[Matthew Tkachuk] Leafs would be unbelievable if the team wasn't in Toronto

[RevengeOfTheDrai]

During an appearance on the Spittin' Chiclets podcast, Tkachuk acknowledged Toronto's high-pressure environment and just how much pressure the Toronto players face:

["Sometimes you feel bad for [the Maple Leafs] because they have some unbelievable players and a great team. I was actually saying this last night to some of the guys, if their team was not in Toronto dealing with all the crazy circus stuff outside of it, they'd be an unbelievable team and such a hard team to play. They just have so much to deal with and I feel bad. We don't have to deal with that in Florida, I feel like that's what makes me and my team so lucky,"] Tkachuk said.

Thoughts on Toronto's intense media and fan environment obstructing team success and player performance? Could you see the city’s toxic, difficult environment to play in being part of the reason for Toronto's early playoff exits?. Personally, I don't buy the excuse, but Tkachuk bringing it up shows how the players are aware of the pressure cooker that is Toronto.

Sports Illustrated link to quote

 

[TD Charlie]

With all due respect. f*** off with this.

I’m a Bruins fan, so I have no problem laughing at torontos pain here. This is entirely on the players, as it always is

 

[avocadosmoothie]

no dawgs

 

[JianYang]

He might feel lucky playing in Florida environment, but it doesn't explain the game 7 failure rate in Toronto.

The Habs are 6-1 in game 7s since 2000. Should they not be 0-7 too?

 

[TheOrganist]

Is this like some calculated thing from Florida? It’s pretty lame.

 

[The Burdened]

feels like a player from a sunbelt no fan team gaslighting passionate fanbases
tkachuk is a next level troll

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

With all due respect. f*** off with this.

I’m a Bruins fan, so I have no problem laughing at torontos pain here. This is entirely on the players, as it always is

Agree 100%, except I would also add the Toronto press as part of the blame.

Was the dreaded 4 Nations fans also so toxic which to explain why AM came up small in that tournament as well?

 

[RevengeOfTheDrai]

Is this like some calculated thing from Florida? It’s pretty lame.

It gives off "good try, you guys are going to be super scary next year!" vibes

 

[Galactico]

Plenty of teams in other sports in major markets with high media scrunity and with a passionate fanbase win and don’t always crumble under pressure (Real Madrid, Barcelona, LA Lakers, Celtics, Red Sox, etc.).

Poor excuse for underperforming.

 

[AnInjuredJasonZucker]

The guy who put up 3 points in the finals sympathizes with players who wilt under pressure? Good thing his teammates didn't think like that.

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

People don't want to acknowledge it, but there's a lot of truth to this. Chris Johnston just talked about today how Mitch Marner has been harassed multiple times throughout the years and he was harassed last night after the game by fans as well. There were Leaf fans making threats against his newborn son on Twitter.



This is not normal behavior. There are other fanbases with passionate fanbases that are hard on their players, but you're never going to see them throw beer at their own players and try to do stuff to them off ice. Toronto is different because their fanbase has a pretty deep resentment for their own team due to the repeated failures of the franchise. It's a more toxic and negative passion than say a Montreal where they mostly have high standards due to their pride. There's a harshness and brutality to Toronto due to the self-loathing fanbase and media.

 

[nucks88]

Still butthurt after the 4Nations…….wait until the US fails to win an Olympic gold yet again……lol……

 

[Gregor Samsa]

It’s on the players but the media and fans helped snowball it into an almost self fulfilling prophecy. At a certain point the choker label became too entrenched to shake and the players heard it often. They didn’t do anything to shake that label but I’m sure it isn’t a great place to be mentally

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

Plenty of teams in other sports in major markets with high media scrunity and with a passionate fanbase win and don’t always crumble under pressure (Real Madrid, Barcelona, LA Lakers, Celtics, Red Sox, etc.).

Poor excuse for underperforming.

None of those teams have a storied history and culture of losing that has created a fanbase that has massive resentment towards their own team.

 

[winnipegger]

Yeah no. It's the hockey mecca. They have so many fans they take over others arenas. Give this market one deep playoff run and it all goes away. They are sick and tired of believing in their guys and then getting punched in the dick. Don't feel sorry for the highest paid players in the league whatsoever. These guys played hardball to get those contacts.

 

[Frank Drebin]

Is this like some calculated thing from Florida? It’s pretty lame.

Its very embarrassing for both sides

 

[PlushMinus]

I think he just wants to be nice because there was a lot of respect shown in the handshake line after the game last night

 

[Coffee]

no dawgs

Except you and me

 

[TheDoldrums]

This is why teams like the New York Yankees
and Philadelphia Eagles never win anything. It’s simply impossible for big market teams with rabid and demanding fanbases to perform!

Leafs fans should be grateful for getting to witness their team constantly mentally checking out of the biggest games and politely clap from the leagues most expensive seats.

 

[hamzarocks]

None of those teams have a storied history and culture of losing that has created a fanbase that has massive resentment towards their own team.

The culture of losing is created by the players and no one paying to watch them

The fantasy has massive resentment towards the entitlement, underperformance and overpayment requested by the core players here.

No one was hating on these guys until they kept breaking boundaries for contracts and kept failing to keep the play expected for their high AAVs.

If you want to make 11-13M in the current day NHL you have to produce otherwise your wasting the teams time and the fans time.

 

[Colezuki]

People don't want to acknowledge it, but there's a lot of truth to this. Chris Johnston just talked about today how Mitch Marner has been harassed multiple times throughout the years and he was harassed last night after the game by fans as well. There were Leaf fans making threats against his newborn son on Twitter.



This is not normal behavior. There are other fanbases with passionate fanbases that are hard on their players, but you're never going to see them throw beer at their own players and try to do stuff to them off ice. Toronto is different because their fanbase has a pretty deep resentment for their own team due to the repeated failures of the franchise. It's a more toxic and negative passion than say a Montreal where they mostly have high standards due to their pride. There's a harshness and brutality to Toronto due to the self-loathing fanbase and media.

Pretending this doesn’t happen in. Every other sport is insane. Watch football twitter it’s the exact same shit

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

The culture of losing is created by the players and no one paying to watch them

The fantasy has massive resentment towards the entitlement, underperformance and overpayment requested by the core players here.

No one was hating on these guys until they kept breaking boundaries for contracts and kept failing to keep the play expected for their high AAVs.

If you want to make 11-13M in the current day NHL you have to produce otherwise your wasting the teams time and the fans time.

You can blame whoever you want for it, the fact still remains that the Leafs fanbase is different than those other teams because Leaf fans hate their own team. The justification behind the hate might change depending on the players, but it comes down to the team has sucked for 60 years despite having the advantages of the deepest pockets and being an O6 team with a passionate fanbase.

They hate them because they lose every year, that's the real reason.

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

Pretending this doesn’t happen in. Every other sport is insane. Watch football twitter it’s the exact same shit

It happening in other sports is irrelevant, we're talking about hockey here. It doesn't happen to other teams in hockey, because there's no other team with the same circumstances as Toronto.

 

[Oilslick941611]

feels like a player from a sunbelt no fan team gaslighting passionate fanbases
tkachuk is a next level troll

Especially for a guy who had zero impact on the series. He cu=ould have been scratched and he would have had the same impact on the final score.

 

[Eternal Leaf]

The highs are also higher.

If you win, you would want to win in Toronto because you will live like a king for the rest of your life.