MAPLELEAFSDAILY | NHL TEAM | TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Spittin' Chiclets co-hosts deep fry the Maple Leafs' fanbase on latest podcast

PUBLICATION

Ryan Smitheram
October 24, 2023 (2:34 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

For years now, anyone that has been to a Leafs game knows just how quiet Scotiabank Arena is and can be. The lower bowl is full of corporate tickets and suits trying to close deals and ticket prices at the arena are so high that the average fan, who actually cares about the team, is often priced out of going to a game. As a result, the crowds are often far less raucous than they could be.

On the latest episode of the Spittin' Chiclets podcast Paul Bissonnette and Ryan Whitney commented on the lack of energy and passion that ScotiaBank Arena has.

"What is going on? The other night, he (Auston Matthews) scored the third, I was like, 'is this a replay with no volume?'...but the noise. Are they cheering?...the silence is deafening," said Whitney.

While Whitney kept his comments very short, Bissonnette was more elaborate and passionate in his comments.

"There might have been five hats on the ice. They're overthinking it. Just cheer and throw your f***ing hat on the ice. The guy just got back-to-back hat tricks and pulled them out of a two goal deficit in the dying minute. It was even before that when it started, when they're doing the player introductions, Mitchie Marner is coming out, who's a 100-point guy for you, plays on the defensive side of the puck. You're going into their years now where they could potentially win a Stanley Cup. I don't even think the people stood out of their goddamn seats to put their [hands] together. It's the yacht club... I think they need to swap the upper bowl and lower bowl for one game and see how it plays out."

As someone that was at the first two home games for the Leafs this season, I can confirm that the atmosphere was terrible. As is normally the case, half of the lower bowl was empty to begin the game and each period and while the upper bowl was fairly loud, it didn't make up for the lack of enthusiasm in the lower bowl. As Bissonnette pointed out, there were not many hats on the ice for either of Matthews' hat tricks, but that's because most of the hats that were thrown were from the upper bowl and had no chance of ever making it onto the ice. Pretty embarrassing stuff.

Previously on MapleLeafsDaily

Joseph Woll reacts to being compared to Carey Price

Timothy Liljegren reveals his strategy in his first game against his former D partner

Game Day skate features very few Leafs and none of the team's top players

POLL
24 OCTOBRE \| 184 ANSWERS Spittin' Chiclets co-hosts deep fry the Maple Leafs' fanbase on latest podcast Do you think MLSE should lower ticket prices?
Yes	163	88.6 %
No	21	11.4 %
List of polls