After the Toronto Maple Leafs lost to the Florida Panthers in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the issue of playing in a Canadian market and the pressure that comes along with it reared its head.

Specifically, Panthers left winger Matthew Tkachuk spoke on the topic after the series, saying he felt bad for the Maple Leafs and that the “crazy circus stuff” the Leafs dealt with weren’t the same things he deals with in Florida. He added that if the Leafs weren't in Toronto, they'd be unbelievably good.

With due respect to Tkachuk, we believe that’s an absolute crock. And a high-profile star player in another Canadian market – Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl – said the pressures of playing in a hockey hotbed aren’t something that he couldn’t handle. 

“The pressure is higher here, of course – just through the media, the fans, that’s just the way it is,” Draisaitl told reporters. “I don’t know if teams feel that they get under pressure with that…but we can handle it.”

Isn’t that refreshing to hear? No excuses, no complaints. And lo and behold, for the third time in four seasons, Draisaitl’s Oilers made it to the Western Conference final. Why, it’s almost as if Tkachuk’s notion of punitive pressure is exactly that – a notion, not a fact.

Even Leafs coach Craig Berube said there's pressure on any team, and Max Pacioretty said the it's a privilege to play under pressure.

"It's a privilege to have this many people care about how we do," Pacioretty told reporters on Tuesday.

Even if Draisaitl, Berube and Pacioretty hadn’t said what they said about pressure on their clubs, all you have to do is look around the sports world to see why Tkachuk’s rhetoric doesn’t hold water.

A “circus” atmosphere hasn't prevented high-profile teams from winning championships, such as the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, or MLB’s New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox. All of those teams have a profile at least as high as that of the Maple Leafs and Oilers, relative to the rest of their leagues, and they’ve all been able to win at the highest level.

Tkachuk’s comments look at fan and media attention as a negative on the Maple Leafs. Why can’t he look at Toronto’s fan and media interest as an overall positive? Media attention is there because fan interest is there. And you can’t tell us the undying adoration Leafs fans have for their team isn’t on some basic level a comfort to players who play in Toronto.

Of course, there are times where being under the microscope leads to some instances where people go over the line. Chris Johnston said on the Chris Johnston Show that since 2019, there's been some cases of fans yelling at Mitch Marner or bringing his family into contract negotiation speculation, and there's been some borderline harassment. In any situation, regardless of the market, that is unacceptable behavior that should be dealt with appropriately.

The Maple Leafs Don't Deserve To Be 'Crucified,' Say Panthers' Marchand, Maurice It was the same old story for the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 against the Florida Panthers. <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/panthers-play-excellent-game-7-in-toronto-advance-to-conference-final">Florida dismantled Toronto in a 6-1 victory</a> to advance to the Eastern Conference final against the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes">Carolina Hurricanes</a>.

In general, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows for any or every NHLer each and every day of their career, but in most cases, those are the normal ups and downs that come with every career.

Besides, it isn’t as if Tkachuk doesn’t know what it means to play in a Canadian market. He spent the first six years of his NHL career as a member of the Calgary Flames, and his brother, Brady Tkachuk, still plays for the Ottawa Senators. Now, Matthew Tkachuk didn’t want to sign long-term for Calgary, but let’s put to rest this idea that there’s something inherently problematic for NHLers who work in a Canadian market. It’s just not true.

The reality is, while playing in Canada isn’t for everyone, it is special for many NHL players. Just ask Leafs star center John Tavares, who raved about his experience playing in his hometown of Toronto. And while Tkachuk can pretend to diagnose what ails the Leafs, the truth is that Toronto’s struggles to win a championship have nothing to do with being a hotbed. That goes for any Canadian club as well.

If Draisaitl, fellow Oilers star Connor McDavid and members of the Maple Leafs can handle it, it's unlikely that regular outside noise will drastically hold back a team.

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