NHL Draft: “Go Leafs Go” at Tropicana Field

The lottery for the top pick in the upcoming National Hockey League draft took place last night (Tuesday), coinciding with the Toronto Blue Jays' game at the Tampa Bay Rays' home stadium.

The Blue Jays' neighbors in the City of Kings, the Maple Leafs, had the fifth-best odds of winning the lottery, but could also have lost their first-round pick if it had fallen outside the top five. In that case, the pick would have gone to the Boston Bruins as part of last year's Brandon Carlo trade at the trade deadline.

Against all odds, and much to the delight of Leafs fans who have had a rough season, Toronto won the lottery and will be able to draft Gavin McKenna next June.

And that joy carried over to Tropicana Field, as Jays (and Maple Leafs) fans chanted “Go Leafs Go” during the announcement.

The fans here at the Trop are really into it. Just heard a couple of “Go Leafs Go” chants moments after the Maple Leafs won the NHL draft lottery.

— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) May 5, 2026

It was a rare glimmer of hope for Toronto fans, as after a tough hockey season, things aren't looking much better on the baseball front in 2026.

In fact, on a night when the offense continued to struggle, the Blue Jays had a good chance to pull off a close win against the Rays last night.

Kevin Gausman pitched six solid innings, allowing just two runs, six hits, and one walk, while striking out three batters. His average fastball velocity had climbed to 94.4 MPH, which was encouraging compared to his previous two starts.

But after handing the ball to Tyler Rogers with a lead in the eighth inning, the reliever allowed runs for only the second time this season, and the lead turned into a 4-3 loss for the Jays.

This loss brings the Blue Jays' record to 16-20 this season. The excitement surrounding the first overall pick in the NHL draft has given way to disappointment among Toronto fans.

Created by humans, assisted by AI.