The Toronto Blue Jays’ magical playoff run ended in heartbreaking fashion as they fell 5-4 to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series. In what was deemed by many as one of the greatest Game 7s in baseball history, the two juggernauts duked it out for 11 innings with the championship on the line. Miguel Rojas’s tying home run in the ninth inning and a Will Smith home run in the 11th proved to be too much for the Blue Jays to overcome.

The Toronto Maple Leafs watched on as they returned home from Philadelphia, and were just as devastated as the millions of Jays fans who tuned in across the country.

“ It was tough, but I mean, they did an unbelievable job,” William Nylander said after Monday’s morning skate. “I thought they won like two or three times that game, so it was crazy.  They did an unbelievable job and just battling, competing.  Sucks to lose in Game 7, but I think they did a tremendous job.”

Nylander, like much of the current Leafs, knows all too well what it feels like to have your season come to an end in a Game 7, as it is a fate he has experienced six times to this point in his career. The emotional weight of the NHL team’s Game 7 losses is nothing compared to losing the championship-deciding game, but the devastation and anguish over lamenting on what could have been is there just the same.

Easton Cowan had that feeling in 2024, when his London Knights lost in the 2024 Memorial Cup Final to the Saginaw Spirit. Cowan was able to get his shot at redemption a year later and ended up getting the job done to put a bowtie on his OHL career.

“Obviously heartbreaking,” he said. “ You feel for those guys, they gave it their all. Unfortunate bounces and you feel for those guys for sure.”

The Blue Jays’ 2025 playoff run saw multiple instances of crossovers with the Maple Leafs that will be remembered for quite some time. Many Leafs were in attendance for Game 2 of the ALDS against the New York Yankees, with photos of them celebrating going viral on social media. Scotiabank Arena got loud on numerous occasions whenever the Jays were doing well, including during the home opener where fans erupted in “Let’s Go Blue Jays” chants after they took a 4-1 lead in Game 4 of the ALDS.

The Leafs adjusted the start time of multiple games to accommodate the Jays competing in the ALCS and the World Series. They also hosted numerous watch parties after their games, while opening up the arena for a watch party for Game 6 and 7 of the World Series. And who could forget Vladimir Guerrero Jr. rocking an Auston Matthews’ jersey before Game 7 against the Seattle Mariners, which Matthews returned the favour the next day after the Jays advanced to the World Series.

“It was heartbreaking, but I think as a fan – and certainly I think I can speak for a lot of people around the city – the fan base is extremely proud of the type of team. I think that’s the big emphasis is what a team that was,” John Tavares said. “The contributions from everybody, how they all relied on each other, how close they were, and how they left everything out there.”

It was undoubtedly a brutal ending to what was otherwise an incredible season for the Blue Jays. While the pain of getting to the limit of the journey and falling just short of the ultimate prize won’t subside for quite some time, there are certainly reasons to feel optimistic about the future of the Blue Jays and the possibilities that could come their way in the future.

“Obviously (they) were extremely close,” Tavares said. “It stings and hurts a lot cause of how close they were, how well they played, and just how they laid it all on the line.  But just a great team overall.”