The Toronto Maple Leafs will be providing credits and refunds to ticket holders for the remaining seven regular season games in 2019-20. The NHL has put the responsibility for ticket refunds towards each of the teams, this is what the Maple Leafs decided.

“In an effort to provide as much flexibility to ticket holders due to the circumstances surrounding the pandemic, the Leafs are providing either a credit towards next season, or a refund, for the postponed games.

“Refunds for single-games are available through Ticketmaster while season seat members can apply the credit for those postponed games towards their 2020-21 season seat fees or simply request a refund.

“For season seat members, their first payment towards 2020-21 fees has been deferred for two months so far, from the original payment due date of April 8 to June 8. Hopefully the League and team will have more clarity by then.

“We will continue to monitor the developments during these unprecedented times and listen to the concerns and needs of our fans so that we can eventually come back stronger than ever.” - via Frank Seravalli at TSN

Going through it in pieces, here’s what it looks like:

Single-Seat Holders

Fans with single-game tickets will only be able to refund their tickets through Ticketmaster. The team has not provided any more information on this matter, particularly pertaining to the secondary market. Check the point of purchase first, and if that fails, Scotiabank Arena has a Twitter account that answers questions via DM and a phone number at the bottom of their website.

Season-Seat Holders

Season ticket holders have the ability to either earn credit from the team that can be used for season seat fees for the 2020-21 season, or request a direct refund. Ticket holders must apply for these refunds, my understanding is that season ticket holders have an MLSE representative that can process this. Obviously, I’m not a season ticket holder myself, nor do I know any, so I’m not certain of this policy. Clarification in the comments would be greatly appreciated for anyone with questions. Safe to say, contact MLSE and the refund will be processed.

Another aspect for season ticket holders is their first payment for the 2020-21 season have been deferred for two months. Fees will now be due June 8th instead of the original April 8th deadline.

Still in a holding pattern

The Leafs are deferring fees in order to secure some time while the NHL makes their decision on the 2019-20 season and beyond. The NHL is anticipating updates with regards to the NHL Draft and Playoffs, plus the league is currently under discussions for a November or December start to the 2020-21 season.

This is not the only update with regards for tickets, but it’s closure for the 2019-20 regular season. It seems all but certain that either the season will not finish the regular season, or it’ll happen under a quarantined curtain.

Bring on the 24-team playoffs.

Brendan Leipsic

It happened again.

Former Leafs prospect Brendan Leipsic had to issue a formal apology on Wednesday night after Instagram DMs were revealed to show Leipsic, his brother, and fellow former Marlies prospect Jack Rodewald engaging in sexist, racist, homophobic, and misogynistic comments towards former and current teammates and their families.

The evidence is in the link below.

Leaked screenshots show Brendan Leipsic making misogynistic comments, calling Capitals linemates ‘losers’ in Instagram group chat

Leipsic, 25, is currently an RFA with the Washington Capitals, while Rodewald, 26, is a pending UFA on an NHL contract with the Florida Panthers. The league remarked in a statement that they will “address this inexcusable conduct with the clubs and players involved.”

Leipsic and Rodewald were teammates on the Toronto Marlies in the 2015 playoffs and 2015-16 season. Leipsic is now in his sixth organization in as many seasons after passing through Vegas, Vancouver, and LA in the span of two seasons (I’d say that earns him the title of locker room cancer). Rodewald has been in the AHL during his career, save for 10 games with the 2017-18 and 2018-19 Ottawa Senators.

Leipsic shared a picture of a screenshot of an apology that looks suspiciously like it was sent to him by a Washington PR person.

Notice the statement was written in notes, cropped, and then screenshot.

We are just over a month removed from K’Andre Miller’s racial harassment incident on a New York Rangers Zoom chat with followers. Which came days before a series of homophobic tweets by former NHLer Dustin Penner. Both of these incidents happened while the NHL and other sports leagues are on pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Weekend FTB: K’Andre Miller racially harassed on NY Rangers Zoom call with fans
Gay hockey player: Ex-NHL champ Dustin Penner’s tweets are ‘dangerous’ but all too common

Leafs Branches

  • Yesterday, Katya tried to find any Leafs right-handed defensemen worth even a footnote in history. Going back pretty far in the franchises history, they were few and far between. Anyway, welcome to the team, Mikko Lehtonen. /

Have the Maple Leafs ever had a good right-shooting defenceman?

  • I know this is unrelated, but yesterday I traded Andrew Raycroft to the Dallas Stars for Kari Lehtonen in NHL 11 on my playstation. I thought it would be nice to acquire a Lehtonen like the Leafs did, plus Raycroft sucked. /
From The Branches