TORONTO – Morgan Rielly says conversations contained in the Maple Leafs’ locker room Tuesday morning were much like those happening around kitchen tables and water coolers across Canada.
Non-stop Blue Jays talk.
Toronto’s baseball team advanced to the World Series in dramatic fashion Monday night with a spine-tingling, hair-raising 4-3 victory in Game 7 over the Seattle Mariners.
And like many fans in the town and across the country, the Leafs were watching.
“Pretty cool,” Rielly said. “Amazing to see the support that they’re getting.”
Jays slugger George Springer — hobbled after getting struck within the knee by a pitch in Game 5 — smoked a three-run home run over the left-field fence in the underside of the seventh inning to show a two-run deficit right into a one-run lead inside an incandescent Rogers Centre.
“I believe I hit the ceiling,” said Leafs winger Max Domi, who tuned in from his couch.
Toronto trailed Seattle 2-0 within the American League Championship Series after losing the primary two games at home. The Jays then returned to their turf down 3-2 after which trailed Game 7 with eight outs to go before clinching the franchise’s first World Series trip since winning the second of back-to-back titles in 1993.
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“The emotion of the sport, just the team camaraderie,” Leafs head coach Craig Berube said of what he’s seen from afar. “They’re a really tight group. It’s very visible.”
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Rielly said there are lessons to take from a group of baseball players making memories just up the road from Scotiabank Arena.
“There’s a small a part of you that’s envious of them, right?” he said. “You’re almost jealous at what they’re doing, simply because they’re in Toronto and we watch it first-hand. You’re obviously completely happy for them. It’s an ideal moment for the town, but we wish to have the opportunity to do this and have a run like that.
“You have a look at the eagerness that they’re fidgeting with, and that’s contagious. You ought to have the opportunity to also bring that when your time comes.”
Leafs defenceman Chris Tanev pointed to the importance of smaller moments in Monday’s comeback, including a sacrifice bunt from Andres Gimenez that advanced two runners right before Springer’s blast, as keys for any club with title aspirations.
“There’s so many little things that go into the success,” said the Toronto native. “A whole lot of little things that perhaps people don’t discuss, but which you could watch and pick up and see an ideal team doing the things that they should win.”
Jays first baseman and ALCS most beneficial player Vladimir Guerrero Jr. wore an Auston Matthews jersey on his way into the ballpark ahead of Game 7.
“That was pretty cool,” Tanev said of the Leafs captain’s threads being on full display. “It’s impressive to see the town rallying behind them.”
“We’re a sports town,” Domi added. “Everyone in here is rooting for the Jays.”
Matthews returned the favour when he arrived at Scotiabank Arena wearing a Guerrero jersey before the Leafs hosted the Latest Jersey Devils on Tuesday.
Berube said he’s paid close attention to the larger-than-life Guerrero and the tone he sets.
“How he interacts with the fellows, how much energy he brings on a regular basis — happiness for his teammates after they do something well,” said the NHL coach, who has previously met Jays manager John Schneider and members of his staff. “He’s got a variety of energy and a variety of positive vibes around him. He’s their principal guy. He just brings that.
“Their whole team feeds off it.”
Domi said the Jays’ sense of brotherhood is something that may persist with him.
“Listening to every guy’s interviews is admittedly cool for me as an athlete on a team to see how much they love one another,” he said. “They’ve got the skill, they’ve got the talent, they’ve got all the pieces, but all of them appear to think a very powerful thing was how tight they were.”
Guerrero, specifically, was emotional after leading Toronto back to the World Series for the primary time in 32 years.
“It’s inspiring,” Domi said. “You’ve got chills. When you don’t, you’re missing a heart beat.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press