Heartbreak and oxygen have been the formalities of life for Toronto Maple Leafs fans for a long, long time. Despite their historic success and even their recent run of regular-season dominance since Auston Matthews' arrival, the Leafs haven't been able to get over the hump once the NHL Playoffs have rolled around — and often falling short in the most gut-wrenching ways possible. So when they took the ice for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Sunday night, the tension was high.
The Maple Leafs, of course, were taking on the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in a Game 7 that, given the number of gut-punches fans have taken from Toronto over the years, many didn't even expect to get to. The Leafs got hot going into the second round series and jumped out to a 2-0 lead. However, they quickly squandered that with three straight losses. So it was a shock for the Maple Leafs to show the fight back in Game 6 with a 2-0 shutout win to force Game 7.
Once the decisive matchup for the second round started with the puck drop, though, it felt like the weight of history was on the Maple Leafs. And many hockey fans watching the NHL Playoffs had to be wondering when the last time Toronto even made the Eastern Conference Finals was.
When is the last time the Maple Leafs made the East Finals?
The Toronto Maple Leafs last made the conference finals in 2002 after advancing past the New York Islanders and Ottawa Senators in the first two rounds. Both of those series took seven games but Toronto pushed their way into the proverbial final four of the NHL and a date with the Carolina Hurricanes to determine who would represent the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Unfortunately for the Maple Leafs, a long-awaited series for Lord Stanley's Cup wasn't meant to be. In a defensive-minded showdown that shocked many given the offensive potency of both teams (neither team scored more than three goals in a single game), Toronto won the series opener but then dropped three straight games to the Canes. While they fought back to win Game 5, they fell heartbreakingly in Game 6 after Carolina scored the game-winner in the first overtime.
When is the last time the Maple Leafs made and won the Stanley Cup Finals?
When you talk about the brutal history of Toronto, though, it starts with the fact that the Maple Leafs have not made the Stanley Cup Finals since 1967, which was also the last time that the franchise won the Stanley Cup as well. For those keeping score at home, that means the 2025 playoffs mark the 58th anniversary of the last time one of the NHL's proudest franchises was hoisting the Cup at the top of the sport of hockey.
While the Maple Leafs probably have a case as the most tortured fan base in this capacity given their largely consistent quality that hasn't yielded championships, it's also been since 1993 that a Canadian NHL team won the Stanley Cup, when the Montreal Canadiens took down the LA Kings.