Toronto Maple Leafs fans travel well. Beyond typically drowning out the home crowd in nearby NHL cities like Ottawa and Buffalo, they make sure to represent in almost every arena around the league. If a trip to Scotiabank Arena proves prohibitively expensive and/or inaccessible, perhaps it’s time to hit the road and see just how far Leafs Nation extends.
The dawn of a new season offers a fresh slate of opportunities to combine travel with cheering on the Maple Leafs. If you are looking to venture outside of Toronto to follow the club this season, the 2025-26 schedule presents some pretty intriguing options.
Here are the top five:
5) New Jersey -> New York (March 4-5)
Maple Leafs fans in a New York state of mind can hit the road for a back-to-back set of games against the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers. While Newark doesn’t offer much to get excited about, fans could plan a short foray into Jersey to swing by the Prudential Center for the first half of the back-to-back as Toronto meets former head coach Sheldon Keefe and the Devils. From there, it’s roughly a 40-minute drive straight to Madison Square Garden.
With all due respect to Jersey, New York is the selling point here. With the game against the Rangers falling on a Thursday, you could even plan a full weekend in the Big Apple. There’s never a shortage of things to do in New York City, plus there’s bound to be a Knicks game in there somewhere (the NBA schedule will be released later this week).
4) Calgary -> Edmonton (February 2-3)
If you’re looking to stay within Canada, a trip out west to Alberta offers an ideal balance of star power on the ice and incredible scenery and attractions off of it. Start your getaway with some weekend exploration (and maybe some skiing) in nearby Banff and Lake Louise before hitting the Scotiabank Saddledome on Feb. 2 and then Rogers Place on Feb. 3.
Beyond being in pretty good company alongside a strong contingent of Toronto fans in Western Canada, you’d get the chance to see former (and maybe future?) Maple Leaf Nazem Kadri and the Calgary Flames, followed by an always-anticipated showdown against Connor McDavid and the two-time reigning Stanley Cup finalist Edmonton Oilers. This would offer the latest opportunity to see McDavid take on Auston Matthews immediately before they head off to Italy to represent Team Canada and Team USA, respectively, at the Winter Olympics.
3) Seattle -> Vancouver (January 29-31)
The back-to-back in Calgary and Edmonton is part of a season-high six-game road trip for the Maple Leafs (split up by the Olympic break), featuring three very different travel pairings. If venturing to Alberta isn’t your cup of tea, perhaps you’d prefer to catch the post-Olympic Florida swing that will see Toronto visit the Tampa Bay Lightning and the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers. Or you could go watch them start the trip in the Pacific Northwest.
After playing their final home game for over a month on Jan. 27 against the Buffalo Sabres, the Maple Leafs will head to Seattle to face the Kraken before heading back inside Canadian borders to visit the Vancouver Canucks. Fans can take in games in both Seattle’s state-of-the-art Climate Pledge Arena and Vancouver’s newly renovated Rogers Arena while also enjoying plenty of stunning Pacific scenery, including mountain and ocean views.
You Might Also Like
- Top 5 2025-26 Road Trips for Maple Leafs Fans
- Dominoes of Dubas Nearly Leaving Leafs for Different GM Job
- How Craig Berube Is Reshaping the Maple Leafs’ Identity
- Dubas Nearly Never Leafs GM, Canadiens Trade & NHL More Rumors
- Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Contender Status Falling, Kokkonen Leaves & Robertson’s Balanced Deal
2) Washington -> Nashville (December 18-20)
Christmas could come early (by a few days anyway) for fans looking to catch the Maple Leafs when they visit Washington, D.C. and Nashville for games against the Capitals and Predators. Although this likely wouldn’t be a road trip given the 10-hour drive between cities, a flight time of under two hours and an off day in between enables what would be a pretty unique travel one-two punch.
This is a chance to see the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, Alex Ovechkin, followed by one of the league’s most fun in-arena experiences at Bridgestone Arena, home of the Predators. From a travel standpoint, there would be enough time to experience all that the nation’s capital has to offer before moving on to Broadway to enjoy Nashville’s world-famous country music scene. For those ambitious enough (and with deep enough pockets), there’s even the chance to round out the trip with a visit to Dallas to see Toronto tangle with the Stars on Dec. 21.
1) Colorado -> Utah -> Vegas (January 12-15)
Speaking of ambitious, following the Maple Leafs for three games in four days in Colorado, Utah, and Vegas certainly qualifies. In what promises to be a tough slate of games early in the new year, fans would be able to watch Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and the Stanley Cup-contending Colorado Avalanche, then catch the newly rebranded Utah Mammoth and, of course, pay a visit to the Vegas Golden Knights’ T-Mobile Arena, the new home of former Mapel Leaf Mitch Marner.
Marner and the Golden Knights make their lone trip to Toronto on Jan. 23, meaning that the game on Jan. 15 is the Maple Leafs’ first chance to renew acquaintances with last season’s team-leading scorer. If that’s not enough, Colorado and Utah present opportunities to ski or snowboard (if you can make time for it). And a couple of days in Vegas at the end of the trip wouldn’t hurt.
There are plenty of more convenient (and budget-friendly) ways to see the Maple Leafs on the road. They are set to make two trips each to play the Sabres, Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens. These suggested getaways, however, are geared towards hockey fans looking to venture further from home to cheer on their team. So, whether you want to go far to follow the club or keep things close, there are plenty of options to make memories while getting your Maple Leafs fix away from Scotiabank Arena this season.
