Maple Leafs quartet to play Augusta National during bye

The Toronto Maple Leafs are going golfing earlier than expected this year.

While this might be music to the ears of the NHL’s other 30 fan bases, it’s a lot more innocuous than, say, a pre-emptive first-round exit.

William Nylander, Kasperi Kapanen, Jake Muzzin and Frederik Andersen will play golf at the famed Augusta National Golf Club during the team’s bye week, Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports.

Augusta National has been home to the Masters every year since 1934.

This quartet will play a key role in any potential Stanley Cup run in Toronto this spring, and the upcoming trip appears to be a function of team bonding throughout a long, laborious season. Muzzin is among several Maple Leafs recovering from injuries, as the team gears up for a concerted second-half push.

For the time being, it won’t stop anyone from getting off some very original “Maple Leafs are going golfing” jokes, but such is the territory of playing in one of the NHL’s marquee markets.

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