As the ‘Battle of Ontario’ rages on, fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs are hopeful this year’s roster will vanquish the team’s lengthy Stanley Cup drought. Or, at very least, lead the Buds out of their first-round matchup against the Ottawa Senators.

The Leafs haven’t won — or even advanced to — the Cup Final since 1967. Brock University Associate Professor of Sport Management Craig Hyatt says the franchise has long asked its fan base to “be patient” as it built a team with potential to go the distance.

“Because they were so awful for so long, they got high draft picks with the goal of developing those players into superstars to become a contending team,” he says. “There is now a lot of excitement in southern Ontario as Leafs Nation thinks their dreams are finally going to come true.”

But what’s kept Leafs fans hanging on to this point, despite having their hopes repeatedly dashed year after year?

“The Leafs have been around for over 100 years, with a loyal fan base that is transferred from generation to generation,” Hyatt says. “For many families in English-speaking Canada, specifically southern Ontario, Leafs fandom is a family legacy passed down like a family heirloom.”

For instance, families might bond over watching the Leafs take the ice during the weekly Hockey Night in Canada broadcast, he says.

“You learn all the rituals, traditions and stories — the Legend of Bill Barilko or of Darryl Sitler scoring 10 points in one game — that get passed onto the next generation of fans,” Hyatt says. “If mom and dad cheer for the Leafs, you cheer for the Leafs and breaking that cycle would almost be like betraying your family.”

It’s not just diehard fans that are invested in the team’s playoff run, either, says Associate Professor of Sport Management Olan Scott. As the team gathers momentum, casual and new fans alike will also jump in on the action.

“A bandwagoner is often disparaged as someone only being a fan when things are good, but it’s also just fun to have something to talk about with friends,” he says. “Sports are like a social glue that brings people together. Following the game and the progression of the series, for a moment, takes the focus off some of the other geopolitical things happening in the world. It’s a reprieve for people who watch and enjoy it together.”

There is no shortage of ways to take in the action, either, Hyatt says.

Watching the puck drop from inside Scotiabank Arena may be out of reach due to sky-high ticket prices, with many instead choosing to engage in the communal fan experience by watching the game outside in Maple Leaf Square, he says.

“The average fan also gets together with their friends at the local sports bar in their jerseys and takes over the place, becoming this communal thing that is completely independent of the marketing efforts of the Toronto Maple Leafs,” he says. “Technology has also provided a range of ways to consume the team; it’s a whole different 21st-century paradigm for sport fans.”

As for what’s next, Scott says Leafs Nation will be invested in seeing how the team handles the pressure of being favoured to win, whether they can overcome the anxiety of past losses or if the Senators can come from behind to make it a closer series.

“A lot of this really has to do with luck. At least for now, the ‘Hockey Gods’ seem to have favoured the Leafs, but anything could happen,” he says. “One of the beautiful things about sport is that it’s unscripted. We see it happening in real time — and we have no idea what’s going to happen.”