Panthers fans still trolling Leafs with "We want Florida" chants

A set of Toronto Maple Leafs fans might be regretting the Pandora’s box they opened last spring – and Florida Panthers fans aren’t letting them forget it.

Last spring after eliminating the Tampa Bay Lightning, a set of Toronto Maple Leafs fans stationed outside Scotiabank Arena in the area known as Maple Leaf Square were seen chanting “We want Florida!” in anticipation of a second-round matchup against the Panthers.

Florida, of course, then went on to beat the Leafs four wins to one once the matchup was set, and kept up the “We want Florida!” trolls throughout the series, and the official Panthers team store even sold a shirt with the slogan.

So when the Panthers ended their regular season with a 5-2 win over the Leafs last night, Panthers fans were sure to revisit the chants from last year once again.

Florida Panthers fans were chanting "We want Florida" towards the end of their 5-2 win against Toronto. 😆 pic.twitter.com/cSR5QYXsAm

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 17, 2024

The context for the original video was mostly lost – plenty of fans were also seen chanting “We want Boston!” though those videos were far less widespread than the Panthers dig once Toronto’s series against Florida was set up.

At the time of the original chant, Florida and the Boston Bruins were one day away from their Game 7 matchup following Toronto’s win.

Either way, the Panthers shrugged off pretty much all the doubters, going all the way to the Stanley Cup final last season before falling to the Vegas Golden Knights.

And nearly 12 months on from those first chants from a few Leafs fans celebrating a big win, it seems that it’s remained a rallying cry for one of their opponents.

In any case, the Leafs won’t be playing the Florida Panthers in the playoffs, at least not yet. By way of the Panthers’ win last night, and the Bruins falling to the Ottawa Senators, Toronto will be taking on Boston once again. It’s the first playoff matchup between Toronto and Boston since 2019, with the Bruins getting the best of Toronto in each of the last three times they have met in the postseason, dating back to 2013.

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