A life long Leafs fan here. One of my second cousins, Mike Bunting played for the Leafs for 3 seasons, then was traded to the Hurricanes this off season. Of the 22 players on the current Leafs roster, 11 of them were born in Ontario, and a further 3 are from Alberta. Some of that is chance, but some of it has to do with the huge number of great players who come up through the ranks in the Ontario Hockey League Junior A system. Seven current Leafs players were team Captains in the OHL Junior A league.
Second generation Leafs players this year include William Nylander, and Max Domi. The kid from the desert, Austin Mathews is off to a great start, and in his first 2 regular season 2023 games, he scored a pair of hat tricks. Who says you can't play defense at age 40, and be the fittest guy on the team? That is Mark Giordano. Mathews and Mitch Marner share the lead with the most ice time minutes per game in the NHL. Woll in net has the best save percentage so far this season, stopping 67 out of 71 shots .
Playing hockey in Toronto is tough. The biggest city in Canada, with the most media attention, and the fan base is well educated about the game. Leafs season tickets are often a part of an estate settlement, when a ticket holder dies. With five professional sports teams in Toronto, each one has it's own fan base. Blue Jays, CFL Argos, Leafs, NBA Raptors, and Major League Soccer Toronto F.C. Add the Leaf's AHL farm team , the Marlies, and the Pro Lacrosse Toronto Rock, and the city has sports every night of the year, of some kind.
This year, 2023 , is the 150th Anniversary of the Toronto Argos football team, first started in 1873. Yep, a century and half of football history in Toronto. The CFL championship trophy, the Grey Cup was first awarded in 1909, so this is the 114th year for it. The Argos season so far is 15 and one. Not bad eh ? They will be the eastern conference team playing Winnipeg in the cup final. Go Argos.
JImB.
