Leafs fans are bidding thousands of dollars for Indigenous Celebration Game jerseys

The Toronto Maple Leafs have never been a fanbase shy to spend extreme amounts of money to support their team.

But at least their latest spending spree is going towards a great cause, with the team holding a silent auction for their jerseys used in warmup prior to their Indigenous Celebration Game on Saturday night.

23 players’ jerseys are available to bid on through the auction run through RealSports Apparel, as well as five pucks used in the game’s warmup.

Our Indigenous Celebration Game jersey auction is open!

100% of proceeds will be donated to Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre » https://t.co/RZsPqOorsY pic.twitter.com/o5h2LlRalX

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) January 8, 2023

In addition to being used by the players, the one-of-a-kind jerseys are also signed by the respective player.

100% of the proceeds from the auction will be donated to Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre, with Leafs fans already driving up the prices in the auction’s first 24 hours.

At press time, Auston Matthews’ jersey was selling for a high bid of $10,015.

Four other players: Mitch Marner, John Tavares, William Nylander, and Morgan Rielly, have topped over $2,500.

The jerseys are adorned with a special “Tkaronto Maple Leafs” logo that pays homage to the Mohawk word that inspired the City of Toronto’s name.

Tyler Tabobondung Rushnell, a 23 year-old Anishinaabe artist from Wasauksing First Nation near Parry Sound, designed the jersey, introduced earlier this week.

“I took inspiration from my culture, the Ojibwe people and the Anishinaabe. Thunderbird represents strength and being able to talk to the creator in a good way,” Rushnell said in a video posted by the Leafs about his design process.

Toronto defeated Detroit 4-1 on Saturday night in the Indigenous Celebration Game, before beating Philadelphia 6-2 on Sunday.

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