Good morning Toronto Maple Leafs fans!

Our long, long, wait for the return of the bane of our existence is finally over, and just 48 hours after Mitch Marner and the Canadian team won the Four Nations Face Off, we have our first Maple Leafs game since a 2-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on February 8th.

Maple Leafs @ Vancouver
No need to stay up late.
PPP LeafsCathy Squires

Valentine's were given out. Families were celebrated. So much has happened since then. We've all grown and learned.

Mitch has his gold medal, and I'm sure a very big deal will be made out of that ahead of the game. And to a lesser extent, Auston Matthews has a silver medal and he can have a pat on the head for that.

Jon Cooper on Mitch Marner setting up Connor McDavid’s championship-winning goal for Team Canada: “That kid can make plays... He just needed one chance to make a play, and he did”
After Team Canada’s 4 Nations championship win, head coach Jon Cooper discussed the meaning of the victory for the country, re-uniting Mitch Marner and Connor McDavid with the tournament on the line, Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby’s leadership, and what the win means when looking ahead to the 2026 Winter Olympics. What did you learn […]
Maple Leafs HotstoveMLHS Staff

William Nylander was also there.

We're back to NHL games. Down from the high of best on best to the low of Columbus bs Ottawa.

Looking Ahead: Readying for a Return of NHL Games
Welcome back in, everyone! I hope that everyone out there enjoyed the break. I typically don’t like to date myself as to when I’m writing, but as of right now I am typing these words out to you all a good 11 hours before puck drop of USA/CAN. I’m excited. You’re excited. I
DobberHockeyAndrew Santillo

Ahead of tonight's game the Maple Leafs debuted a new logo for their Black Excellence celebration:

Toronto Maple Leafs reveal new logo for Saturday’s ‘Black Excellence’ game against Carolina Hurricanes
Designer and illustrator, Toji Nola, who grew up in Newmarket, said the 13 root prints featured in the logo mirror the 13 Stanley Cup championships won by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Toronto.comItai Buenahora

The PWHL had a couple milestones happen in one game recently:

PWHL Player Pulls Off Gordie Howe Hat Trick Thanks to First Fight in League History
The first fight in PWHL history involved the Boston Fleet and Ottawa Charge.
Sports IllustratedStephen Douglas

Ottawa's Tereza Vanisova got into a fight ("roughing" according to the penalties) with Bostons Jill Saulnier early in the game, and then set up the goal that started the regulation comeback, and then scored the tying goal to force overtime.

Fight. Assist. Goal.

That's the Howe Hat Trick, and a new name for trivia.

Speaking of trivia, or trivial, but the NHL looks at the Four Nations and thought hey, those games were good looking. May we finally get all colour games?

If you just have a white jersey just do what the OHL does and one half of the season is white at home, the rest is colour.

Ryan O'Rielly took his time off to head to Milwaukee and cheer on his brother, who was playing his 1,000th game.

Finally, games may be tense, but Canada seems to save the best for last (minute).

Golden goals: Canadian hockey players have a history of coming through in the clutch
Connor McDavid continued Canada’s tradition of scoring clutch goals in best-on-best senior tournaments with his overtime winner in a 3-2 win over the United States in the final of the
Toronto StarThe Canadian Press

Enjoy your day everyone!

From The Branches