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Maple Leafs' Core Four Spotted at Golf Club Days After Playoff Elimination

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated May 23, 2025 8:25 AM ET

Just three days after the Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, several of the team’s top players were photographed at a golf club in Ontario.

The picture, which surfaced on social media Thursday (h/t @NorrisWinner), shows team captain Auston Matthews, Core Four members Mitch Marner and John Tavares, and fellow Leafs players Jake McCabe and Max Domi dining at the Pulpit Golf Club in Caledon.

William Nylander, the fourth member of the Leafs' Core Four, joined Sweden at the IIFH World Championships earlier this week.

The viral image emerged after the Leafs were knocked out of the playoffs in a 6-1 Game 7 loss to the Florida Panthers on Sunday.

Toronto held a second-round series lead going up 2-0 and then again having a commanding 3-1 lead after four games, but the Leafs allowed three consecutive wins to Florida on the Panthers' way to the Eastern Conference finals.

Less than 72 hours after being embarassed in game 7, Matthews Marner, Tavares and the boys were spotted at Pulpit Golf Club in Caledon #Leafsnation pic.twitter.com/XiTMU6ZBCH
— Dany Heatley (@NorrisWinner) May 22, 2025

The Panthers’ Game 7 win marked the second time in three years that Toronto has been eliminated by Florida.

The photograph of the Leafs players at the golf course, which has already reached 1.5 million views on X, sparked mixed reactions online.

The moment comes amid continued speculation over roster and organizational changes, including the uncertain futures of Marner and Tavares are both set to become unrestricted free agents on July 1.

The players were last seen publicly during the Maple Leafs' end-of-season media availability on Tuesday.

Marner told reporters this week that he hasn’t processed what’s next, while Tavares said he’s optimistic about staying in Toronto following what he described as “positive conversations” with team management.

Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment announced on Thursday that team president Brendan Shanahan's contract won't be extended and that he will leave the franchise before the offseason.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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