Jason Demers played only one of his 700 career games with the Edmonton Oilers, and he recently sounded off against Leafs fans and their Scotiabank Arena. The lower level at Scotiabank Arena, Toronto's venue for the Toronto Maple Leafs, is <a href='https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/auston-matthews-leafs-fans-quiet' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>often panned for its lack of sound and life</a>. NHL Network's <a href='https://x.com/jasondemers5' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Jason Demers</a>, a former Edmonton Oiler, recently addressed the issue during 'NHL Network Now' with Kevin Weekes and Kathryn Tappen. <h3>Jason Demers believes most Leafs fans in lower-bowl don't care</h3> «It's not the first time it's been said - I can't stand the lower bowl of Toronto,» said Demers, who played parts of 13 seasons in the NHL with five different teams. «It's corporate, it's not loud. There is no heartbeat there, and this team has been good for years.» <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/NHLNetwork/status/1882850860922753491'> </a></blockquote></div> The problem was argued in part in reaction to the Leafs' 5-1 defeat at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday night. Captain Auston Matthews exhibited <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/toronto-maple-leafs/auston-matthews-fires-shots-at-maple-leafs-fans-after-last-night-game' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>disappointment post-game with the muted reaction of the fan base</a>, stating that he would've liked a little more energy. Matthews singled out a high-energy bout between Leafs bruiser Ryan Reaves and Blue Jackets winger Mathieu Olivier, in which he hoped for an electrified arena but failed to deliver. <a href='https://x.com/BleacherReport/status/1882239877565366498' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>You can watch the Ryan Reaves fight here</a> Even Craig Berube, a seasoned NHL bruiser and head coach, singled out the bout amid the best of the season thus far. Yet, according to Demers, a similar episode transpired a year ago when then-Leafs goalie Ilya Samsonov was brilliant in a shutout, but received little applause. Nobody gave a crap, he added. «Yeah they haven't performed in the playoffs, but maybe do something. Yell a little bit. It happened last year with Ilya Samsonov,» Demers explained. «He had a huge game, had just come back up (from the Marlies), got a shutout, and he was getting no cheers. Nobody gave a crap.» The muted atmosphere is relegated to high-ticket lower-bowl accommodations, occupied for the most part by corporate clients. That's taken a toll in terms of a palpable disconnection from emotion and atmosphere in upper bowls. A change seems out of grasp, and one of the NHL's most stalwart fan bases continues to dream about a unifying and energetic atmosphere.