Maple Leafs fans under fire for disrespecting Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau in pre-game ceremony

The 2024-25 NHL season will be marked by Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau's tragic passings. Teams across the league are paying tribute to the brothers, who passed away in late August.

Last night, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators met on the ice for the Leafs' first pre-season game, and unfortunately, while the entire arena held a moment of silence in the Gaudreaus' honor, a few Leafs fans decided to cheer for their team, screaming "Go Leafs Go."

Check out the awkward moment in the video below:

The fans who did so completely disrespected the Gaudreau family, but also all the players on the ice who are still affected by the tragedy. We can't help but think about Chris Tanev, the new Leafs defenseman who played his first game in Toronto last night. He was Gaudreau's teammate for two seasons with the Calgary Flames.

Many teams that were in action last night took a moment before the start of the game to honor the Gaudreau brothers, including the Seattle Kraken, the New Jersey Devils, the Edmonton Oilers, and many more.

Leafs fans continue to show that they're one of the most toxic fanbases in the NHL, disrespecting their own players in their grieving process.

In the end, the Ottawa Senators ended up beating the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-5 in overtime. It's safe to say that the Leafs fans who disrespected the Gaudreaus during the pre-game ceremony only got what they deserved.