SportsHockeyMaple Leafs

A pair of lucky Leafs fans got to watch the team in a mostly empty arena

Adam Laskaris
Adam Laskaris
|
Jan 2 2022, 11:01 pm
A pair of lucky Leafs fans got to watch the team in a mostly empty arena

With the Toronto Maple Leafs fans returning to action yesterday, most fans were forced to watch the game on their couches due to new COVID-19 related capacity restrictions.

With Scotiabank Arena limited to a capacity of 1,000 including arena and team staff, no traditional tickets were handed out for Toronto’s 6-0 win over the Ottawa Senators.

But a pair of lucky Leafs fans got to watch the team in a mostly empty Scotiabank Arena thanks to MLSE.

Kurtis Stevenson, a Leafs fan from Alberta who had his tickets to three games in Toronto cancelled when the capacity restrictions were introduced earlier this month, posted a video on Twitter sharing his disappointment.

With a non-refundable airfare and Airbnb, Stevenson was gutted that he wouldn’t be able to catch the Leafs play in person on his first trip to Scotiabank Arena.

Word eventually got out to MLSE Vice President of Communications Dave Haggith, who hooked Stevenson up with a suite for the game to watch as a guest of the team.

When Stevenson originally posted the video, games in Toronto were still planned to go ahead at 50% capacity. But it looks like, despite fan numbers being virtually zero, MLSE still kept their promise to Stevenson.

Stevenson was joined byĀ Jason Maskalow, better known as “Dart Guy,” after a picture of his face-paint and cigarette went viral during the 2017 playoffs.

Stevenson had a few blips along the way, including a cancelled flight the day before the game. But it all worked out, with Stevenson having a smile on his face the whole way.

Although Monday’s Leafs game against Carolina has been postponed, it sounds like Stevenson will be in attendance once again on Wednesday night. If you hear anyone cheering on TV, it’s probably him.

ADVERTISEMENT