Popular Orillia video game streamer Cody Burnett is doing his part to make sure the most passionate Toronto Maple Leafs fans get to experience the team's memorable playoff run.
Burnett, who is known as @Xposed on social media channels, has given away more than 20 pairs of tickets throughout the playoffs. It’s cost him between $20,000 and $30,000, he estimates.
“Growing up, I was always a broke kid who dreamed of going to Leafs games,” he said. “I didn’t go to my first Leafs game until I was around 18 years old.”
Burnett, who quit his job at an Orillia call centre to become a gamer a few years ago, is no longer broke. He has found success as a video game streamer. His videos regularly garner tens of thousands of views.
That success led to a deal with stake.com, which gives him money to play with and, in return, he keeps a percentage of the winnings he earns while playing casino games.
That partnership also spawned a meeting with Drake where he taught the renowned rapper how to set up his own stream.
With ticket prices being at an all-time high during the playoffs, Burnett says he wanted to help people who couldn't afford tickets to be able to experience the excitement of a playoff game.
"A part of the reason I’m giving these tickets away is because I’m so excited for this team," he said. "I want other people to enjoy that same excitement.”
You two are going to the game tomorrow night! I’ll be sending you a DM now. https://t.co/sHTCRESlvy
— Xposed (@Xposed) May 2, 2023
As a Leafs fan, Burnett says the blue and white have put him through a lot of pain and heartache over the years. Before recently eliminating the Tampa Bay Lightning from the playoffs on Saturday, the Leafs hadn't won a playoff series since 2004 — when Burnett was in Grade 4.
Burnett, 26, says giving away tickets is a way for him to help his favourite team get closer to winning a Stanley Cup.
“I’m a season’s ticket holder and go to a lot of games where sometimes it’s quiet,” he said, referencing the corporate crowd at Scotiabank Arena. “I want to put some passionate fans in the building who are going to be loud.”
The people who have so far received tickets from Burnett have been “full of joy,” he says.
“Everybody is sending me messages and pictures to thank me,” he said. “It just brings me back to when I was a kid and couldn’t afford it. It really hits home hard.”
The Twin Lakes Secondary School graduate has been to every Leafs home game during the playoff run so far, and he plans on travelling to Florida on Friday to cheer on his team in Game 3 of the second-round series with the Panthers.
If the Leafs can make it to the Stanley Cup finals, Burnett vows to be in the arena for the potential clinching game. He says he will continue to bring passionate fans with him along for the journey.
“I plan on giving away more and more tickets as they move on,” he said. “It would mean everything to me if they could win the Cup.”
