Frederik Andersen appears to take subtle jab at Maple Leafs fans

It was a relationship that ran its course, though with the way that one side has fared since the breakup, the other is probably wishing that things could go back the way they once were. 

The Toronto Maple Leafs moved on from goaltender Frederik Andersen, who enjoyed plenty of great moments during his time playing in the hockey hotbed. But he was supplanted by the upstart Jack Campbell, whom the Leafs saw fit to reward with a multi-year contract extension after starting him over Andersen in last year's Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Hurricanes are in town, and all signs point to Andersen getting the start against his former team. And prior to tonight's game at Scotiabank Arena, Andersen spoke of his five years spent with the Leafs.

“I dealt with a lot of different things that you don’t see,” Andersen said. “Definitely before the pandemic was a fun time for me, and I think the world changed quite drastically, and it was never the same."

“Definitely enjoyed the first few years I was here.”

Of course, Leafs fans are among the most passionate and demanding of their beloved athletes in professional sports, and it's not always easy when things aren't running smoothly. 

“When things are going well, they want you to cheer for you. They want you to do well, to play well for the city,” Andersen said. “I guess different fan bases express that differently.”

Since joining Carolina, Andersen has been lights out. A 30-8-2 record with an impressive 2.06 goals against average and .929 save percentage is enough to make anyone enjoy the action again. 

“Just really enjoying playing again,” Andersen said.

“We have a really good D corps. So many players I’ve been really impressed with seeing up close. The whole team, the buy-in from everyone is huge. It helps knowing where everyone is going to be and knowing we can trust each other out there.”