Toronto Maple Leafs

[2014olympicgold]

Kids around that age always pick recent champions as their favourite team.

I think he liked Quick if I remember correctly too.

[Eskimo Brother]

Kids around that age always pick recent champions as their favourite team.

If it's not the local team, early fandom usually comes from either going with the championship team, or following a specific player. That's how I ended up with Nashville was because of Paul Kariya.

[Mr. Guru]

If it's not the local team, early fandom usually comes from either going with the championship team, or following a specific player. That's how I ended up with Nashville was because of Paul Kariya.

How the hell are you not a Mighty Ducks fan!?

[Eskimo Brother]

How the hell are you not a Mighty Ducks fan!?

That's when I started watching hockey. I was 9 and followed the '03 Ducks run to the finals with Giguere and Kariya. Followed Kariya to Colorado where he didn't play the full season. Lockout. Followed him to Nashville where he had two full, productive seasons, and while watching him and the team, couldn't stop following the Preds when he left. Fell in love with Timonen as a player, and watch Weber blossom before my eyes (as a defenceman myself - those two were fun to watch). When Kariya left, I kept on Weber until Weber got traded to MTL. And now the Josi avatar

I also grew up in the GTA though, and it's impossible not to follow the Leafs at the same time.

[DusterDave]

If it's not the local team, early fandom usually comes from either going with the championship team, or following a specific player. That's how I ended up with Nashville was because of Paul Kariya.

Yep, I was the same. My favourite player as a kid was Ed Belfour and so my favourite team was the Blackhawks. But I can’t say I really watched hockey back then. I collected hockey cards (mainly Belfour cards specifically) and played road hockey everyday - I’d be the kid throwing on the pads pretending to be Eddie The Eagle! But when I was old enough to actually watch full games and be passionate about it I found myself watching the local team and thus, a love affair was born. And it would happen that everything would come full circle and Belfour would sign in Toronto. A day I’ll never forget.

Now, back to the Leafs...

[Mr. Guru]

Fav player growing up was Bure, but still only Leafs fan

[DusterDave]

Fav player growing up was Bure, but still only Leafs fan

This could actually make for an interesting thread. It’ll give away our age though! Haha

[hockeyrobot]

If it's not the local team, early fandom usually comes from either going with the championship team, or following a specific player. That's how I ended up with Nashville was because of Paul Kariya.

My fandom came because my frigging babysitter loved the Wings and was over in 93 during the Leafs series. So I just copied him haha. Turns out he was on to something and thank god for that.

[2014olympicgold]

I was never a goalie in ice hockey, but I always wanted to be one. I would play goalie in gym class for any sport, road hockey I was goalie, I just loved it. I would have a baseball hat in my one hand, and a mini-goalie stick in the other and hit a rubber bouncy ball against the wall and try and save it coming back at me. However, I didn't get glasses till I was about 14, and contacts till 17, so I was never good unless the shot was really close up. So I was a big fan of hockey goalies. And it was Cujo who I loved. I was a big fan of Belfour too. They were the guys I watched when watching the Leafs. But if they weren't playing, it was all about Sundin for me.

[Mr. Guru]

I was never a goalie in ice hockey, but I always wanted to be one. I would play goalie in gym class for any sport, road hockey I was goalie, I just loved it. I would have a baseball hat in my one hand, and a mini-goalie stick in the other and hit a rubber bouncy ball against the wall and try and save it coming back at me. However, I didn't get glasses till I was about 14, and contacts till 17, so I was never good unless the shot was really close up. So I was a big fan of hockey goalies. And it was Cujo who I loved. I was a big fan of Belfour too. They were the guys I watched when watching the Leafs. But if they weren't playing, it was all about Sundin for me.

This reminds me of when I went to go play paintball for the first time and realized I needed glasses.

[DusterDave]

The morning after Game 7 of the Cup Final seems like the type of day the Leafs might announce something.

[DusterDave]

The morning after Game 7 of the Cup Final seems like the type of day the Leafs might announce something.

The morning after the Raptors win the championship maybe be better suited for the Leafs to announce the Zaitsev trade.

[ericdaoust]

Signing Tavares really did bring a championship to Toronto!

[DusterDave]

Signing Tavares really did bring a championship to Toronto!

Max Domi, is that you?

[Auston'sWilly]

Seems like Dubas is, for whatever reason, interested in playing chicken again. Everybody (except him) seems to know that he's the chicken.

If you sit at the table and don't spot the fish within 5 minutes, you're the fish.