Seemingly unchastened by the experience of acquiring Jesperi Kotkaniemi, the Carolina Hurricanes are once again looking north of the border for a distressed asset: Toronto Maple Leafs fans.
Ahead of their Eastern Conference final matchup with the Montreal Canadiens, the Hurricanes announced on X that they were “welcoming all Leafs fans with open arms.”
welcoming all Leafs fans with open arms
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) May 19, 2026
Rooting for a team in the Eastern Conference final would be a novel experience for Toronto fans, who last saw their team reach that stage in 2002 — years before Montreal Canadiens rookie Ivan Demidov was even born. (Incidentally, the Leafs were eliminated by the Hurricanes that year.)
This is somehow not the first time this post-season that an American market has sought to woo the playoff-starved hockey fans of southern Ontario.
During the Sabres’ second-round series against the Habs, Buffalo’s tourist agency put up billboards encouraging fans from north of the border to come visit.
To be fair, the Canadiens enjoyed visiting Buffalo — especially in Game 7.
So now, with or without the support of Leafs fans, the Canadiens will play Game 1 in Carolina on Thursday night.
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