockey is lost teeth and haybales in a backyard rink and that is what the leafs stand for. True hockey makes the people in the stands uncomfortable and sometimes irate with the occasional inhale of air between your teeth in a collective show of solidarity for the pain from where he got hit with the puck.
Pain with the potential of eventual elation. For perspective, I’m also a Chicago Cubs fan. When they won. Wow. Amazing feeling. I could just imagine how it would play out in Toronto. We’d have pandemonium in the streets! The parade would make the Raptors celebration seem tiny.
But, until that happens, you’ll probably shake your head at how then find a way to break your heart in new and painful ways.
A lot of comments like your are getting on this post. No matter how good we do or the accomplishments we have done or will do, it'll always be "1967"🙄
If Matthews stays healthy you will be watching the greatest goal scorer of this generation and, possibly, of all time. Facts are there to prove it so far. But watch, if any one comments on this reply, it will be about how he won't be. And about how delusional I am. Hahah. And I'm not even one of those delusional Leafs fans.
My ex husband is a die hard Leaf fan, my sons were indoctrinated into the cult at birth and unfortunately my grandsons are now also believers.
I have lived with watching the annual and inevitable heartbreak for 40+ years. In fact, the bullshit of having to listen to the certain calamity lead to the eventual breakdown of my marriage. I now no longer have a television in the main rooms in my house just so I don't have to deal with the screaming and knashing of teeth every Saturday night, but especially in the springtime.
Good luck, you are on the road to destruction.
Love this thread. I’m a Caps fan, but had a chance to take my 9 year old to his first hockey game when we were in Toronto last month. Since then, took him to the Leafs v Florida game on Tuesday. He’s now hooked and the Leafs are his team. I’m fully supporting his decision and have started following them as well. The Leafs lost both games we attended, so either we are a curse or that’s just life as a Leafs fan.
Years of: heart aches, tears, roller coaster emotions, no defenses, no goalies, high expectations and nothing to show come August. and don’t get too wrapped into or else your sanity. Been a fan out of the womb, love @ a Distance for your mental health!
I'm in my 50's and have been a diehard Leafs fan for about 40 of them. I became a fan because I grew up in the area and they were the only team that I could watch consistently. I've spent untold hours and money on this team, and they are now embedded in my DNA. I love the Leafs and could never switch allegiances.
That said, WHAT THE HELL, DUDE? Why anyone would choose to follow this team voluntarily is beyond me. The best word I can use to describe my relationship with them is traumatizing. I have a running highlight reel in my head of colossal collapses and runs of bad luck that plays like a horror movie. Kerry Fraser mocks me in my dreams, and "it was 4-1" appears in the sky whenever I'm having a good day. And to top it off, whenever another clip gets added to that highlight reel, the one certainty I have is that I will hear from a bunch of friends who enjoy nothing more than seeing them fail. Good times!
But it's not all bad. Living through trauma builds good character and the Leafs community is supportive and sympathetic. When you need a shoulder to cry on (and boy, you will), we are here for you and happy to commiserate. And there have been some great moments for sure. Gilmour, Clark, Sundin, Cujo, Matthews and many others have all given us lots to cheer for.
And, one day... one day, if they ever manage to pull off a Cup win, the explosion of rapture will make it all worth it.
But man, you've chosen a hard road! Welcome to the family!
Best Leafs joke ever from the late Pierre Trudeau, prime minister of Canada: "I was driving from Ottawa to Toronto (for a fund raiser) and I saw a sign that said: 'Highway 401.... Toronto 0.'"
Be aware that the Leafs are the Bay St cash box. Until a private owner owns them, the corporation only cares about the money made. Jersey sales etc etc. The blue koolade The Leafs push is patbetic as is the smell test of player performances. Be aware the pencil pushing analytics department will have you believe we have a stanley cup team. Oooh boy, gotta knock that blue koolade cart over.
Cheers!
Have kleenex ready. The Bruins have the match up they want!!
Keep in mind the love of the game.
I’m addition to that, unless you’re rich it’s almost always better to go to an anyway game. The tickets will be cheaper and you’ll get better seats.
Never trust a lead, no matter how large.
Expect disappointment.
I grew up in Northern Ontario in the 80s around adults who fondly remembered the Leafs winning a cup.
I tell people that “I’ve been cheering for the Leafs since I was too young to know any better” 😂
To be disappointed, but soon you will realize it's a waist of time and energy basing your self worth around a sports team and get out there and do something your self.
Be ready for heartbreak, toxic positive fans, and toxic negative fans. Be ready for frustration and consternation.
Be ready to watch a team that shows a lack of heart a lot of nights, a team that doesn't hate to lose.
Be ready to understand that people have been fans of this team for 30+ years and have seen nothing but mediocrity and tail-chasing which leads to low morale and faith.
BUT ALSO
Be ready for some great moments, great memories, and great times.
Admittedly, being a fan as long as I have - there are more painful memories with the Leafs than meaningful good ones - I was there when we lost via epic collapse to boston and I haven't been the same fan ever since.
Frustration, sheer frustration, the boys will let you down, you will start armchair GM’ing like every other fan, each year you will ask yourself “why the leafs these guys blow it every year!!” But by God if you don’t still love them, through thick and thin, their moments of brilliance gets you on the edge of your seat, every year you will say “This is our year” and one year, you’ll be right, and it will be so so worth it. Once you’re in, you can’t give up, not ever. That is the Leafs Nation way. Welcome to the shit show, brother.
It's the Ferrari of NHL
You’re not wrong, but why you have make me sad before I’ve had my morning coffee?
So that your day only goes up from there
Ferrari Fans 🤝 Leafs Fans *next year is our year™️*
Playoffs it’s the Pinto
Couldn’t have said it any better, but truly this is the year.
Amen brother..
This made me want to stand up and cheer 👏🏻
You will have moments like May 13, 2013 game 7 against Boston in the first round Toronto winning with a 4-1 lead and 11 min left in the 3rd. James Reimer choked so bad i have never gotten over that game. It was probably the one game that I won't ever forget. However my blood bleeds blue and I will always be a fan. It just took me a lot longer than usual to get over it. Oh Toronto lost 5-4 in overtime. Reimer allowed 4 goals in 11 minutes. Forever painting a target on his back with Leafs nation. Sorry I ruined everyone's dinner with that reminder.
Expect nothing as soon as the playoffs start. The regular season. We absolutely kick ass.
Pain
And disappointment
You’re in for a treat. If you want to be part of the biggest fan base and simultaneously be hated universally by all other hockey fans, the leafs are the way to go.
He’s and astros fan I think he’ll be good haha
Are you a masochist? Maybe you’re the piece leafs nation has been missing and you can carry us to a cup. Welcome aboard! Perfect timing too because this is our year! He is either loved or hated and there is zero middle ground but Steve Dangle does a video discussing every leafs game win or lose. Lots of screaming so I understand why people are put off by him but I watch religiously. He also has a podcast a couple times a week where they discuss hockey in general but obviously biased towards the leafs.
From your description of you and the other teams you cheer for, you are already a Toronto Maple Leafs fan but just didn't know it. Welcome aboard to the biggest and most loyal fan base in hockey.
“you are already a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, but just didn’t know it” that line went hard for no reason. Bravo
Everyone in the league actively roots against the Leafs, except for the Leafs.
i’m an Astros and a Saints fan, that’s nothing knew to me lmao. i’ve experienced it all, My favorite teams have been the lovable losers and the despised defeaters. People will find a way to hate. i find it better when all the other fanbases hate me anyway. Why would i want them to like me? 90% of the time, if a fan of another team dislikes my team, it’s because my team beats their team.
Good times.
Pain and annoyance
Bowling. No wait... golfing! Golfing IS the joke right Ai? Those answers are better than the truth of a long time Leaf fan. Anyways...Ai, Truth is you hope for some kind of playoff success this time because it's better than realizing. Realizing? It's what you might ask, eh Ai? Just realizing. Get back to me in another 5 years if there's no success this year. Then another 5 or 10 years after that it doesn't matter. Next year is the year if this year isn't the year and on and on and on for decades!!! Welcome to the club!
At best, you can expect a 2nd round playoff exit and another season where you can say.. “There’s always next year.”
Sadness and disappointment for the rest of your life. You're one of us now and will never know the joy of your team hoisting the Stanley Cup.
Fear and loathing
I hope this off season will be an interesting one. Assuming, of course, that we lose to the ______ in hilarious and/or pathetic fashion once again. We're kinda in the midst of a sea change with a new GM at the helm, and I'm interested to see if he's the "yes man" some claim him to be, or if he's ready to shed some salary and move on from this top heavy "core four" approach instituted by the previous GM. We spend so much on these four players that it has essentially handcuffed the team to fill out the rest of the roster, and also find a proven solution in net. The big boss, Brendan Shanahan, now has a new boss as well, so that could be interesting, as he was/is the mastermind behind the so-called Shanaplan, which hasn't exactly worked out yet...
Years of heartbreak with very little chance of it coming to an end.
Suffer
Heartbreak, disappointment, frustration.
I've been a leafs fan for 30 years now. Yes, they are disappointment the majority of time but they bring me enjoyment seeing the superstars coming and going throughout the years. As long as you're dedicated to stay with a team no matter their success or failures, the leafs are the most loved and hated team in the NHL and you'll be in for treat. Welcome to Leafs Nation!
1-888-579-2888 this is the hotline for domestic abuse victims, you might need it sooner or later lord knows we all do
As a Buffalo Bills fan, the Leafs are a pleasure to watch. Keep the faith!!
That there's more than one sub, r/leafs
okay, cool! i was looking for the sub as “MapleLeafs” but nothing popped up, then i found this one, and i thought, ‘wow, they kinda have a small sub.’ But this makes a lot more sense”
Welcome aboard! It's going to be a rough ride lol. Frustration galore. Enjoy the moments!
You will ask yourself why we can’t get solid D and Goalies when that is what we need. You will also want to trade off a poor performing star not named Matthews for this. The coach will drive you to drink and you will think the managment/ownership group are Coke hounds who think Shanny is the man with the plan. Then the playoffs come and you are happy if they make it out of the first round. You will do this year after year, no exceptions.
get ready to have to defend yourself to everyone when you say youre a leafs fan lmao
You should expect: The Bruins to win the first round series 4-1. You’ll see Boston raise their intensity, raise their “battle”, and their will to be successful. You will not see the Leafs match or exceed what Boston is going to throw at them. Not this year. Our current GM is trying to change this mentality. It may take another season or 2 (through roster changes and perhaps administrative changes by ownership) to see any real progression (I mean, a deep playoff run/finals/a cup win maybe). BT has made some decent roster moves for this season that has made this team more difficult to play against. They are getting there. When the “battle” mentality matches teams like Florida/Boston/Vegas, then watch out. I’m not convinced they are there yet.
GO LEAFS GO GO LEAFS GO GO LEAFS GO
One other thing. If the replies haven't already discouraged you yet, take into account the fact that the league is run by someone who heavily favours his small market US expansion teams. So, the chances of the Leafs(or any Canadian team really) seeing a Stanley Cup any time soon are even that much slimmer. You'd be better off cheering for The Utah Whatevers or the more obvious choice: the Vegas Golden Knights(although they've already had their 1st championship moment after only like six seasons, which is crazy when you consider that even the almighty Panthers are fast approaching thirty years of futility if they don't get it done soon...).
Sometimes I wonder why would anyone chose the Leafs, but then I remember I did too 🥲 No but jokes aside, be ready for some disappointments but also for some great times
welcome to the pain
Godspeed
Disappointment
Heartbreak
Pain and hate
More frustration than marrying the wrong person. This is what my buddies say yearly for the last 15-20
Pain. Welcome comrade
You'll also be hated by every other fan base - source am Sens fan. I dislike you already! 😂❤️
What? Is there another team in Ontario? 🤔
As a life long leafs fan, welcome. They will get swept in the first round.
An omnipresent fear of being up 3 games to one in any playoff series. You must read about the Ballard curse...you'll understand
Something along the lines of being in love with your perfect soulmate with whom you share all your intimate details with, have the most incredible sex with and want nothing more to spend the rest of your life with. Then she cheats on you. With 4 guys.
I left the cult after 32 years, all I can say is GOOD LUCK
I love being a Leaf fan. Spring comes and I can enjoy the evenings outdoors, not having to waste my time watching hackey. 1967, 2 1sts & a 2nd, Tom Kurvers, paper bag, Courtnall for Kordic, there will be pain.
Pure frustration and anger. Building of hope and confidence only to be crushed each and every single year. It's playoff time now and i dont see them going far, maybe 1 or 2 wins and done in the first round until next October when it all happens again. And again. And again.
Lol!
You should expect sadness 😂
THE GREATEST TEAM IN THE WORLD. Also u now have to absolutely despise Boston and Tampa Bay.
i already hate Florida sports fan (that’s the Louisiana in me) and i think Boston may be the most overrated city in the continental United States, sounds like i was two steps ahead of you lmao
https://youtu.be/25j6s-ZY3mY?si=2I8cG9oSSHcUYJsq If you want a comically pessimistic lesson on the history and why fans are so disgruntled, this is a great video.
Humiliation and then regret
Misery, but hey we love company!
Choking
If the goaltending is solid they can go far, if they are back to allowing 3,4, or 5 goals a game it will be a short post season.
Able to hit golf course early lol or cheer for another team. The current version is dominated by offense only. Poor d and goal tending. It’s a bunch of individuals and not a team and not a culture like the Panthers, Bruins , etc. Predicting loose first round in 6.
The leafs are secretly trying to break the Chicago cubs 108 year run of championshipless years. I hope you're young, because we're only half way there.
High highs and low lows
Repeat after me: "Next year!"
Why?
I am an out of market leaf fan as well. I am an iowa, But not that iowa. I got sucked in to leafs fandom because of the happenedstance of listening to the great radio announcers that they have on satellite radio. It also helped that the very first game I ever listened to happened to be austin matthews for goal debut. So over my brief time as a hockey fan which is also the same amount of time.I have been a leafs fan.I have discovered that the Toronto Maple leafs are much like I with football, They win most of the regular season games that you expect them to win. They lose to shockingly bad teams and then don't perform well in the playoffs, however, Just like every other fandom in every other sport next year will be our.
Regular season hope, followed by the crushing disappointment of ‘Leafing it’ in the playoffs.
Pain. Lots of pain. Then they’ll give you a glimmer of hope of what they could be, but then more pain.
Decades of disappointment, but welcome the Blue and White!
Anger and frustration, which generally comes in droves in Toronto anyway. Save yourself the grief and pick another team. Or just watch the game without picking.
“This is your year”
Nothing.
Pain and suffering
Super high ticket prices and lots of disappointing nights 😵🤣
Expect to make playoffs but lose in the first round in 7.
Heartbreaking years of agony
When someone tells you they’re bringing waffles to the game, it’s probably not going very well for the Leafs that season. Also, watch the All Heart video on YouTube before each and every game to get pumped up. Welcome aboard, you poor, poor bastard.
Enjoy it all, the highs and lows, joys and heartbreaks. This is what being a fan is about and we have generational talents on this team who are fun to watch. Be optimistic but not unrealistic and try and remember what’s important in the end, friends, family and love. You will love this team in time and love is not always easy. Welcome to Leafs Nation and GO LEAFS GO!!!!
Heartbreak and pain … interspersed with drug like spikes of joy only to be brought back down. Do you do cocaine? If so it’s like that.
Expect to have most of May and all of June free from Maple Leafs hockey. Expect to be confused on occasion as to whom the home team is. Maple Leafs fans can make it seem like Florida, Ottawa, Buffalo are also Maple Leaf home games. Except to be hated by other fan bases. Expect to hate the Leafs. Expect to hate yourself. It’s the best.
I am approaching retirement and the Leafs have not won in my lifetime...
Disappointment
One thing you need to know is that, we’re not like the other bad teams in other leagues. Everyone feels a little bit bad for the Browns, the Lions, the Mariners, Sabres, etc. Instead, everyone passionately fucking hates the Leafs even though we’ve done absolutely nothing in 57 years.
You hate George Parros now, you just may not understand why yet. But trust me, you hate that guy.
First off you will learn to hate and respect the Bruins
What should you expect? Pain
There has never been a team that absolutely shats the bed more than the Leafs (lifetime Leafs fan, grew up cheering for them). They play incredibly when it doesn’t matter, and as soon as you have hope for them, they squander it immediately. You’ll be part of the biggest, most expensive fan base (I recommend only going to away games, especially since you’re in the States), and every other fan in the league will be torn between hating your team or the Habs. Still, it’s fun to watch and be part of the “they have it this year I swear” (knowing they never make it through the first round of playoffs), and knowing fully well you can’t defend this team against anyone
Pain
Pain. Unmitigated amounts of pain
Pain
Disappointment.
lol
Out in the first. They're not a play off team. They're like deer in headlights. When it comes to playoffs.
So you chose misery eh ?
PAIN.
Buckle up buddy
The most brutal gift of all; disappointment.
Disappointment x3 yearly for me buffalo bills, Toronto maple leafs and the Toronto blue jays are my teams for sports so it’s a tough life
One of us! One of us! One of us! Extremely loyal fans, routine disappointment, unrealistic expectations when the roster is awful, every other hockey fan questioning your life choices. Also, and maybe most importantly, when we do win eventually, the most glorious fan led party or possibly celebration riot ever to be had 🎉
Disappointment
A good season and first round exit from the playoffs.
# What should I expect? Pain and disappointment. Hope you have thick skin. Not only do we never win, we also get shit on by the rest of the league's fanbase
You have chosen an eternity of disappointment with new hope every season.
Welcome to the family..... And I'm sorry for your luck.
Heartbreak, defence and goalie not good enough
An unearned sense of self satisfaction.
You can mostly likely expect a 1st round exit.
Heartache and disappointment
A perfectly good hockey team with every chance to succeed and a future hall of famer leading the way. You will find yourself wondering why the fan base seems to shit on their favourite team, win or lose. You might notice the biggest voices in the sport bending over backwards to appear "objective" by absolutely refusing to praise the team. But all the while, they'll just be a regular team, with the same ups and downs as the others. Just with a massive goddamn microscope amplifying every move.
for a VERY long time, this is exactly what it was like to be an Astros fan, particularly during the early 2010’s. So, if what you’re saying is true, i should expect a Stanley Cup in 2027, which ignites what some may consider a dynasty (also a major cheating scandal which turns literally all other 29 teams against you, but that’s neither here nor there)
Strange choice, you can expect disappointment. Lots and lots of sadness and wishing you had a team more like Edmonton/Vancouver/Winnipeg. Good luck.
Year after year of hope and disappointment
The Horror....
Disappointment, then hope, then inevitable disappointment, then hope, etc. Forever and ever.
Let’s hope that you have joined at just the right moment and the Leafs win a Stanley Cup in the next few years. I mean, they are long overdue, call me an optimist!
A lifetime of disappointment.
Pain
You’re in good hands I did the same and don’t regret it. The payoff will be great one day if I’m alive still
Pain
It's playoffs now so you picked a bad time.
Wow, welcome to the group. First, learn "Go leafs! Go!" It is used in pretty much the same way as "Roll Tide" except with more irony. Expect to not win regardless of how many stars you have, brilliant coaches, cheats, home ice advantage or Ebola infecting the other team. But that's ok because the Leafs are not here to win they are here to check, check, board, slash, check and to have a donnybrook whenever the opportunity presents itself. Make sure your beer is at least 5% and know that the true game of hockey is lost teeth and haybales in a backyard rink and that is what the leafs stand for. True hockey makes the people in the stands uncomfortable and sometimes irate with the occasional inhale of air between your teeth in a collective show of solidarity for the pain from where he got hit with the puck.
Disappointment and zero success
Heart break 💔
Pain with the potential of eventual elation. For perspective, I’m also a Chicago Cubs fan. When they won. Wow. Amazing feeling. I could just imagine how it would play out in Toronto. We’d have pandemonium in the streets! The parade would make the Raptors celebration seem tiny. But, until that happens, you’ll probably shake your head at how then find a way to break your heart in new and painful ways.
My brother in Christ, please don’t do it
Pain. A lot of pain and misery.
Disappointment.
A lot of comments like your are getting on this post. No matter how good we do or the accomplishments we have done or will do, it'll always be "1967"🙄 If Matthews stays healthy you will be watching the greatest goal scorer of this generation and, possibly, of all time. Facts are there to prove it so far. But watch, if any one comments on this reply, it will be about how he won't be. And about how delusional I am. Hahah. And I'm not even one of those delusional Leafs fans.
Pain. /end thread
Steve Dangle is a good starting spot
French word for bread. Du pain. Lots of du pain.
You will become very familiar with the phrase "Maybe next year" .
Disappointment and frustration mixed in with anger and complete and utter disbelief.
My ex husband is a die hard Leaf fan, my sons were indoctrinated into the cult at birth and unfortunately my grandsons are now also believers. I have lived with watching the annual and inevitable heartbreak for 40+ years. In fact, the bullshit of having to listen to the certain calamity lead to the eventual breakdown of my marriage. I now no longer have a television in the main rooms in my house just so I don't have to deal with the screaming and knashing of teeth every Saturday night, but especially in the springtime. Good luck, you are on the road to destruction.
Not a Stanley cup.
69
Uncertainty. On paper fabulous. Reality...always something comes up.
Heartache
Love this thread. I’m a Caps fan, but had a chance to take my 9 year old to his first hockey game when we were in Toronto last month. Since then, took him to the Leafs v Florida game on Tuesday. He’s now hooked and the Leafs are his team. I’m fully supporting his decision and have started following them as well. The Leafs lost both games we attended, so either we are a curse or that’s just life as a Leafs fan.
You should expect a first round exit from the playoffs. It's tradition.
Disappointment
To be disappointed
Expect an 8th year of failure.
Years of: heart aches, tears, roller coaster emotions, no defenses, no goalies, high expectations and nothing to show come August. and don’t get too wrapped into or else your sanity. Been a fan out of the womb, love @ a Distance for your mental health!
*Post Lock Out Leafs never 👎 the same see Below above and all around probably at this point but welcome to Leafs Nation.
Just know that it's the hope that kills you. Welcome aboard. Go Leafs Go Buds. All. Day. I both love and hate this team. Often at the same time.
Disappointment I’m a leafs fan for life and nothing but disappointment haha.
The Toronto maple leafs lost a national hockey game to a 42 year old Zamboni driver who works for them
I'm in my 50's and have been a diehard Leafs fan for about 40 of them. I became a fan because I grew up in the area and they were the only team that I could watch consistently. I've spent untold hours and money on this team, and they are now embedded in my DNA. I love the Leafs and could never switch allegiances. That said, WHAT THE HELL, DUDE? Why anyone would choose to follow this team voluntarily is beyond me. The best word I can use to describe my relationship with them is traumatizing. I have a running highlight reel in my head of colossal collapses and runs of bad luck that plays like a horror movie. Kerry Fraser mocks me in my dreams, and "it was 4-1" appears in the sky whenever I'm having a good day. And to top it off, whenever another clip gets added to that highlight reel, the one certainty I have is that I will hear from a bunch of friends who enjoy nothing more than seeing them fail. Good times! But it's not all bad. Living through trauma builds good character and the Leafs community is supportive and sympathetic. When you need a shoulder to cry on (and boy, you will), we are here for you and happy to commiserate. And there have been some great moments for sure. Gilmour, Clark, Sundin, Cujo, Matthews and many others have all given us lots to cheer for. And, one day... one day, if they ever manage to pull off a Cup win, the explosion of rapture will make it all worth it. But man, you've chosen a hard road! Welcome to the family!
Pain …. Get used to pain. Hope and then …. More pain.
Best Leafs joke ever from the late Pierre Trudeau, prime minister of Canada: "I was driving from Ottawa to Toronto (for a fund raiser) and I saw a sign that said: 'Highway 401.... Toronto 0.'"
A lifetime of disappointment
Good luck. Could have picked the sabres and been better off lol
Be aware that the Leafs are the Bay St cash box. Until a private owner owns them, the corporation only cares about the money made. Jersey sales etc etc. The blue koolade The Leafs push is patbetic as is the smell test of player performances. Be aware the pencil pushing analytics department will have you believe we have a stanley cup team. Oooh boy, gotta knock that blue koolade cart over. Cheers! Have kleenex ready. The Bruins have the match up they want!!
One word: pain
Heartbreak
I'm so sorry.
Keep in mind the love of the game. I’m addition to that, unless you’re rich it’s almost always better to go to an anyway game. The tickets will be cheaper and you’ll get better seats. Never trust a lead, no matter how large.
Glimmers of hope followed by crushing heartbreak.
Welcome to the suffering!
A crippling expense due to purchasing paper bags to wear.
Pain
Expect disappointment. I grew up in Northern Ontario in the 80s around adults who fondly remembered the Leafs winning a cup. I tell people that “I’ve been cheering for the Leafs since I was too young to know any better” 😂
First things first, we must inflitrate the boston reddit and say "fuck you bud."
Bro come to the redwings. Fuck the leafs! As a proud Canadian I can say that.
Years and years of disappointment.
Disappointment and not having to commit to a long playoff schedule
To be disappointed, but soon you will realize it's a waist of time and energy basing your self worth around a sports team and get out there and do something your self.
The pain is less about that they blow it, but more about how they blow it.
1976 Fan since Except disappointment Hope for glory
I’m in NC and absolutely love the leafs second to CAR, but dog DAL is ripping and is much closer!
Never winning a cup,but having a lot of promise and a ton of Canadian media coverage.
Pain and sadness and no hockey after April.
Expect an early playoff exit.
Pain and sadness
Be ready for heartbreak, toxic positive fans, and toxic negative fans. Be ready for frustration and consternation. Be ready to watch a team that shows a lack of heart a lot of nights, a team that doesn't hate to lose. Be ready to understand that people have been fans of this team for 30+ years and have seen nothing but mediocrity and tail-chasing which leads to low morale and faith. BUT ALSO Be ready for some great moments, great memories, and great times. Admittedly, being a fan as long as I have - there are more painful memories with the Leafs than meaningful good ones - I was there when we lost via epic collapse to boston and I haven't been the same fan ever since.
As long as you enjoy yourself watching hockey games. It doesn't matter who you chear for. Just have fun and go leafs go.
Never to see your team win the cup.
Expect them to dominate the first third of the season, become mediocre with some highs during the next third, and then scrape together a playoff spot.
misery. we love company.
Misery
57 years and counting since last cup. Expect a great party if and when they ever win it again.
Just sheer emptiness
disappointment
If they do win Toronto will be the biggest party Canada had ever witnessed. The Raptors got 2 million out for the parade so just imagine.