Kasperi Kapanen buries Toronto media during Stanley Cup Final.

There has been a ton of talk around the National Hockey League as of late about the extreme pressures faced by players playing in Canadian hockey markets, and more importantly on how that pressure can impact players in the games themselves.

Much of that talk has of course stemmed from the fact that the Toronto Maple Leafs once again delivered an awful performance on home ice in Game 7 against the Florida Panthers, getting blown out in one of the more embarrassing losses we've seen in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Recently, Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane offered a different perspective on how that pressure can impact a player, with Kane clearly embracing it as fuel to motivate himself to play better, but is playing in Edmonton really comparable to playing in Toronto? Well at least one of Kane's teammates doesn't seem to think so.

Oilers forward Kasperi Kapanen was recently asked about this very topic and he was able to provide some unique insight into the discussion as a player that has experienced the pressure of both hockey markets, as well as a few other notable hockey markets around the NHL like the City of Pittsburgh and the City of St. Louis.

Kapanen, who was very honest with his answer, admitted that there was a different level of scrutiny when it comes to being a Maple Leaf. That being said, he also added that he believes his experiences as a Maple Leaf prepared him for the pressure he now faces while playing for the Edmonton Oilers.

"Media presence is big there and not always necessarily the best thing, but it does prepare you for the future," admitted Kapanen when speaking of Toronto. "Coming to Edmonton, with it being in Canada, I was used to it."

While both are Canadian cities that absolutely love their hockey team, Kapanen did admit that there is another degree of pressure when it comes to the Toronto hockey market.

"But I think you guys in Toronto, it’s still on another level," he admitted.

Do Kapanen's comments change your perspective on this ongoing conversation in the hockey community? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.