TORONTO – Sidney Crosby and his teammates landed in Toronto late Saturday night.
The Pittsburgh Penguins had just flown in from Winnipeg following a 5-2 loss to the Jets that afternoon.
The club’s superstar captain had a singular focus once the plane touched down — tuning into the conclusion of an epic World Series.
It didn’t, however, go the way Crosby and many fans across Canada had hoped for a team that captured the country’s attention and provided a new generation with memories to cherish throughout an unexpected run.
The Toronto Blue Jays suffered a devastating Game 7 loss in the winner-take-all showdown against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Two outs away from the franchise’s first title since going back-to-back in 1992 and 1993, the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead.
The Jays — a group that repeatedly pushed back in tough moments — had plenty of opportunities to capture their first Fall Classic in 32 years before the Dodgers snatched the trophy away 5-4 in 11 innings.
“I was pulling for them,” Crosby said Monday ahead of Pittsburgh’s game in Toronto against the Maple Leafs. “You just feel how bad everybody wanted to see the win. And it’s too bad with the way it ended up.
“Anything can happen in Game 7.”
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The Leafs watched the edge-of-your-seat World Series conclusion on their flight home from Philadelphia after topping the Flyers 5-2.
“It was heartbreaking,” Toronto centre John Tavares said. “I think I can speak for a lot of people around the city and the fan base … extremely proud of the type of team (the Jays are). And I think that’s the big emphasis is — what a team that was, and the contributions from everybody, and how they all relied on each other.”
Tavares added that the tight-knit Jays were an inspiration despite their dreams being crushed in the early hours of Sunday morning.
“They left everything out there, were extremely close,” he said. “Why it probably stings and hurts a lot, because 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.”
Leafs winger William Nylander, who has been part of six separate Game 7 defeats in the Stanley Cup playoffs, said the players were following along with every pitch.
“It was tough,” he said. “I thought they won it like two, three times that game. It was crazy. But they did an unbelievable job just battling and competing.”
Added Toronto rookie forward Easton Cowan: “You feel for those guys. They gave it their all … unfortunate bounces.”
Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. donned the jersey of Canadian women’s hockey legend Marie-Philip Poulin ahead of Game 7 at Rogers Centre after sporting the threads of Leafs captain Auston Matthews before the American League Championship Series finale against the Seattle Mariners.
“That was really cool,” Crosby, set to make his Olympic return with fellow NHLers at February’s Games in Italy, said of the slugger choosing to don Poulin’s No. 29. “She’s been so clutch over the years. And he was amazing, too, the whole playoffs, and has been.
“That was pretty neat to see.”
Just like watching the Jays’ run — for both regular fans and superstar athletes alike.
“Such an easy team to root for,” said Crosby, whose first Cup victory came in Game 7 over the Detroit Red Wings in 2009. “You could tell they were a tight group, just the way they played and how everyone chipped in at different points. It was a lot of fun to follow.
“Was hoping they’d find a way to pull it off.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 3, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
