º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍø

“We’re going all the way,” said Leafs fan Matthew Reynolds, who had a blue leaf painted on his cheek. “This year, it’s different.”

An hour before puck drop, Maple Leaf Square was flooded with hundreds of supporters ready to put five decades of disappointment behind them. Amongst a crowd of blue and white jerseys, flags and painted faces, the consensus was clear: “It’s coming home,” Reynolds said.

Nineteen-year-old Austin Keenan shared Reynold’s belief.

“I’ve never felt this level of passion, confidence or energy,” Keenan said.

For Keenan, who says his father ordained him a fan at birth, loving the Leafs hasn’t always been easy. In the two decades he’s been an avid supporter, the Stanley Cup has remained out of reach. The Leafs haven’t taken home the Cup since 1967.

“It’s hard, man — I’ve been a Leafs fan since I came out of the womb,” he said, “and as my dad always told me, it’s the hardest job in the world.”

But now, on the brink of another post-season, Keenan has found hope once again.

“I can feel it in the city — it’s the symbol, it’s the city, it’s the team — it’s also always a bit of delusion.”

Two goals scored in the first period drew roars from the crowd. A sea of towels waved overhead. The fog machines whirred. Strobe lights flickered.

“This is it!” a man amongst the crowd yelled, spilling his beer on a woman too immersed in her own celebration to notice. “This is our year!”

“I’ve been a Leafs fan my whole life,” Thomas Kroft said after the first period. “This was a well-earned effort. It was a great first period, I appreciated the physicality.”

When asked if he believed the Cup was in grasp this year, Kroft didn’t hesitate: “Oh definitely,” he said. “We have the easiest path we’ve ever had, the best coaching, the most well-rounded team.”

“Everyone’s hot this year — it’s coming home for sure.”

As º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøcontinued to rack up goals — two more in the second period and another two in the third — the energy surged. At the end of the third period, with º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøsecuring a 6-2 lead, the crowd reached a fever pitch.

Those who’d been sitting were now on their feet. The chants grew louder. A few fans shed tears. Strangers hugged.

For Kayla Murial, the victory came with emotion.

“Every year, I feel this way — like this is really going to be the year they win,” Murial said, “and I know it’s silly, but right now, after that, I’d be lying if I say I didn’t believe all over again.”

“What’s the point of loving a team like the Leafs, if you can’t hold out hope?” 

The Leafs will face the Senators for Game 2 of their best-of-seven, first-round series on Tuesday.

The Battle of Ontario then shifts to Ottawa for Games 3 and 4 on Thursday, April 24 and Saturday, April 26. Games 5, 6 and 7, if necessary, will be on Tuesday, April 29, Thursday, May 1 and Saturday, May 3, respectively.

With files from Kristjan Lautens.

Correction - April 22, 2025

This article was updated from a previous version that mistakenly said The Leafs haven’t taken home the Stanley Cup since 1957. In fact, the last win was in 1967.