Waterloo’s ‘Dart Guy’ says Leafs attention a dream come true

By Martin Bauman

It’s the face that launched a thousand memes.

Waterloo’s Jason Maslakow, now etched in Maple Leafs and internet lore as ‘Dart Guy,’ has become an overnight celebrity — all this after cameras captured his blue-and-white-painted face, cigarette dangling from his lips, midway through Game 2 between the Leafs and Capitals nailbiter.

“I was stressing out,” laughs Maslakow. “I was really into the game, and a little bit stressed with how it was going, so I threw a dart in my mouth to hold me over until intermission.”

Within seconds, his painted face was plastered across the web, appearing on everything from the Canadian five-dollar bill to Jack Nicholson in ‘The Shining.’

Now, as the Leafs enter Game 3 back in Toronto at the Air Canada Centre — and with Maslakow being invited by the franchise to watch the game in person — the Sudbury native is putting the war paint on again.

“Being a Leafs fan since I was a kid, bleeding blue and white, to be this connected to the Leafs fan base and the organization at this point in time is a complete dream come true,” says Maslakow.

“Truth be told, everyone’s been quite supportive and revelling in all the memes that are coming up on the internet — enjoying it just as much as I have.”

The hairdo is the work of Aaron Dorion, a barber at Precision Hair Gallery in Waterloo. As the story goes, the two originally connected ahead of the 2016 NHL Draft.

“He thought it’d be a good look for him to go down there with the original Leafs symbol on both sides, with a blue mohawk and blue goatee,” says Dorion. “I guess he got razzed a few times going over the border, but he ended up having drinks with Dominik Hasek at the end of the night, so I think he did well.”

The two stayed in touch since, and when Maslakow needed a ‘do ahead of Game 2 in Washington, he called on Dorion again.

“I’ve got a very outgoing personality, and I wanted to show my support for the Leafs and the Leafs fan base walking into Washington,” says Maslakow. “The idea of trolling the Washington fans a little bit didn’t hurt the situation any.”

Now, the man known as ‘Dart Guy’ prepares for a hero’s welcome at the ACC in a series where he’s unexpectedly become a part of the narrative.

As for the game?

“I’ve never been to a Leafs playoff game in Toronto,” says Maslakow, “so I’m just hoping it can be as rowdy as possible to get behind the team and give them an extra little boost from the crowd.”