Drake and Justin Bieber are among the most famous celebrities in the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ fanbase, with the two iconic singers of this century showing their passion for the NHL franchise in Toronto. However, Drake didn’t mince words as he put the blame for the Stanley Cup Playoffs elimination on Bieber, as the 6-1 loss to the Florida Panthers cost Drake over $1M.
The Maple Leafs failed to end their heartcrushing, losing skid in winner-takes-all matchups in the NHL postseason. Toronto has now lost seven Game 7s in a row, along with a Game 5 defeat in a best of 5 series in 2020.
Florida walked into Scotiabank and delivered yet another whopping victory, imposing its will over a team that had the air knocked out of its sails, and whose own fanbase turned against them midway through the action. It was awful to watch as the Panthers ran up the score on the Leafs who had no response. To add insult to injury, they had to endure the jeers and booing from its fans, who tossed jerseys, empty cans, and all sort of debris on the ice.
For the second straight home game at Scotiabank Arena, the Leafs fell 6-1 to the Panthers, but this time it was during a Game 7, where fans expected to see their team lay it all on the ice. That confidence led Drake to place approximately $1.25M in bets, believing the Leafs would win, and they’d do so by a two-goal margin. Drake betted a million on a Leafs’ win, and 250 thousand on a two-goal victory margin.
Singer Justin Bieber of team Matthews and Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs pose for a photo in warm ups prior to the 2024 Honda NHL All-Star Game on February 03, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario.
However, his bets never stood a chance, as the Cats blew the Leafs out of the water and knocked them out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs—once again. While Drake is often blamed for jinxing teams in pop culture, this time the rapper shifted the blame, taking a shot at Justin Bieber, who watched the action from the front row, right behind the Leafs’ bench. “Bieber curse…,” Drake wrote in a post on his Instagram stories.
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Bieber’s message to Maple Leafs
Although the ending to the 2024-25 NHL season was gut-wrenching and a major blow to the hearts of every fan in Toronto, Justin Bieber’s love for his colors isn’t wavering.
Following the crushing 6-1 loss in Game 7 against the Panthers, Bieber made a sincere statement on his Instagram, with a clear message to the organization ahead of an offseason with major implications for the roster, most importantly for the core-four of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and William Nylander.
“I don’t remember a time in my life when I haven’t been obsessed with the Leafs,” Bieber stated. “This year we made it farther than we have in so long and I’m happy about that. I can be patient because I know this is the team to do it.”
Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the Florida Panthers during the third period in Game Six of the Second Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
At a crossroads
By the looks of it, Bieber hopes the franchise can keep the core together, though it seems highly unlikely that Marner will stay in Toronto when the 2025-26 season gets underway. Tavares is another star who could be headed for the exit, as his contract comes to an end on July 1st, as well.
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The 6-1 loss wasn’t just the end of the season for the Maple Leafs, who once again fell short of expectations — it might also mark the end of an era. And it certainly felt that way as Marner walked off the ice, heartbroken and overcome with sorrow.
