The Indomitable Human Spirit: Toronto Maple Leafs Fans

By Parnia Raghibizadeh

Opinions Editor

From the first pre-season puck drop to the final Game 7 fumble, Leafs fans' “this year is our year” chants echo through the often questionable power plays of an often questionable team. Extending their record- breaking 56-year cup drought last season, the Toronto Maple Leafs have returned bigger and better. Added to their equipment this year is the $400 magical amulet protecting newly demoted Assistant Captain Tavares from “harmful electromagnetic radiation.”

Between exorbitant nosebleed ticket prices and games distributed between countless streaming platforms, watching the Leafs lose in Boston is as expensive as ever. And yet, the fans are willing to pay. The fans are willing to cheer. The fans are willing to be let down yet again. Every year Leafs fans grasp onto the fleeting excitement of a game where the core four almost live up to their salaries. But this bliss is almost instantly lost to the emotional whiplash of a multi-game losing streak. Leafs fan disappointment is nearly set to join life’s only other consistencies; death and taxes. Although each three-game win-streak push of the Toronto Maple Leafs boulder seems to crash back down the mountain at the hands of the league’s worst teams, Leafs fans unite yearly to watch the playoff run trainwreck. Their annual first- round choke is a longtime Toronto tradition. The fanbase-wide delusion spell is a beacon of the Leafs community. The constant emotional turmoil of being a believer brings a sense of solidarity to downtrodden fans, who are left with nothing to turn to but each other.

But what if this season really is different? What if the Leafs’ Stanley cup drought is approaching its close? With a new coach, a new captain, two relatively reliable goalies (although an uninjured Woll is starting to seem as unlikely as the Leafs bringing it home), and the amulet, all signs point to ordering the rings and planning the parade. 2025: the year the Leafs bring home the cup, because it has to happen eventually.