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Toronto Star
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Star
I used to love watching Leafs games in Florida. But after a dark turn at the Panthers' arena, I don't think I can go back
'Hey, welcome back. Are you the 51st state, yet?' My feet hadn't even touched the ground of my driveway. That was the greeting I received from a neighbour on Day 1 of my annual trip to Florida. Game four of the second round and I was determined to fly the Leafs colours and drive the two-hour, mind-numbing, high-speed straightway to Sunrise, Fla., on a highway appropriately named Alligator Alley. I arrived at Amerant Bank Arena to find a sea of Florida Panther red jerseys and the atmosphere on the walk from my car to the arena was great; there was no trash talk because I assumed they're used to seeing Leaf fans at their home games. This game was no different. Or was it? I was wearing my Leafs jersey (of course) as I settled in to my seat behind the Florida net for the first period, just eight rows from the ice — but I wasn't in Kansas anymore, or Scotiabank Arena for that matter. Stephen Grant's view of Joseph Woll in net for the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Toronto-Florida playoff game earlier this week in Sunrise, Fla. Stephen Grant photo Back home I would have been surrounded by Bay Street suits entertaining clients, but here my section was full of 'real' hockey fans, most in their 30s, swigging beer, dancing to the pre-game tunes blasted on the speakers and generally preparing for three hours of 'rock 'em, sock 'em' hockey. How great is this? The mood change was swift. It started during our national anthem when halfway through the second verse some leather lung 'fan' shouted out '51st state.' At least they didn't boo our anthem, I guess. Nobody enjoys a good heckle more than me. As I lifelong Toronto sports fan I've been taunted by Hamilton Ticat fans at their home games. I've been jeered at Fenway by Red Sox fans and got an earful full from Yankee fans in New York. I understand it and expect it. You pay your money, you should be able to express yourself. I almost bit through my lip in the first period as the woman behind me entertained the children in the section by shrieking vulgarities in between screams of 'north 51!' Again, I understand fans are passionate, but as the beer continued to flow through the second and third period it was getting ugly. I texted my wife and told her what was going on and I recognized the fact that I had to remain calm, or I was going to get into a fight and I'm a Leaf lover not a fighter. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW It was almost predictable when the Leafs lost, but I wasn't prepared for the reaction from the 'fans.' A 'gentleman' two rows in front of me was recording the cheering with his cellphone when he locked eyes with me. I stared right back at him only to have him take his thumb in draw it across his neck to simulate (I can only guess) slitting someone's throat. Stephen Grant in Florida, where he frequently vacations. 'As I left the arena for the long walk to my car, the chants of 'F*ck Canada' and 'Go home, Canada' reverberated from the open car windows of 'fans.' I was disappointed my team lost, but I was confused and hurt by the notion that I don't think I can come back to this arena again,' Grant writes. Stephen Grant photo Of course there was the standard U-S-A, U-S-A chants, which I never understand, but the 'go home Canada' and 'F*ck Canada' chants were particularly disappointing. I wanted to ask one of these so-called hockey fans what their issue was with our country? They live in Florida, surely they have come in contact with Canadians at some point in their lives. What did we do to have them suddenly despise us so much? As I left the arena for the long walk to my car, the chants of 'F*ck Canada' and 'Go home, Canada' reverberated from the open car windows of 'fans.' I was disappointed my team lost, but I was confused and hurt by the notion that I don't think I can come back to this arena again. I've got another couple of weeks down here and I'll be joined by one of my golf buddies next week but I'm afraid this might be my last trip down south for a while.
Toronto Sun
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
RICK VAIVE: Two cagey Stanley Cup coaches enliven this series
Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice reacts during the second period in Game 3 of a second-round NHL playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs on May 9, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. Photo by Marta Lavandier / The Associated Press We've seen three one-goal games in this Toronto-Florida series, which is pretty amazing on its own. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account But I've also enjoyed watching what's happening behind both benches. Paul Maurice of the Panthers started Game 3 with an entirely new fourth line, A.J. Greer, Tomas Nosek and Jonah Gadjovich. Who does that? Two of them hadn't been in a playoff game halfway through the second round. I guess a guy who has won the Stanley Cup does it. Craig Berube, who also has a Cup, keeps impressing me, too. We've rarely seen a Leaf playoff team that comes out so prepared so early in games and scores in the first minute of play. And they're never out of a game, even when behind or if the other team scores what looks like a backbreaker goal. They either rally right away or patiently chip away. You look at the Leafs bench when they're in crisis and Berube looks so calm. A credit to him because that rubs off on all, though I sometimes laugh when I recall he wasn't exactly behaving like that as a player in his fighting days. That must have been hard for him to adjust when he began his coaching career. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He has shored up the team's defence and come up with two really good third and fourth lines. That should give fans lots of confidence as this goes forward. It would have been great for the Leafs to be up 3-0 a second time in these playoffs, but I go back to an earlier column about the goal of getting a split in Florida this week. The game Friday was an overtime loss, where the Leafs at least came back. I certainly feel for a guy such as Morgan Rielly, who has been a long-time Leaf waiting for a playoff run like this, yet everyone was talking about those two goals going in off him. I noticed the great defensive plays he made to save goals, but hell, bad bounces are part of hockey – and the playoffs. Joseph Woll is still playing well enough in net after Anthony Stolarz was hurt, but he's letting in more goals than usual and that long one that Nosek shot and went in off Gadjovich hurt. Then there's Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, looking like he's in trouble at the start of each game, who makes those late clutch saves on William Nylander and Matthew Knies. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. We're also seeing some Leafs shooters such as Auston Matthews fire wide on power play and even strength. It's unthinkable that Matthews has missed as many as he has, considering the kind of scorer he is. But Maurice did have last line change against him in Game 3 and there's the counterpoint that Matthews has done well defensively. He was a little lower on faceoffs, 17-17, but the Leafs still came out ahead on draws overall. The Maple Leafs just have to steer clear of the crap that Florida keeps trying. Brad Marchand is a leopard (Panther?) who never changes his spots. But he still knows how to score a big goal against Toronto, as we saw Friday. The Leafs just have to keep thinking they can still put Florida on the ropes with another good game, and maybe one more good bounce. The Toronto Sun welcomes former Maple Leafs captain and three-time 50-goal scorer Rick Vaive to our 2025 playoff coverage. He played 16 NHL and WHA seasons and is the author of 'Catch 22: My Battles in Hockey and Life.' He can be heard on Squid and The Ultimate Leafs Fan podcast with Mike Wilson and special guests. Read More Editorial Cartoons Toronto & GTA Columnists Toronto & GTA Columnists
