Copying the Canucks? Leafs are handing out a WWE belt to their player of the game
The Toronto Maple Leafs are starting a new tradition this season.
First shown to the public on Saturday, the Leafs are awarding a wrestling championship belt to their player of the game in the team’s locker room after each win.
“[Morgan Rielly] got it from WWE in Scotiabank [Arena] a couple years ago,” star forward Mitch Marner said on Sunday night. “It just came up this year. It’s a cool way to recognize someone for their efforts in a game. We thought it was deserving and kind of something we should do.”
Justin Holl received the belt on Saturday night’s 2-1 win over the Boston Bruins, while goaltender Erik Källgren picked it up on Sunday after topping the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1.
Game 12
The Leaf: Blueprint Moment pic.twitter.com/zT5QwLyRwN
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) November 6, 2022
“It’s a cool gift to us, it’s a cool kind of thing we’ve got going on,” Marner added.
“The game is going to require some patience,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said of how the team will have to play in front of Källgren with a slew of goalie injuries. “We are going to have to be persistent, find our way through, and not let the game get away on us. Kallgren did a good job of helping us with that.”
But Vancouver Canucks fans might actually take some issue with it. Last season, Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau implemented the belt tradition into his locker room following wins.
“One of the things I’ve thought for a long time is that we.. didn’t have anything to bring us together after a big win,” Boudreau said back in February. “So I went out online, got something that I’d like to start. Whoever gets it, has gotta say a little something, and then he’ll hang it in his stall until we win the next game.”
Maybe it’s not a completely original idea. But it is something.
The Leafs and Canucks face off this Saturday in Toronto. Maybe the winner of that match can get the Intercontinental championship belt.
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