Toronto Maple Leafs: MLSE Rewarding “Dart Guy” Irresponsible

The Toronto Maple Leafs organization has reportedly reached out to “Dart Guy” and provided him with tickets for Game 3 on Monday night at the Air Canada Centre, but what kind of a message does this send?

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a new face of the franchise. No, I’m not talking about the All-American wonder boy that is Auston Matthews; but rather a grown man who wears face paint to a game much like David Puddy and has a cigarette dangling out of the side of his mouth.

According to reports, “Dart Guy” is a 37 year-old Waterloo, Ontario resident named Jason Maslakow and he has become the new face of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Maslakow is an internet sensation and has become an immediate fan favourite to Leafs nation.

The Maple Leafs organization has reached out to Maslakow and provided him with free tickets for Game 3 on Monday night at the Air Canada Centre against the Washington Capitals.

It makes sense  that the internet would get behind a character like “Dart Guy.” The internet also finds amusement in characters like the “Cash Me Outside” teenaged girl or crying Michael Jordan memes.

More from Toronto Maple Leafs

• Maple Leafs Rumours: Half of NHL teams interested in Ilya Mikheyev
• Toronto Maple Leafs: How to address the goaltender position
• Leafs reward Timothy Liljegren with extension after breakout season
• Maple Leafs: Jack Campbell situation becoming increasingly uncertain
• Jason Spezza retires, joins Toronto Maple Leafs front office

However, to have the NHL and MLSE (Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment) support a guy with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and to encourage such behaviour is beyond irresponsible.

Since when does a sweaty guy with a ciggy in his mouth represent what the Toronto Maple Leafs organization stands for? Since when does the NHL and MLSE encourage and promote life threatening addictions as humorous or cool?

The Leafs organization could have handed out tickets to a single mother of two kids, who spends five nights a week driving her kids to hockey rinks across the GTA who simply can’t afford to bring her kids to a Leafs game, or perhaps reward a struggling university student with a 4.0 GPA Instead, they have chosen to reward a man who can’t wait five minutes to inhale tobacco smoke into his lungs and provide a nice wave of second-hand smoke to anybody within 50 feet of him.

The Toronto Raptors’ “Super Fan” Nav Bhatia is an excellent representation of what the city of Toronto is. Bhatia is a well-established business man who is always well dressed and ready to share a smile to anybody who greets him and is the perfect representation of the multiculturalism of Canadians and the people of the city of Toronto.

Maslakow may be a great guy to watch a game with and to share a $14 beer with down at the ACC, but he is a poor representation for what is supposed to be one of the more storied franchises in all sports. Rewarding his actions sets a very poor example for young people across the country.

According to Health Canada, 100 Canadians die each day from smoking-related illness. Can somebody remind the brass at MLSE and the NHL about that stat?

Now because of his new found internet fame, Maslakow will likely be front and centre at the ACC on Monday night with the camera’s panning on him several times throughout the broadcast and he will no doubt have another cigarette dangling out of his mouth to fulfill his obligations as “Dart Guy.”

Next: Leafs Stun Capitals in Double Overtime

When the people of Toronto say they want the Leafs organization to do what it did in 1967, we’re referring to winning the Stanley Cup; not having a smoke filled building full of men hacking on cancer sticks.

Go Leafs Go!

Editor’s Note: comments about Mr. Maslakow’s weight have been removed and we apologize for the inappropriate and insensitive comments.