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Drake Loses $1.25M on Maple Leafs Game 7 Blowout, Blames the ‘Bieber Curse’
Even Drake can’t seem to beat the Justin Bieber curse. Global rap superstar and Toronto native Drake suffered a staggering $1.25 million loss on Sunday night after the Maple Leafs were decisively defeated by the Florida Panthers, 6–1, in Game 7 of their playoff series. The loss was a brutal end to the Leafs’ postseason hopes and a costly miscalculation for one of the team’s most high-profile fans.
Hours before the puck dropped, Drake shared his betting slip on Instagram, revealing a $1 million wager on a Maple Leafs win, alongside a $250,000 bet that they’d win by two or more goals. Neither came close to fruition, as Toronto struggled to keep pace in a game that quickly slipped out of reach.
Drake’s reaction to the loss? A cryptic, two-word story posted on Instagram: “Bieber curse,” referring to Justin Bieber.
Drake’s Instagram Post
Another well-known Leafs supporter, Justin Bieber, was in attendance at Scotiabank Arena with his wife, Hailey Bieber, watching from a private suite. The pop star posted photos from the game on social media, chronicling what was supposed to be a celebratory night. For years, fans have speculated—half-jokingly—about a so-called “Bieber Curse” that haunts teams the singer supports. Drake’s post seemed to play into that long-running superstition.
While the celebrity commentary grabbed headlines, the Maple Leafs faced a more tangible backlash. Home fans booed the team off the ice, with some throwing jerseys in frustration. The loss extends the franchise’s reputation for postseason heartbreak and has sparked renewed questions about its leadership and consistency under pressure.
Drake at the Maple Leafs Game
At the post-game press conference, head coach Craig Berube addressed both the loss and the visible discontent among fans.
“Frustration sets in when not everybody’s on board, doing the right things, and playing as a team,” Berube said. “You can’t go into a game like tonight and have any passengers.”
He acknowledged that Games 5 and 7 raised serious concerns about the team’s execution and sense of urgency. However, Craig Berube dismissed the idea that the team was overwhelmed by expectations, pointing to prior road victories as evidence of their potential. The issue, he insisted, was a failure to play the “right way” when it mattered most.
As the Leafs prepare for what is likely to be a long off-season of introspection and potential restructuring, attention is also turning to the team’s coaching and front-office decisions. For Drake, the Game 7 loss is just the latest in a series of high-stakes bets gone wrong, although this one hits particularly close to home.
Whether or not the so-called Drake “Bieber Curse” has any basis in reality, the combination of superstition, celebrity, and heartbreak has once again become part of the Maple Leafs’ postseason narrative.
And for now, Drake might want to stick to music—and maybe steer clear of the sportsbook.
