Whew, Game 7 brought all the smoke, and yeah, the Maple Leafs and Panthers went full throttle in this do-or-die playoff brawl. And guess who rolled up courtside for the chaos? None other than Justin Bieber and wife Hailey, vibing in the building as Toronto’s hopes unraveled like a sad love song. The Leafs, rocking home-ice at Scotiabank Arena, got absolutely steamrolled by the Florida Panthers, 6-1, in front of a heartbroken crowd. This wasn’t just a loss; it was a full-on playoff heartbreak, wrapped in blue and white.

Toronto could’ve snagged their biggest postseason W in 23 years, but instead? The Cats clawed their way in and said, ‘not today.’ And poor Justin Bieber? Just out there trying to enjoy playoff hockey while getting blamed for crushing an entire nation’s dream and a superstar’s wallet.

None other than Drake hopped on Instagram stories after the loss with the coldest two words: “Bieber curse…” And just like that, Justin Bieber’s name is getting tossed around like a bad-luck charm wrapped in a hoodie. Now, Drake wasn’t just sad about the scoreboard, he had real dollars on the line—a massive $1 million bet on the Maple Leafs taking Game 7. Yep, man really believed the Buds were gonna bring the fire, and had that actually happened, he would have walked away with a pretty penny of $2.13 million. What’s more? He also put in an additional $250k on Auston Matthews and co. winning by 2 goals. That result would have brought him a payout of $2 million. Instead, the Leafs served up an ice-cold L. So while Justin Bieber was just vibing in the crowd, fans (and one very salty rapper) are out here turning him into the fall guy for Toronto’s playoff collapse. But is blaming Bieber really a good idea? After all, the rapper has got a history of taking big Ls in betting.

Let’s take a trip back to 2024 when Drake suffered another massive setback in the world of wild betting adventures. He dropped a spicy $355,000 on Mike Tyson to beat Jake Paul in their much-hyped showdown in Texas, but plot twist, Jake walked away with the win, and Drizzy’s bet? Poof, gone. He had the odds lined up at 2.85, dreaming of a $1 million+ payday, but it was just another day of shattered hopes and expensive lessons. The fight was streamed live on Netflix, and when the final bell rang, so did the sound of another one of Drake’s betting dreams crumbling into dust.

Yeah, Drake’s L streak in sports betting is practically its own saga. Dude lost $1 million betting Argentina would beat France within 90 minutes at the 2022 World Cup final (they won, just not on his clock). Then he threw down $1.2 mil on Jake Paul beating Tommy Fury. In 2023? He backed Tyson Fury with $565K against Usyk… and yep, lost again. Sure, he did snag a cheeky $425K win when Alex Poatan beat Jamahal Hill. So it’s not like Drake’s luck in betting never works in his favor. Maybe that gave him the confidence to pin the Maple Leafs’ loss on the “Bieber curse.” But then again…

What is this Justin Bieber curse?

Back in 2019, the Toronto Maple Leafs saw their playoff dreams come crashing down in Game 7? They got smoked 5-1 by the Bruins in Boston, and let’s just say things got ugly early. Poor Frederik Andersen let in a goal, and the vibes? Oh, the vibes were not it. But here’s the plot twist: instead of pointing fingers at the usual suspects; goalie, defense, coaching, Leafs fans decided to aim their frustration at… wait for it… Justin Bieber.

Turns out, he was spotted in the arena that night, and suddenly the curse radar went off. Leafs Nation dragged him right into the hockey heartbreak like he’d tripped the team with his hoodie strings. Apparently, Bieber’s been carrying a jinx that feels suspiciously familiar, you know, like the notorious “Drake Curse.” that cost them Game 4. Game 6? Bieber posted a Leafs logo on his Insta, and boom, another L. It’s almost like his fandom is a trapdoor for teams.

As one fan passionately yelled into the social media void, “I think Justin Bieber cursed the Leafs, not Drake. #HotTake” and someone instantly agreed like, “OMG you’re totally right. He sent out a pic of the Leafs logo on IG game 6 and they lost and now he’s at game 7.” Even the Bruins couldn’t help but poke fun at the chaos. After the win, Boston’s own David Pastrnak tossed a little digital shade and tweeted, “Not today” tagging Bieber. That tweet alone had the internet spiraling. Whether it’s superstition or just good ol’ playoff pain, one thing’s for sure: when it comes to the Leafs and heartbreak, there’s always a celebrity cameo and a whole lotta drama.