Toronto Maple Leafs: Leo Komarov or the Piano Man?

Toronto Maple Leafs: Leo Komarov or the Piano Man?

Sep 23, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Leo Komarov (47) tries to get off a shot on Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Steve Mason (35) as forward Zack Stortini (45) defends during the second period at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Just when you thought you could not be more impressed with Toronto Maple Leafs forward Leo Komarov, it appears that he has more talents to show off. Most of us already know that he is a hitting machine, and that he can also speak four languages officially; Swedish, Finnish, Russian and English.

The Toronto Maple Leafs posted a link on twitter which revealed a hidden talent that Komarov can add to his impressive resume:

Here is the actual video:

As a musician myself (I have been playing piano for fourteen years, drums for six years, and a bit of guitar) I was intrigued to see what type of music Komarov is interested in. Now I won’t lie, I was hoping to hear some Rock n Roll music because of the reference to Billy Joel in the tweet.

Then I remembered that Komarov was born and raised in countries where classical music is the popular choice especially for those learning an instrument.

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Mar 16, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Leo Komarov (47) pins Winnipeg Jets defenceman Zach Bogosian (44) against the boards at the Air Canada Centre. Winnipeg defeated Toronto 5-4 in an overtime shoot out. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Why make a big deal about this? It is difficult enough to learn and master a second and third language, but Komarov knows four! On top of that he knows how to play a difficult instrument and still finds ways to make sure that he does not lose the ability to play it. Let us not forget that playing professional hockey involves; dedication, a lot of practice time and in most cases a lot time on the road where a piano is not always accessible.

Komarov is not the only player on the Toronto Maple Leafs who can play an instrument. Over the years there have been many players that have shown off their musical talents which shows a more personal side to these athletes that we did not know.

Joffrey Lupul plays the guitar and often has a guitar with him on the road which allows him to practice and spend some free time relaxing:

Matt Lashoff, a former Toronto Maple Leafs prospect, has an album on iTunes and some YouTube videos:

Skip to 6:50 of this video of Chad Kackert and Khalif Mitchell playing the piano on TSN’s OTR (Off the Record):

If I had to review Leo Komarov’s piano skills, I would say that they are pretty good considering the video was short and we did not get a chance to hear him play a whole song.

The interesting part about this Instagram video was that it was shot and posted on Petri Kontiola‘s account. He was cut by the Toronto Maple Leafs and demoted to the Toronto Marlies after demonstrating a difficulty in adjusting to the NHL style of hockey. Kontiola and Komarov probably spend a lot of time together given the fact that they are former international teammates for Finalnd. Maybe another video could be in the works in the future?