Commuters on the Gardiner Expressway this week may have noticed a Boston Pizza billboard proclaiming ‘Boston’s out. Auston’s in.’

The popular Canadian restaurant chain has decided to unofficially change its name to ‘Auston Pizza’ after the Toronto Maple Leafs advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs and the Boston Bruins were eliminated in humiliating fashion.

“We're calling ourselves Auston Pizza in Toronto for the time being,” Sean Megna, marketing manager at Boston Pizza, told CP24.

“It's just our way of reminding Torontonians and Canadians as a whole that we're sports fans too. We like to have fun, and it's not just us pouring the beer and making the pizza, we're there cheering alongside you and having a lot of fun.”

Auston refers to Leafs superstar and former number one overall pick Auston Matthews, who has yet to comment on his new namesake.

"We created this billboard to speak directly to our Toronto audience and demonstrate that we are fully committed to supporting them throughout the playoffs,” says Niels Van Oyen, Director of Marketing at Boston Pizza.

“We also acknowledge the significance of Toronto's advancement and the rarity of their bitter rivals losing in a heartbreaking series."

The Leafs advancing past the first round of the playoffs for the first time in almost 20 years was a stunning achievement, but many pundits picked the Leafs to win their series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Bruins’ playoff collapse was completely unexpected.

Boston won the Presidents’ Trophy this year, awarded to the team with the most points in the regular season.

The team also set a league record for both wins (65) and points (135), making them the overwhelming favourite to win the Stanley Cup.

But last season’s Presidents’ Trophy winners, the Florida Panthers, had other ideas. They shocked the Bruins in overtime of Game 7 after climbing back from a 3-1 series deficit, setting up a second round series with the Leafs.

Although Toronto now faces a less daunting opponent, many Leafs fans had already pencilled in a matchup with the Bruins, and had their sights set on revenge.

Boston eliminated the Leafs in heartbreaking fashion in Game 7 of the first round in 2013, 2018 and 2019.

And their Original Six rivalry goes back many decades. The teams have played each other 16 times in the playoffs, each winning eight.

Edmonton Pizza?

Aside from its name, Boston Pizza doesn’t have any connection to the city of Boston.

It began as Boston Pizza and Spaghetti House, opened by Greek immigrants in Edmonton in the 1960s.

And Megna says the chain is working on creating another viral marketing campaign in its founding city, where the Edmonton Oilers – the only other Canadian team in the playoffs – are also set to begin their second round series this week.

“We do everything we can to put together great ideas and our whole team has been quite happy with this,” Megna said.

“And we're looking forward to positive sales, unreal atmospheres in our sports bars and our really strong gratitude for Toronto as well as Edmonton.”

‘Auston Pizza’s’ many locations across the Greater Toronto Area are sure to be packed tonight when the Leafs host Florida at 7 p.m., and Megna says Panthers fans are welcome to join. 

“Boston Pizza welcomes every single Florida Panthers fan,” he said.

“I know they're trying to exclude some Canadians but they're all welcome with us – all 15 of them.”