Young Maple Leafs fan meets Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner after traveling to Tampa to see them play

A young Toronto Maple Leafs fan made the long journey to Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, Tuesday night to see his two favorite players, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, take on the Lightning. 

But the two star forwards were sitting out to rest ahead of the playoffs. 

Blake held up a sign behind the glass saying he had made the trip to Florida “to see my heroes play,” referencing No. 34 and No. 16. 

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Just before the game, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe announced Matthews and Marner would not be playing.

The image of young Blake went viral on social media, and apparently it reached the right people. 

The Maple Leafs posted a video after the game showing both Matthews and Marner meeting with Blake, signing his poster and a hockey stick and posing for a quick picture. 

On top of walking away with an unforgettable experience, Blake saw his team defeat the Lightning 4-3 before they travel to New York to take on the Rangers Thursday night. 

The Maple Leafs will face the Lightning again in the playoffs. Tampa Bay beat Toronto in the first round of last season’s playoffs en route to its third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.