Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. caused a stir online Monday when he showed up to a do-or-die game in a Maple Leafs jersey.

In cities that have more than one professional sports team, it’s never a shock to see an athlete in one sport put on the jersey of a different athlete in the same town. At this time of year – when the NHL begins and the MLB nears its World Series – we’ve seen prominent NHL and MLB figures wearing jerseys to show where they stand.

On Saturday, Seattle Kraken players wore Mariners jerseys to Scotiabank Arena before they beat the Maple Leafs on the road. The Mariners, of course, are in the midst of their American League championship series against the Blue Jays. But the Kraken’s endorsement didn’t help the Mariners any, as they lost to the Jays 6-2 in Game 6 Sunday.

Now, ahead of Monday's Game 7 between the Blue Jays and Mariners with a spot in the World Series on the line, Guerrero Jr. gave the same type of endorsement to the Maple Leafs, wearing an Auston Matthews Leafs jersey into Rogers Centre.

Of course, Toronto fans and really anybody who follows the NHL knows about the Maple Leafs' recent run-ins with Game 7 matchups.

"Might as well walk past a black cat and under a ladder at this point," wrote one fan on X.

"Potential incredible collision of two different versions of Toronto sports karma here," wrote Toronto Star columnist Bruce Arthur.

Matthews has been in six Game 7s in his NHL career with the Leafs. They lost every time, including in May to the eventual defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, in the second round. Even in the one-off qualifying round of 2020, a best-of-five series against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Toronto lost in Game 5.

The Leafs have lost seven Game 7s in a row, with the first coming in 2013 to the Boston Bruins. The last time they won a Game 7 was in 2004 against the Ottawa Senators.

Time will tell whether Guerrero Jr. provided himself sufficient inspiration to come through with a big performance in the Blue Jays' second-ever Game 7. Their first was in the 1985 American League championship series, which they lost.

But for Torontonians who long ago fell in love with Guerrero Jr.’s feisty, colorful spirit, that extra added touch will add to Guerrero Jr.’s well-earned reputation as a lover of all things Toronto, and to Toronto's affection for Guerrero Jr.

Ultimately, we see these kind of crossover endorsements all the time – usually, in the music business.

Longtime Maple Leafs fans will remember the late Glenn Frey of the legendary Eagles band wearing a Leafs jersey on more than one occasion, while younger music fans may have seen popular singer Sabrina Carpenter wearing a Leafs jersey last year. (She’s also worn a Philadelphia Phillies jersey, as Philadelphia is her hometown. And she wore a Dallas Cowboys sweater as well. She likes sports, quite obviously.)

That said, the truth is many celebrity endorsers probably couldn’t tell you 10 player names on the roster of the team they’re representing with their fashion choice. But hey, it’s the thought that counts, and that’s why Guerrero Jr.’s likeability factor – already through the roof after his record-setting playoff this fall – is skyrocketing in Leafs Land Monday afternoon.

Guerrero Jr. is a vocal and enthusiastic appreciator of Toronto, and he’s not afraid to pull on the jersey of the Maple Leafs at this crucial time in his professional life. It isn't the first time Guerrero Jr. has shown love for the Leafs, and it won't be the last. But wearing a Leafs jersey before the most important game of his career shows an affection for Toronto that is real and lasting.

It’s the little things that can go a long way toward how the average fan reacts to a star athlete, and Guerrero Jr.’s token of his affection for the Leafs was being worn, quite literally, on his sleeve. Not all of Canada necessarily loves Toronto, but much of Canada loves the Blue Jays, and Guerrero Jr. just showed the affection is shared on a multi-way basis and across many sports.

Time will tell whether that affection carried the Leafs' Game 7 curse over to his squad or not.

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