When I first attended an NHL game in Toronto years ago and stood in a long concessions line only to learn they did not sell beer, that is the excuse I gave the Toronto Maple Leafs fans for sitting on their hands most of the game. Appears that decades later with the team selling brews and the fans jam-packing the arena, not much has changed.
Toronto has a solid fan base, no doubt, but players like Joffrey Lupul are speaking out about their lack of response and home support.
In fact, Lupul went as far as to say going to Detroit or Buffalo is nice because the cheers and vocal support they get on those road games exceeds a jam-packed arena north of the border back home.
“It’s fun, again it’s probably a better energy than we get back in Toronto,” Lupul said after a recent loss in Detroit at Joe Louis Arena.
It’s nice when we’re here or Buffalo or places like that when a lot of our fans come out.
Are Leafs fans gonna single Lupul out?
Nope. Not when other players like James van Riemsdyk are jumping on the same wagon.. Van Riemsdyk described the support as “the best fan support they’ve had all season.”
Leafs fans may just be a little impatient since they haven’t won a Stanley Cup for more than a half of century dating back to 1967. They may be sitting on their hands thinking, “Show me the money!”