The Leafs have been passed by another NHL franchise for the consensus ''most hated team''
Long have the Leafs been at the top of everyone's list in terms of who people seem to hate the most. Perhaps it's the fact that they play in Canada's hockey mecca, or maybe it's that the negativity associated with the team for owning the longest Stanley Cup drought that's to blame. Hell, it could even be the fans. Leafs fans are a rowdy and passionate bunch. Well, whatever the case is, it appears as though there is a new "most hated team" in the NHL.
The Vegas Golden Knights came into the league as an expansion team in 2017 and while there was a ton of excitement surrounding both an NHL team in Las Vegas and adding a 31st team to the league to make things a little more interesting, the novelty seems to have worn off on a lot of people. Now, according to Biz Nasty, the Golden Knights are public enemy number one.
This should not come as a shock to anyone, given the recent social media attacks on Vegas, with several other teams, even HEATED RIVALS, seeming to lay down their swords and come together in support of eliminating Vegas from playoff contention. Among the teams involved in wanting to see the Golden Knights miss the playoffs were Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Jose and Dallas, most recently.
Now, with the Golden Knights officially eliminated after Dallas collected a point in an OT loss to Arizona, everyone seems to be celebrating. By the way, props to the Dallas Stars, who posted the following hidden message in ode to the Sharks fan who purchased ad time on the Sharks scoreboard to display a hidden message of "F*** the Knights" during the game against the Golden Knights. The Stars were a little more tactful with their hidden message.
The Leafs are still a team that a lot of other markets despise, but perhaps Vegas has become the new villain due to the fact that they held teams' feet over the coals during the expansion draft process. Maybe the fact that they have mortgaged their future by trading away young assets and have used their city to lure heavily coveted UFA targets away from other teams has worn on people. Maybe it's just the brand of hockey they play. Maybe it's the cap circumvention failing miserably, making a mockery of the system. Maybe it's a combination of all of these things. Whatever it is, I'm sure that Leafs fans are happy knowing that they're no longer the most hated team in hockey.
| POLL | ||
28 AVRIL | 528 ANSWERS The Leafs have been passed by another NHL franchise for the consensus ''most hated team'' Who is the most hated team in hockey? | ||
| Leafs | 103 | 19.5 % |
| Bruins | 276 | 52.3 % |
| Blackhawks | 42 | 8 % |
| Golden Knights | 107 | 20.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
