Several Teams Take Shots at the Maple Leafs in Schedule Release Videos
Many NHL teams decided to take a shot at the Toronto Maple Leafs when they announced the release of their respective 2025-26 regular season schedules.
For the first time, the NHL organized a league-wide schedule unveiling, which allowed teams to get very creative, and, for most, to poke fun at the Toronto Maple Leafs, which is definitely becoming the norm around the league nowadays.
The Boston Bruins brought in comedian Bill Burr to announce their schedule from inside of a hotel room, naming Toronto an early opponent in what was deemed a very casual manner.
"Awww, it's the Toronto Maple Leafs. Are they still doing it this year?" he asked. "Every year, they give it a try. Every year the Toronto Maple Leafs remind us that you're not too old to try. You know they're going to sign a bunch of free agents. That's what they do every year. Every offseason. Putting rims on a Prius".
Buffalo named each team a chicken wing flavor, dubbing the Leafs a "choking hazard."
Calgary's Ryan Lomberg, who was disguised as Rambo, walked barefoot in a pile of maple leaves.
Columbus went full 'Jackass' movie mode, covering a player in maple syrup and leaves.
Dallas got kids to draw team logos in crayon; the Maple Leafs' drawing was mysteriously absent.
Detroit dropped their schedule in a Motown-style video, putting the Leafs into a bubble hockey game.
Florida showed the "Florida Man" meme on a fake search engine, "Panthoogle," mocking the Leafs with a very strange headline.
The Kings decided to use the 'Almost Friday' comedy troupe, sarcastically arguing about playing against Toronto after their game the night before vs. the Ottawa Senators.
Minnesota absolutely destroyed a bunch of team-branded merchandise with a sledgehammer; blue glitter-infused maple syrup represented the Leafs.
Philly provided a brief slideshow of Gritty punching fans wearing opposing jerseys, the Leafs included.
Seattle mascot Buoy punched out a cardboard cutout of Paul Bissonnette wearing a Leafs jersey.
Vancouver's EA Sports-themed video featured a gamer grimacing when Toronto showed up in a "January pack".
Winnipeg might have done the most. One video showcased their play-by-play announcer, Paul Edmond, reading the entire schedule for 15 minutes straight.
The second reminded us of an old locker room celebration after a win over Toronto, complete with a cameo by Steve Dangle.
There were playful teams, and there were ruthless ones. But one thing is certain: no club evokes more responses than the Maple Leafs.
The upcoming season is going to be a good one, and the Leafs will no doubt be playing with a chip on their shoulder every night against these clubs.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 17|488 ANSWERS Several Teams Take Shots at the Maple Leafs in Schedule Release Videos Are the Maple Leafs the most hated team in the NHL? | ||
| Yes | 316 | 64.8 % |
| No | 172 | 35.2 % |
| List of polls | ||