The Toronto Maple Leafs are no stranger to philanthropy, though some Leafs players certainly lean further towards Mr Beast levels of giving.
Mr Beast, for the uninitiated, is an American YouTuber known for his epic challenges and huge acts of genorosity. The Toronto Maple Leafs, while a little less generous on the ice (only giving us one playoff series win since 2004), are equally as charitable off the ice.
Now there’s an easy argument that the Leafs players only engage in these acts because of public relations, but delving a little deeper, it’s fair to say that certain acts stand above just pure PR.
It figures that a lot of these multi-millionaire sports stars have charitable foundations formed in their names and certain arguments can be made that it’s all to do with tax, but their real kindness shines through with some of the other interactions we’ve managed to find.
Toronto Maple Leafs Players Aren’t Just Giving For Show
Mitch Marner is a name that pops up again and again when we’re talking about fan interactions and charitable giving when it comes to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Nothing speaks more to this than his genuine friendship with a young girl suffering with leukemia, Hayden Foulon and her family. What’s telling about his act of kindness is that it wasn’t limited to just one meeting.
Mitch Marner first met Foulon, when touring a local children’s hospital as a member of the London Knights. Rather than allow this to be a nice one-off interaction, he remained in touch with the family eventually hosting them at several NHL games when he became a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Indeed, it speaks volumes that he even paid tribute in an intermission interview with Sportsnet when Foulon unfortunately lost her battle with the illness in 2019.
Mitch Marner is a local talent from the Greater Toronto area and fully understands the reach his role offers; he piggy backs on this endlessly with the other causes he supports.
Now of course, people might be a little cynical and suggest that it’s Mitch Marner, a star player playing in a big market, even back in his junior days; however, this philanthropy stretches across the whole roster.
Take Joseph Woll as another example and as a player significantly less directly in the spotlight than Marner.
Some classy work from the Marlies this weekend: Joseph Woll donated $10 per save in the All Star Competition to @HBKidsHospital. The @TorontoMarlies, teammate @_themagicbullet & Marlies GM @RyanPHardy all contributed.
Woll made 28 saves & was named Top Goalie for the event. ? pic.twitter.com/oMZwX6rX0d
— katie (@itsmitchmarney) February 9, 2023
Competing in the AHL All-Star Competition last season, Woll donated $10 for every save he made. While this seems like a small amount of money, his contribution served to spotlight the fundraising campaign and no doubt significantly increase the amount raised.
There’s obviously countless other examples of these levels of giving back to the community among the Toronto Maple Leafs roster. Indeed, it has even influenced a recent free agent signing.
The Toronto Maple Leafs knew exactly the type of person they were getting when they sought out Ryan Reaves this summer. His on-ice impact will likely be limited, but his off-ice interactions are vital to the overarching team culture.
As well as pushing for greater recognition and fixing of a lot of diversity issues within hockey, Reaves is very much keen to be a role model and a community figure; with his engagement in programs like the NHLPA’s Goals & Dreams program at the heart of this.
While we’re not necessarily talking of financial giveaways on quite the same scale as Mr Beast pulls off; we’re still talking a full roster of players that are each doing a small part.
The combined efforts, even in visiting aged care homes and children’s hospitals, goes a heck of a long way in the eyes of the fanbase to not just view these players as overpaid prima-donnas paid to play the game they love.
In fact, it absolutely serves to humanize them and highlight that they’re just people with a spotlight and an overwhelming want to do good (as well as play hockey).
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