Legend Wendel Clark Reveals One of Doug Gilmour's Guilty Secrets During Run with Leafs

The Game 1 lineup against the Florida Panthers has already been set, and the buzz around the Toronto Maple Leafs is high as they get ready for Round 2 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Scotiabank Arena in Toronto will be filled with, and surrounded by, Leafs fans hoping for a deep playoff run, which would be the first in over 20 years.

While fans are sure to be hyped, players have to be cautious in order to avoid being swarmed. Former team captain Wendel Clark says Doug Gilmour had a secret strategy in 1993 for avoiding the mob of fans outside of what was then known as Maple Leaf Gardens -- and it's something that might still work today.

According to Clark, Gilmour, who was named the 13th greatest Maple Leafs player in history by Sportsnet, would wear his own jersey while leaving the arena with a hoodie underneath that allowed him to cover his head. By doing so, he looked like just another fan as he left after a game.

The 1993 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs saw the Maple Leafs make it all the way to the conference finals before losing to the LA Kings in seven games. The Kings then went on to lose to the Montreal Canadiens in the final, marking the last time a Canadian team won a Stanley Cup.

Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube is expecting a physical Round 2 series against the Florida Panthers. If the Maple Leafs play well, a few members of the team may have to use Gilmour's trick for getting out of the arena following wins.