Toronto sports fans are in a good mood right now, but it has nothing to do with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

While the Maple Leafs have nine games left in their season and are virtually guaranteed to miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-16 season, the Toronto Blue Jays are about to kick off their 2026 season with their home opener against the Athletics on Friday night. The Jays are coming off of a magical 2025 season that saw them become one of MLB’s hottest teams throughout the summer and eventually make their first World Series since 1993. It ended in heartbreak for fans, with a Game 7 loss at home, but at the same time, it ignited a new flame of hope for the fanbase to carry into 2026.

A couple of Blue Jays, including George Springer and Ernie Clement, who both played hockey before switching to baseball full time, were in attendance for the Maple Leafs’ 4-3 win over the New York Rangers on Wednesday night. Freshly signed ace Dylan Cease was also in attendance along with recently signed Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto. Following the Maple Leafs’ win, John Tavares spoke to reporters about how important the support between the two clubs is to the city.

“Regardless of the circumstances for us, I think it’s great,” Tavares told reporters. “The support for us, certainly what they did for this city last year, and obviously what they’re hoping to do this year, the excitement that everyone has for them, including us. We love supporting them.”

Blue Jays fever was in full swing when the Leafs started the 2025-26 season, with the majority of their playoff run taking the spotlight in October, and Tavares says that the Maple Leafs are looking forward to seeing if the Jays can finish their business along with the rest of the Jays fanbase.

“It was unreal getting to take in their run,” Tavares said. “The excitement, the determination for them to go back out, do it again and finish the job, really cool to have that experience and share the admiration for one another.”

Clement joined Ryan Leslie on the Maple Leafs’ pregame show and talked about how he plays baseball like a hockey player, and elaborated on that notion to Sportsnet’s Shawn McKenzie during the game.

“Whatever it takes to win, put the body on the line,” Clement said. “I learned all of that on the ice. I’ve got all the respect in the world for those guys down there, it’s an amazing sport.”

The Maple Leafs will be in St. Louis to take on the Blues on Saturday while the Jays welcome the Athletics for a three-game series to kick off the MLB season.