TORONTO — Hockey obsession is not obvious to the eye here. It’s subtle. Modest. Sophisticated.
For instance, the top of the CN Tower hasn’t been turned into a neon stick, as a certain noob hockey city might be wont to do.
There are no giant billboards featuring Maple Leafs stars Auston Matthews or John Tavares in vibrant Yonge-Dundas Square.
The subway headed west features advertisements for a sale on winter clothing and several local colleges. Morgan Rielly, who led all NHL defensemen with 18 points entering Monday’s schedule, is not in any of them.
“Everybody knows hockey here, that’s probably the biggest difference,” said Maple Leafs forward Patrick Marleau, who spent 19 seasons in San Jose before signing as a free agent in 2017.