As the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers face off in an intense NHL playoff rivalry, an unexpected showdown is unfolding off the ice—between two libraries. The Toronto Public Library and Broward County Library in Florida have taken their team spirit to social media, engaging in a clever and good-natured back-and-forth of poetic trolling.
The Maple Leafs, representing Canada’s largest city, took an early lead in the playoff series, winning their first two games against the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers. Their most recent win, a close 4-3 victory in Game 2, sparked a wave of hometown pride and, in this case, some literary mischief.
This kind of friendly ribbing is a long-standing tradition during playoff season, particularly when teams from different countries or distinct regions clash. It’s not just the fans who get involved—city mayors often engage in public bets over playoff outcomes. Just this year, the mayors of Edmonton and Sunrise, Florida, where the Panthers are based, took part in a friendly wager to cheer on their respective teams.
In this case, however, it was the librarians who picked up the playful mantle.
It all began when staff at the Toronto Public Library took to X (formerly Twitter) with a cheeky poem and a photo of stacked books to express support for their hometown team. The poem read:
“Panthers are red
The Leafs are blue
Tonight is the night
That we win Game 2.”
The post was lighthearted and playful, using bookish charm to rally behind the Leafs. But it wasn’t long before the Broward County Library, which operates 37 branches near the Panthers’ home arena in Sunrise, Florida, responded in kind.
Their reply came in the form of a poem as well:
“We love Toronto
Their team is quite nice
But the Florida Panthers?
Well, we rule the ice!”
To add a clever twist, they included a photo of a children’s book titled Fall Leaves Fall, a witty jab at the ever-persistent debate over the Maple Leafs’ name. The title played on the plural form “leaves” versus “leafs”—a grammatical conundrum that has sparked debate among language lovers and hockey fans alike.
According to J.K. Chambers, a linguistics professor at the University of Toronto, the team’s name, “Maple Leafs,” while unusual, is grammatically valid. In a 2017 interview with the Washington Post, he explained that because “Maple Leaf” is treated as a proper noun, the plural “Leafs” is acceptable, even though “leaves” would be correct in most other contexts.
This poetic exchange between the two library systems is a delightful reminder that hockey isn’t just about goals and saves—it’s about community, culture, and creativity. The friendly trolling also highlights how public institutions can join in on the fun of sports rivalries while staying true to their missions.
As the playoff series continues, fans will be watching both the scoreboard and their social media feeds. Whether it’s on the ice or online, the competition between Toronto and Florida is proving to be both spirited and surprisingly literary.