The Toronto Maple Leafs and Raptors are happy to cede the civic sporting spotlight to the Blue Jays for a playoff run.
Members of the Raptors, who will reported for training camp on Tuesday, and the Maple Leafs, who are in the final stages of the pre-season, took questions from reporters about the Blue Jays' dramatic run to the AL East title.
Raptors wing RJ Barrett, a native of Mississauga, Ont., said the Blue Jays' play is inspiration for his team.
"Couple months from now, it's going to be us," he said. "That's the mindset. Definitely happy for them, cheering for them for sure. Here, we're trying to get back to the playoffs as well, make some noise. We're all about winning over here."
Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving congratulated the Blue Jays before he took questions from reporters.
“First off, congrats to the Jays,” Treliving said. “Good stuff to (manager) John (Schneider) and all the group down there. That’s awesome stuff and we look forward to watching next week.”
Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube paid a visit to the Blue Jays' clubhouse earlier this season.
"I think it was great to go in there and meet the coaching staff and the manager and a couple players ... Definitely makes it a little more personal for me," Berube said. "We're all excited here."
Next Wednesday (Oct. 8) is shaping up to be quite a day for Toronto sports fans. The Leafs play their season opener against the visiting Montreal Canadiens, while the Blue Jays could be on the road for Game 4 of the best-of-five ALDS.
