Leafs fans had an awkward reaction in the arena before season debut against Canadiens
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Leafs fans reportedly booed the Canadiens louder than they cheered their own team before Gavin McKenna's NHL debut, and Montreal won 3-2.
Opening night in Toronto got awkward before the puck even dropped.
During player introductions at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday, Maple Leafs fans reportedly saved their loudest noise for the visiting Montreal Canadiens, and it wasn't cheering.
According to a hockey account on X, the boos aimed at the Canadiens as they came out for introductions were louder than the cheers for Toronto's own players.
Habs fans loved it.
Booing Montreal is nothing new in this rivalry, and it's usually part of the fun.
But drowning out your own team during a ceremony meant to celebrate a fresh season is a strange look, especially with so many new faces on the ice.
Gavin McKenna was making his NHL debut, and Kirill Marchenko and Sergei Bobrovsky were also playing their first games as Leafs.
Montreal ruined the party
The Canadiens made Toronto pay for the noise.
William Nylander scored 48 seconds in for the first goal of the 2026-27 NHL season, but Josh Anderson, Zachary Bolduc and Alexandre Carrier answered for Montreal.
Nylander added a second late, yet the Leafs couldn't find the equalizer and lost 3-2.
It was Toronto's first home opener loss of the Auston Matthews era.
The Leafs had won all 10 home openers since he arrived in 2016-17. Jakub Dobes stopped 26 of 28 shots for the Canadiens, while McKenna finished with one shot and no points.
A restless crowd in Toronto
Last spring, Montreal made the Eastern Conference Final while the Leafs missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
That kind of gap tends to leave a fan base frustrated, and opening night gave everyone a chance to show it.
Toronto can reset quickly, hosting the Islanders on Wednesday.
Whether the building sounds friendlier toward its own guys is the next thing to watch.
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