It’s not something P.K. Subban is going to shout from the rooftops these days considering the jersey he wears, but the Montreal Canadiens star defenceman grew up a Toronto Maple Leafs fan.
The Maple Leafs are in the midst of an horrendous regular season and Subban says it’s hard seeing what the team is going through.
“In my heart, obviously I’m from Toronto, I grew up there, I always like to see the Leafs do well. Just not as well as we’re doing,” Subban told Dean Blundell & Co. on Sportsnet 590 The Fan Wednesday. “But it is tough to see the team going through what they’re doing now.
“It’s a tough league every year, and you can only afford to look at yourself and your team.”
Listen: P.K. Subban on Maple Leafs, Carey Price and rivalry with Lightning
The Maple Leafs’ season has seen a head coach fired, copious amounts of jerseys tossed onto the ice and recently several of the team’s stars have criticized how hard fans and media can be on certain players and the team as a whole.
Subban knows what it’s like to be under the microscope in a hockey hotbed. He wouldn’t go so far as to compare the two cities but said the Maple Leafs players should embrace the market they play in.
“I’ve never played in Toronto, so I’ve never been in that dressing room when things are tough or things are going well,” Subban said. “Walking around the city, even in the summertime – I live in downtown Toronto, I train there – they talk about the Leafs a lot, and I hear it. People talk about the Leafs to me all the time.
“As a player you have to come to expect that. You’ve got to know that in those markets that’s what you’re playing in, and I’ve learned to embrace that. Winning or losing, going through tough times or great times, you have to learn to embrace it because they are special places to play.
“But it can be tough at times to play in those markets. It’s not easy.”
The 2013 Norris Trophy winner is once again among the NHL’s top-scoring blueliners with 49 points through 67 games. The 25-year-old is on pace to set career highs in goals, assists and plus/minus and has helped lead his team to the top spot in the NHL standings as of Wednesday.
The Canadiens were edged by the Lightning 1-0 in overtime Tuesday, a loss Subban says he looks forward to avenging next Monday when the Habs fly to Tampa.
Fans can watch the Canadiens host the Ottawa Senators Thursday on Sportsnet East. NHL regional restrictions apply.
