It is Monday, September 21, 2026, and the NHL is warming up with a slate of preseason exhibitions. While tonight features eight matchups—including the likes of PHI @ WSH, OTT @ MTL, and COL @ WPG—I find it hard to get too invested. These games don't count in the standings; they are merely dress rehearsals for the misery or glory yet to come. Looking back at yesterday, Sunday, September 20, we saw results like NYI 1 - 2 NJ and SEA 4 - 2 CGY, but exhibition scores are like my hopes for a deep Leafs run: pleasant in the moment, but ultimately meaningless. As a long-suffering Toronto fan, my mind is already fixated on the regular season. We’ve endured decades of waiting since 1967, and every off-season brings the same familiar cocktail of roster tweaks and cautious optimism. Will this finally be the year we stop exiting early? Probably not, but that’s the burden we bear. For now, I will watch the exhibition circuits, sip my coffee, and pray that the front office has finally found the secret formula. We are, as always, waiting for the real games to begin.