How Toronto’s sports teams have done in seventh games since 1985

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In professional sports, there is nothing like Game 7.

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All the pressure. All the stress. All the drama. All the excitement. Fans of Toronto sports teams often experience heartbreak, too, although that's not always the case.

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There's a great third Game 7 of 2025 on Saturday, this time between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers, and here's a look at how Toronto teams have fared in winner-take-all Game 7s since 1985:

2025:

This will be the second time in the playoffs that the Blue Jays will play a Game 7. In the American League Championship Series, the team memorably fell behind by two games and looked dead in the water, but won two straight games on the road. Toronto then took advantage of a 3–2 deficit to tie the game, setting up the final game ever. George Springer hit one of the biggest home runs in franchise history, leading the Jays to a comeback victory and their first trip to the World Series since 1992.

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Leafs fans also had a roller coaster ride this year in the series against defending champion Florida.

Despite building a 2-0 advantage and leading in Game 3, the Leafs lost in overtime, swept the next two games, and then eliminated the Panthers in Game 6.

Sounds good, right? Sure, but Game 7 was as one-sided as we've seen in Toronto sports history. The Panthers were on another level and won 6-1.

2020:

The defending champions were slowed by Covid layoffs but still thrived in the NBA bubble and took out Brooklyn before erasing Boston's 2-0 and 3-1 leads before ultimately falling to the Celtics in seven games.

2019:

Games for all the balls can't be better than this one. The Philadelphia 76ers fought the Raptors to a standstill for six games before putting the game away in Game 7.

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Then Kawhi Leonard unleashed the biggest shot in franchise history, hitting four baskets at the buzzer, and the Raptors rode that wave all the way to the NBA title.

2018

Maple Leafs vs Bruins, 2018

What a roller coaster this episode has been. The Leafs beat Boston 12–4 in the first two games, won Game 3, then fell behind the Bruins 3–1, but won Game 7 in their next two games. If that wasn't enough, who can forget that Toronto jumped out to a one-goal lead in the third period only to get tattooed with three Bruins goals and then Marchand's empty net, which was again sent in by Boston.

2016:

As the number of “We the Northern Predators” continued to grow, so did the expectations. The team pulled through, sweeping Indiana in seven games and then defeating Miami in Game 7 to reach the conference finals for the first time in history.

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2014

The Raptors energized the city by breaking a long playoff drought even though they were expected to struggle early in the season.

The Atlantic Division win gave Toronto home-court advantage in Game 7 after they lost Game 6 in Brooklyn to an experienced Nets team.

The former Air Canada Center was louder than ever before in this game, and it all came from a driving layup by Kyle Lowry that was blocked by future Hall of Famer Paul Pierce. The Raptors and the media covering the team packed their bags for the trip to Miami, thinking LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh would be next.

2013:

Another blow to the fans. The Maple Leafs somehow came back from being down 3-1 in the series against the elite Boston Bruins to force a Game 7, only to blow a 4-1 lead in the third period. Yes. Then they lost in overtime.

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2004:

Ottawa gained momentum after winning Game 6 in double overtime, but the Maple Leafs were not denied in the decider and were never threatened.

2003:

In a truly wild series that featured triple overtime, double overtime and one overtime in the first six games, Game 7 was like a coin toss. This is wrong. The Philadelphia Flyers scored early and often and won 6–1.

2002:

The Senators lost again to Toronto, losing Game 7 to Curtis Joseph 3-0 in the second round.

Toronto advanced by defeating the New York Islanders 4–2 in game seven.

2001:

Toronto had two shots to eliminate a stronger New Jersey team, but lost Game 6 at home and then was barely able to generate any offense in a dull 5-1 loss.

In basketball that year, Vince Carter was the most popular player in the NBA at the turn of the century, an ambitious shooting phenom who finally made the Toronto Raptors relevant.

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And he had a chance to lead them to the Eastern Conference finals when he headed to the corner in Philadelphia, tricked a defender into the air, and missed a 3-pointer as the clock ticked down. It bounced off the rim, the Raptors lost, and they won't be back on that stage for a long time.

1994:

Somehow, the San Jose Sharks, a team that finished below .500 in the regular season, advanced to the second round of the playoffs. The plucky Sharks even took a 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 series lead against the Leafs and shot wide of the goal post in overtime in Game 6 before the Leafs prevailed. Wendell Clarke's monster in Game 7 carried the Leafs to the conference finals for the second year in a row.

1993:

The great one was not denied and he capped off a season for the ages for the Maple Leafs.

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A laughingstock for years, the Leafs broke through, shocking top seed Detroit and then St. Louis in a pair of seven-game classics, and had two chances to beat Wayne Gretzky's Los Angeles Kings. Alas, Gretzky left with a high stick in Game 6 and then scored the overtime winner before taking the score up another notch with a hat trick in Game 7 to end the Leafs' season.

1987:

With the series against Detroit down 2–0 and 3–1 after winning in overtime in Game 4, the Maple Leafs then lost in Detroit, lost at home and were eliminated again in Game 7 in an epic collapse.

1986:

Wendell Clark's rookie season ended with a memorable 2-1 Game 7 loss in St. Louis.

1985:

The first playoff appearance in Blue Jays history ended in despair.

Toronto led 2–0 and 3–1 in the series against the Kansas City Royals before losing two in a row. However, the final was at home and for five innings everything looked good. But Dave Stieb faltered in the bottom of the sixth, the Royals scored four runs, and the comeback was not to be.

TOTAL RECORD SINCE 1985 IN GAME 7:

Blue Jays 1-1

Raptors 3-3

Maple Leafs 5-7

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