News

Maple Leafs Pay Tribute To Victims Of Toronto Van Attack With Moment Of Silence Before Playoff Game 6 [VIDEO]

The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Boston Bruins 3-1 at home in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series on Monday night to force a Game 7, but before doing so they took a moment to honor the victims of a tragedy in the city.

Maple Leafs’ Moment Of Silence For Toronto Attack

The Leafs held a moment of silence out of respect for the 10 people who were killed and 15 others who were injured after a van plowed into a crowd on a busy street in Toronto on Monday. The suspect, a 25-year-old man named Alek Minassian from a suburb of Toronto, was arrested and charged with murder.

SLIDESHOW: 30 Best Sports Instagrams!

Maple Leafs defenseman Ron Hainsey addressed the crowd at Air Canada Centre in a recorded message.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!

A week of sports news in your in-box.
We find the sports news you need to know, so you don't have to.

“On behalf of myself and my teammates, we’d like to send our deepest thoughts and sorrow to all the victims and the families, and the brave men and women first on the scene who do so much to keep everybody safe, thank you so much,” he said, per ESPN. “Hold your loved ones tight. Give them an extra kiss ’cause I know I will, ’cause you just never know anymore.”

After the few seconds of silence, Canada’s National Anthem was sung, and the crowd joined in for the emotional moment:

Several other Toronto sports teams, including the Blue Jays of MLB and the Raptors of the NBA, also voiced their condolences and support to the victims of the attack.

Bruins center Patrice Bergeron said Boston also supported Toronto during this difficult time. Bergeron said he remembers what the feeling was like in his team’s city after the Boston Marathon bombings in 2013. Two weeks after that attack, the Bruins and Maple Leafs faced off in the first round of the playoffs.

“I can guarantee you, the city of Boston is behind the city of Toronto right now,” said Bergeron, per ESPN. “Unfortunately, Boston’s been through it in 2013 and same thing with my teammates. So my thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by this.”

SLIDESHOW: 10 Highest-Paid Athletes

Leafs coach Mike Babcock also took time to praise Toronto’s first responders and said the city shouldn’t let the attack stop its citizens from living their lives.

“We’re fortunate to live in such a fantastic city with great first responders, and the work they’ve done,” Babcock said after Monday’s game. “But it’s so important that we rally around these people, help out and do whatever we can. We have a fantastic city. We can’t let this get in the way of what we’ve got going. Tragic to say the least.”

Game 7 will be played in Boston at 7:30pm EST on Wednesday.

Pablo Mena

Writer and assistant editor for usports.org. NY Giants and Rangers fan. Film and TV enthusiast (especially Harry Potter and The Office) and lover of foreign languages and cultures.

Recent Posts

Dodgers’ Mookie Betts Finally Improving After Losing 20 Pounds In Two Weeks

No Los Angeles Dodger has received more press in the past couple of weeks than…

56 mins ago

Russell Wilson Signs One-Year, $10.5M Deal with Giants, Poised to Lead New QB Room

The New York Giants have their new starting quarterback. Russell Wilson is signing a one-year,…

2 hours ago

Anthony Davis Returns As Mavericks Roll Past Nets

Monday night’s matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets also featured Anthony Davis’ return…

2 days ago

After Trump Order Banning Transgender Athletes In Women’s Sports, Texas Sues NCAA To Require Sex Testing

In accordance with an executive order by President Donald Trump banning transgender women from women's…

2 days ago

Bronny James Improves, Strikes Back At Critics: ‘People Think I’m A F—ing Robot’

Bronny James, son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, was drafted to his father's…

3 days ago

After Bill Chisholm Buys Boston Celtics For Record $6.1 Billion, Will He Spend Whatever It Takes To Keep ‘Raising Banners’?

In 2002, the Grousbeck family purchased the Boston Celtics for $360 million. On Thursday, following…

4 days ago