It’s been a surreal few days for Jason Maslakow, but the Toronto Maple Leafs superfan now known as Dart Guy said it’s a been a dream come true.
On Saturday, as the Leafs evened up the Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals against Washington in Game 2, Maslakow inadvertently clinched a little glory himself from the stands.
A camera panned his way during the double-overtime nail-biter, and a meme was born.
The image has spawned scores of parodies and gained the attention of the team and the NHL. Leafs fans on social media have changed their profile photos in a show of solidarity.
“I could have never fathomed something like this would have happened,” Maslakow said on the Kelly Cutrara Show on Monday.
LISTEN: Jason “Dart Guy” Maslakow joins the Kelly Cutrara Show on AM640
Though it was his painted face and blue beard — and that dangling unlit cigarette — which were on display in the now-viral image, his get-up didn’t stop there. He had also shaved “Go Leafs go” and the Stanley Cup into his head.
“I’ve never really done it at a regular season game, but going to Washington there for Game 2, I was not going to miss the opportunity to troll the Washington fans a little bit with my get-up,” he said.
Maslakow, who drove to the game from Waterloo, Ont., with a few friends, explained he had no idea he had been caught on camera until a reporter from The Washington Post approached him for an interview.
Thanks to the Leafs, Maslakow said he’ll be at the Air Canada Centre on Monday night for Game 3. And for Game 4, he’ll be a guest of radio host John Derringer of Q107, a sister station to AM640.
And yes, he explained while pulled over on the side of the highway on the way to Toronto on Monday afternoon — he’ll be dressed up.
“I’m actually already done up,” he said. “I’m driving down the 401 and people are giving me some weird looks.”
Comments