‘I lost my marbles,’ Leafs fan who went viral for Game 4 reaction recounts experience

If you tuned in until the end of the Toronto Maple Leafs improbable comeback win on Monday night you probably saw the clip of one fan absolutely losing his mind after the game.

The Sportsnet broadcast captured the fan in the crowd shortly after Toronto scored the overtime winner to take a 3-1 series lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The now-viral super fan could be seen screaming uncontrollably into his phone in what appeared to be an expression of pure elation.

THE PASSION ???????????? pic.twitter.com/VlejAszlaN

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 25, 2023

That man is 59-year-old business owner Billy Kapogiannis from Aurora, Ont. — he sat down with Breakfast Television on Wednesday morning to discuss how he ended up in Florida for Game 4, and what he was feeling when the cameras caught his unbridled reaction to the playoff victory.

Kapogiannis said the plan to head down to Tampa for Monday night’s tilt didn’t develop until after the Leafs won Game 3 in overtime on Saturday night. He says he called one of his customers and their wife after the game to see if they wanted to make the trip.

“I said, listen, I’m off Sunday and Monday, lets jump on a plane and whip down to Tampa. I bring my business partner Sam, who’s a chef. I said pack your bags baby we’re going to Tampa.”

“Okay bing, bang, boom we’re on our way.”

Kapogiannis said he and the group of Leafs fans he was with were hearing it from the Tampa crowd at Amalie Arena when the Lightning took the lead in the early stages of Game 4.

They told me, “you’re going golfing,” said Kapogiannis. “I said ‘what are you talking about it’s only 2-1?'”

The screaming Leafs fan who went viral the other night joined us in studio this morning on ⁦@breakfasttv⁩. His name is Billy. He’s kind of amazing… pic.twitter.com/tHAnN2uPLQ

— Sid Seixeiro (@Sid_Seixeiro) April 26, 2023

The Lightning carried a 4-1 lead going into the third period before the unthinkable happened.

The Leafs started to push back and got within two goals with around 10 minutes left, when Auston Matthews scored his second of the series. The star centre added another goal on the power play minutes later. Morgan Reilly completed the comeback and tied the game with just under four minutes remaining in the third.

“Bang, they scored again,” Kapogiannis said. “I’m like, ‘oh my god what’s going on here.'”

In overtime, Tampa took a penalty for tripping and then Alex Kerfoot tipped a Mark Giordano point shot into the net to move the Leafs within one victory of their first playoff series win since 2004.

“Bang, they scored and I lost my marbles,” recounts Kapogiannis.

KERFOOT COMPLETES THE COMEBACK ‼️

Alexander Kerfoot scores the @SUBWAYCanada OT winner to win a thriller for Leafs Nation. pic.twitter.com/L95LsoQXxG

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 25, 2023

He says he called his cousin after Kerfoot’s winner, which was who he could be seen on the phone with in the viral clip.

“My older cousin Bill, because I’m Greek and I have 19 cousins named Bill,” Kapogiannis joked.

As for his vocal chords, he says he still hasn’t completely regained his voice after his joyous outburst.

“My voice is raspy to begin with, but it’s still gone.”

The screaming reaction clip was widely shared across social media platforms immediately following the game. Several users described the clip as the perfect encapsulation of what all fans were feeling inside after the win.

Kapogiannis offered this message to Leafs fans ahead of Game 5 with Tampa on the brink of elimination: “Take them down!”

The Leafs take on the Lightning at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday night. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.