Officials try to explain why CN Tower was savagely lit in Canadiens colours

Standing tall in Toronto’s skyline, the CN Tower was controversially lit up in blue, white, and red on Tuesday night to honour the Montreal Canadiens' playoff success. That did not go over well with some Maple Leafs fans.

Facing the backlash head on with some awareness — especially considering his city’s team's underperformance this NHL postseason — Toronto Mayor John Tory wisely avoided any and all responsibility for the illuminescent gaff.

The controversy spread like digital wildfire and an official response had to be made.

"The CN Tower stands proudly in the heart of Toronto. It is a federally owned and operated property that belongs to all Canadians,” a spokesperson said via The Athletic’s Sean Fitz-Gerald, trying to explain why Leafs fans were trolled so hard by a central feature of their city's downtown core.

"Primarily, the CN Tower’s lighting helps to raise awareness for registered charities and causes. Our lighting also helps to celebrate Canadian arts, culture and sports. We have lit for Grey Cup champions, we have lit to highlight the achievements of Canadian musicians and performers, and we have helped to cheer on Canadian teams in international sporting competitions."

Furthering the forced notion that the Canadiens are Canada’s team, the responsible parties are clearly wanting the nation to band around this Montreal club and cheer them on as they head into the Conference Final for the first time since 2014. Surely a stomachable task for a fanbase that was just dealt a crushing series loss by this very same squad.

They will have to wait for their opponent though, as the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche are still battling it out. Maybe the strip will be lit up in Avalanche colours if they advance to the Stanley Cup final. Green for kale (Cale), maybe.

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