October 2, 2026

BURGER BOYS FEED ‘SOME BIG BOYS,’ AS ISLANDERS BACK IN GRAVENHURST FOR WEEKEND TEAM BONDING AND TRAINING CAMP DAY BEFORE LOSING 2-1 TO LEAFS IN LONG ISLAND SEASON OPENER WEDNESDAY

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GRAVENHURST — Eat your heart out Bracebridge!

After the Leafs opted out of Muskoka this year for a weekend BBQ at Austin Matthews’ Arizona home …..

The Islanders moved into the Graeme Murray rink here Tuesday morning for a practice and scrimmage before boarding a bus and afternoon flight back to Long Island to host the Maple Leafs Wednesday night.

But not before a quick bite outside their Gravenhurst dressing room courtesy of the Burger Boys catering.

“Right off the ice, they had their flip flops on,” said Burger Boy Marc Ricard, who recently received an Instagram message from the Islanders asking if they’d do food for 40.

“They had some lunch, then went back inside, had their shower and jumped on the bus to head to Toronto (and fly out) for last night’s game.” Their season-opener, which the Leafs won 2-1.

Ricard, who was alone serving, said they were “some big boys” who were pretty hungry after their workout and enjoyed the cookout.

**Islander star defenceman Matthew Schaefer was among players on the ice in Gravenhurst for a practice and scrimmage Tuesday morning. PHOTO Bryan White, Burger Boys**

So how did this happen?

“They just Instagrammed me and asked if we would like to do it,” said Ricard. “And I said, ‘yeah!’”

“We fed them smoked pork loin and crispy chicken sandwiches with a couple salads (coleslaw and quinoa) on a small table I set up.”

But sadly none of their famous burgers.

Ricard had to bite his tongue, he was so excited, because he’s a huge Leafs fan — his email is Leafiest1@gmail.com And the other half of the Burger Boys — his business partner — is Patrick Roy. How hockey is that?

The recommendation came from high up.

New Isles team captain Bo Horvat — the 2026 Team Canada Olympian — has a cottage on Lake Muskoka cottage and is married to former Gravenhurst mayor Paisley Donaldson’s daughter Holly.

Team captain and Lake Muskoka cottager Bo Horvat told Marc Ricard he and the Islanders were “pretty confident” leaving camp in Gravenhurst and heading into the season. They finished just outside the playoff last season with a 43-34-5 record. PHOTO Bryan White, Burger Boys

Yesterday at Gull Lake Rotary Park, where the Burger Boys have had their permanent takeout restaurant the past two years on deck next to the ball park (after two years on the main street), Ricard said the Isles stayed at the Muskoka Bay Club, where they played a golf tournament Saturday as part of the usual “team building and bonding weekend.”

It’s the same practice the Leafs did in Gravenhurst for a few years over a decade ago, before they moved up to Bracebridge when they opened their new digs a couple seasons back. Muskoka Bay is also where Oilers captain has quietly hosted a golf tournament for the past four years.

‘Coming for years’

“It’s a quiet thing. They come here every year. People don’t know, but they’ve been coming for years. I think it’s just been kept under wraps.”

In a Burger Boys social media post earlier Thursday, they wrote:

“We’ve been keeping one pretty incredible secret. Tuesday we had the absolute honour of catering for the New York Islanders during their two-day team bonding trip right here in Gravenhurst. We were sworn to secrecy — and trust us, sitting on this news was not easy ….

“To have an NHL team gather here in town and invite Burger Boys to help feed them was genuinely special. It’s one of those experiences that makes us stop, smile and appreciate just how lucky we are to do what we do in a community we love.

“A huge thank-you to the entire Islanders organization for the opportunity. We also appreciate Team Captain Bo Horvat and the players taking time to chat and join us for a photo before hitting the road for their season opener against the Maple Leafs.

“From our little food stand at Gull Lake Rotary Park to feeding an NHL team, what a moment. We won’t forget this one anytime soon.

“Wishing the New York Islanders a fantastic season ahead — just not against our Maple Leafs.”

Ricard said he fed “some big boys” a quick bite of lunch Tuesday after practice before they boarded the bus, then the plane back to Long Island for their season opener the following night to the Leafs who won their first game of the season, 2-1. PHOTO Bryan White, Burger Boys

So despite his brush with the Isles, Ricard isn’t changing his NHL allegiance this season.

He spoke only briefly with centreman Horvat and the other players who he said were “pretty optimistic” about their upcoming season. They finished just outside the playoff last season with a 43-34-5 record.

Also watching Wednesday night’s game on TV Ricard recognized a lot of players who only a day before he’d served lunch.

But the 57-year-old St. Catharines native — who had a food truck in Port Colborne before he and his wife moved (around COVID) up to their Severn Bridge cottage where they live now and “was only a thought” when Toronto last won the Stanley Cup in 1967 — will stick with the Buds.

Even if they “can’t get any worse.

“It’s so frustrating to watch them,” Ricard said, noting “it’s been a while” since he was last down to see them play.

Meanwhile, he’ll keep feeding the Burger Boys’ mascot — a squirrel hanging around the deck — for a couple more weeks until Oct. 9, the Sunday of Thanksgiving.

While waiting for the season to play out and the Isles to come back.

And dreaming of an Instagram message from the Leafs.