Yahoo Sports 'What He Says, We're Right There With Him': Maple Leafs React To Auston Matthews' Comments Asking For More Energy Inside Scotiabank Arena
When Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews stepped in front of the cameras inside Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday after their 5-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, he admitted that the building was quiet after Ryan Reaves' first-period fight.
Matthews was Toronto's lone goal scorer in their loss, but his words following the game sparked a discussion on social media about how quiet Scotiabank Arena can be.
Reaves vs Olivier pic.twitter.com/BsbeSVlKbu
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) January 23, 2025
"It was great. It's still a big part of the game and he's a big part of this team. You love to see that," Matthews said post-game of Reaves' fight with Mathieu Olivier.
"Would've liked a little more energy from the crowd after that. I thought it was a little quiet tonight, especially after two guys like that go at it. It was a great moment for (Reaves). I thought it gave us some energy on the bench."
Steven Lorentz and Joseph Woll were asked about Matthews' comments just over 12 hours removed from the game. Lorentz, who grew up a Maple Leafs fan, admitted that the more energy inside Scotiabank Arena, the better.
"Every building can be quiet at times. Every building can be loud at times. And it doesn't matter when you're on the road, at home. Energy's energy," he said.
"So the louder the building is, the more guys get up for it. That being said, again, it can be quiet at times when you're going through a little rough patch here. But when the building gets rocking, like I said, they could be booing you at an away rink or it could be your home fans trying to lift the spirits. We feed off that energy."
What does it mean, however, to the group when Toronto's captain steps up and says how quiet the building was on Wednesday against Columbus?
"He's our captain. We look up to him. We follow him into battle and what he says, we're right there with him," Lorentz said.
"Again, it's one of those things that, it might've just been a lapse in the game yesterday and we weren't playing our best hockey at some points. We really rely on that energy from the crowd."
Joseph Woll, who also spoke ahead of the team's Easter Seals skate on Thursday afternoon, shared Lorentz's sentiments.
"I think the important thing is that we know we have probably the most extensive fan base in hockey and probably across a lot of sports as well. We love our fans and we feel their support, in Scotiabank and on the road," said the 26-year-old.
"There's places where we'll have more fans than the other team, in like Buffalo. I think what's important is that we love our fans and we love when they're loud and they're rocking. That energy is special for us.
"Like for me, going back to playoffs last year. I believe it was Game 6 where we beat Boston and it was like 2-1. That experience of how loud the fans were will forever be in my mind. And how much energy they bring and how much support that they bring for us is unbelievable. It's our job to continue to give them a reason to cheer and a reason to be loud and be there for us. But yeah, I have no doubt we have the best fan base in the world."
When Matthews stepped onto the bench inside Ford Performance Centre during their Easter Seals skate, fans immediately lined up to get photos with him. It's his first year as captain of the Maple Leafs and he's stepping up, whether calling Scotiabank Arena quiet or posing for pictures and signing autographs for fans.
"I think he's handled [the captaincy] very well and I think he's going to continue to grow to being a great leader. It's awesome to see the line and how much the fans love him," Woll said, before providing a funny story on a past fan engagement night.
"I think it was the military night that we had, we had a few different lines. Auston's line, Willy's (William Nylander) line, Mo's (Morgan Rielly) line, and Kniesy (Matthew Knies) and I went over and tried to make our own line. We had no one in our line.
"So, we were like, 'Hey, come hang out with us!' It was pretty funny. But yeah, it's awesome. The fans love these guys and for good reason. They put on great performances and they're great people and great leaders."
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