There's a secret benefit to the Maple Leafs' early-season schedule that gives them a leg up over the rest of the Atlantic as they look to head back to the playoffs.
The Maple Leafs started their 2026-27 season early and already have two games under their belt, kicking off the year with a back-to-back at home against Montreal and New York. They split the two contests as they look to get more acclimated thanks to all the new faces that have come into the lineup.
Toronto's spending a lot of time at home early on in 2026-27
It's actually the first time in franchise history that the Maple Leafs have started their season with two straight home games; genuinely shocking given their over 100-year history. But their schedule also seems to favour Scotiabank Arena a lot early on:
-
70% of Toronto's first 10 games are at home, meanwhile they are going to be playing 16 of their 25 games at home. That's 64% of the time at Scotiabank Arena during the first quarter of the season, and it means that they hold a great home advantage early on.
Toronto is notoriously a hard arena to play in due to the noise and crowd reaction, and if the Maple Leafs can gather momentum early on this year then it only means things are going to be louder and more difficult for opponents.
If they are able to translate that reaction into a boost offensively, then it's going to create cycle where the team succeeds, fans go wild, and that creates an even hungrier team who wants to keep that pace. It's why crowds are so important in pro sports, and are often referred to as 'The Sixth Man' or '13th Man' in the sports lexicon.
Toronto fans need to start showing their passion a bit more
There is no denying that Maple Leafs fans are the most dedicated and loyal, because despite being in a Cup drought that stretches nearly 60 years - they show up. But showing up isn't just what they need to do.
A lot of criticism towards the fans has been due to their lack of excitement and how things get deathly quiet at times. Contrast that to the teams of the early and mid-2000s who would have a raucous group chanting 'Go Leafs Go!' at every turn.
It's become extremely expensive to be close to the action, and often those seats are reserved for corporate opportunities. That removes a key portion of the fanbase who would help create a louder atmosphere by being closer to the ice.
Personally, they should look to do what several teams around the world have done and install a dedicated fan area where tickets are reasonably priced, and give them an opportunity to show their passion a lot more frequently.
Plus, it instils a sense of community and creates an even more exciting atmosphere for fans because they'll never know how wild the fandom can get on any given night.
If the Maple Leafs can find a way to utilize their crowd advantage and comfortability being close to home for the early part of the season, they might be able to put themselves in a spot where it's hard to deny their playoff potential.
Do you think the Maple Leafs have an advantage being at home so often early in their schedule?
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
Kirill Marchenko had a serious ultimatum for the Maple Leafs before ever playing a game