Fans in Maple Leaf Square react during first period NHL Stanley Cup playoff hockey action between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Tampa Bay Lightning in Toronto on Thursday, April 27, 2023. Some Toronto bar owners say they are anticipating another day of chaotic excitement on Tuesday as the Maple Leafs begin their second round series on home ice against the Florida Panthers.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
Fans in Maple Leaf Square react during first period NHL Stanley Cup playoff hockey action between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Tampa Bay Lightning in Toronto on Thursday, April 27, 2023. Some Toronto bar owners say they are anticipating another day of chaotic excitement on Tuesday as the Maple Leafs begin their second round series on home ice against the Florida Panthers.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
JCOTORONTO - Bar owners in Toronto say they're anticipating jubilant crowds as the Toronto Maple Leafs begin their second-round NHL playoff series against Florida on Tuesday.
Christopher Murie, the owner of The Dizzy Pub, says business has been booming since the playoffs began.
"We had record-breaking and the best sales for two weeks in a row since we shut down in the beginning of COVID" said Murie, who added he also "bleeds blue."
Murie says there was an explosion of excitement when the Leafs clinched their first playoff-series victory in 19 years on Saturday, and he expects fans to be buzzing as the second round begins on home ice against the Florida Panthers.
"Something has changed this year. There's something in the air. Saturday was so crazy that I thought the roof was gonna blow off of this place," he said.
He said the last time he saw such large crowds in the city was in 2019, when the Toronto Raptors defeated the Golden State Warriors and won their first NBA Championship.
In preparation for tomorrow, he said he has ordered more food and beer for hockey fans.
Along with Murie, Igor Medvetsky, the owner of The Right Wing ¹ú²úÓÕ»ó¸£Àû Pub, says he has been turning away dozens of customers on game nights because of how busy his bar has been.
"The first few weeks, we were full but by Game 3 and Game 4, we probably turned down at least like 200 people a night, which we never ever had to do," he said.
He said for Tuesday's game, he has doubled his staff, added 15 more TVs in the bar, and ordered plenty of food and drinks.
People who cannot find a seat at his bar can flow into one of the other five or six bars on the same street to watch the game, even though not all of them are sports bars, he said.
Maple Leaf ¹ú²úÓÕ»ó¸£Àû and Entertainment said in a statement said it is expanding its tailgate parties "to include an additional viewing zone, allowing more Maple Leafs fans to catch the excitement of both home and away games in Maple Leafs Square," a viewing area in downtown Toronto.
"Fans will enjoy two additional big screens to witness the on-stage programming as well as all the game action," the statement added.
Toronto police say there will be more officers patrolling the streets because of large crowds on game days.
"There will be road restrictions in effect so people should make plans to travel safely to and from the games, and also when moving around the area," said police spokesperson Victor Kwong.
"Have fun and stay safe. Go Leafs!"
The Leafs will host Game 1 and Thursday's Game 2 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto before the series shifts to Florida.
This report by ¹ú²úÓÕ»ó¸£Àû was first published May 1, 2023.
¹ú²úÓÕ»ó¸£Àû. All rights reserved.
For many Indigenous communities, access to financial services and economic opportu…
Trust in international money transfers has long been tied to physical places: a ba…
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Tax: | |
| Today's total: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
