Blue Jays aim to seal the deal as Montreal businesses, fans prep for World Series Game 6
Posted October 30, 2025 8:43 pm.
Last Updated October 30, 2025 10:13 pm.
You could say the Toronto Blue Jays are swinging for the fences this Friday night.
With a 3–2 series lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Jays are just one win away from their first World Series title since 1993 — a 32-year wait that could finally end on home turf at Rogers Centre.
While Toronto–Montreal sports rivalries usually run deep — especially on the hockey rink — many Montrealers say they’re setting those differences aside this week. Across the city, fans and businesses alike are gearing up to cheer for Canada’s only Major League Baseball team as it inches closer to a championship.
Local businesses gear up for game night
Across Canada, anticipation is reaching fever pitch. In Montreal, restaurants, bars, and local businesses are preparing for a surge of customers as the nation tunes in to what could be a historic night for Canadian baseball.
At Ziggy’s Pub on Crescent Street, owner Ziggy Eichenbaum says business has jumped by 15 to 20 per cent during the Jays’ playoff run.
“Everybody’s on the bandwagon right now,” he said. “The only Canadian team in, and we’re in the finals. You can’t ask for more than that.”
Eichenbaum says the atmosphere in his bar is always electric. “When the Jays score, everybody goes crazy,” he said. “It’s just getting better and better all the time.”
He expects a packed and lively crowd for Game 6 — especially since the game falls on Halloween weekend. “It’s a Friday Halloween, so I’m sure a lot of people are going to be dressed up as baseball players,” he said with a laugh.
To add to the energy, Ziggy’s has even equipped fans with special “Goal Light” glasses — connected to the bar’s Wi-Fi — that flash when the Blue Jays score. “It’s like the red light for the Canadiens,” Eichenbaum said. “It’s connected to the Wi-Fi, and when the Blue Jays score, the light goes on on the glass.”
He says Montrealers’ support for the Jays mirrors the way the city once rallied behind the Raptors. “It’s the same thing as the basketball team that we supported. We are the North,” he said. “So the only team we have in Canada, so we have to support it.”
At Hurley’s Irish Pub, general manager Rod Applebee is also bracing for a busy night. “We’ll be showing it upstairs on our TVs, and I think we’re going to be busy,” he said. “I think there might be some Blue Jays dressed up people for Halloween. But yeah, it’s going to be big.”
He compared the buzz to the last major Canadian sports moment. “The last one was the Raptors that we were going for, and we were packed for that,” he said. “But I think it’s going to be good. It’s going to be good for business.”
Applebee predicts a win for the Jays. “I think once they beat Ohtani, they’re on a roll, and those two home runs yesterday, right at the beginning, they’re taking it tomorrow night. I don’t think it’s going great in Game 7. They’re going to win it in Toronto.”
Montreal fans show their support
While Montreal remains nostalgic for the days of the Expos, many fans here say they’re proudly cheering for the Jays to bring the trophy home to Canada.
Perry Giannias, organizer of Expo Fest, says this series has reignited passion among Quebec baseball fans — even those reluctant to cheer for a Toronto team.
“There’s still a lot of them that won’t root for the baseball team because of past history,” he said, referring to the Expos’ 2001 contraction vote. “Living in the past like that really doesn’t serve baseball well here in Quebec. The numbers that are tuning in on television to watch the Jays, that have gone down all season long to see the Jays, is incredible. So it’s good for baseball in Canada, and it’s really good for baseball here in Quebec.”
Giannias says the moment has special meaning for fans in Montreal because of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was born here. “It’s exciting with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.,” he said. “If they win tomorrow, he’s the World Series MVP. So, like that is really amazing. So on top of winning a World Series, he’ll be the World Series MVP.”
He says Guerrero Jr.’s Montreal roots helped bridge a once fierce rivalry. “When he was first drafted, he was sporting some Expos gear also,” he said. “He hasn’t forgotten Montreal. He loves Montreal. And like I said, it’ll be great for the city. It’ll be great for baseball in Quebec.”
Giannias says his personal connection to Guerrero Jr. rekindled his love for baseball. “It took a long time. When the Expos left, I gave up on baseball. I was really upset,” he said. “If it wasn’t for Junior being drafted by the Jays, Guerrero Junior being drafted by the Jays, and starting in 2019, that’s when I started following the Jays. If it wasn’t for that, I might not be watching baseball today.”
He adds that Guerrero Jr. being born in Montreal makes it easier for locals to root for Toronto. “Guerrero Junior is a homeboy. He’s born here in Montreal, and he loves the city. He still has family here. And I think that’s the way to go.”
Giannias expects the excitement to spill across the province. “I think it’s great for every baseball province, every baseball city in Canada,” he said. “Kids need to grow up rooting for a team. And unfortunately, or fortunately, Toronto is the home team for a lot of Quebec fans. I think the ratings are going to be amazing, and everybody’s going to be glued to their TV and hoping it doesn’t have to go to a Game 7.”
He says he plans to watch the game with his sons — unless he somehow lands tickets. “I’m trying to learn some tickets, but it’s really hard. If not, I’m going to get together with my sons and we’re going to watch it,” he said. “I’d rather go out and see it because, you know, at least you get that kind of atmosphere in a sports bar, wherever it might be.”
Canada’s team
For Gavino De Falco, host of Le Podcast des Blue Jays, the Jays’ playoff run has united the country.
“It’s crazy, a crazy run from the Toronto Blue Jays,” he said. “Right now, the Blue Jays are not Toronto’s team or Canada’s team. It’s incredible, the excitement from coast to coast. Either it’s in the bars, in schools, at work. Everybody’s talking about this team of destiny, the Blue Jays.”
“This team is a team of Destiny. They win a lot of games, excitement throughout all the playoffs. And it’s just fun to be cheering for the Blue Jays right now.”
De Falco says this postseason has been a storybook ride. “Don’t forget that the Blue Jays, they were facing the mighty Yankees in the first round. They won that series. They were trailing 2-0 against Seattle. And they managed to win in dramatic fashion in seven games,” he said. “They have nothing to lose. The pressure is on the champions right now, LA Dodgers, who are trying to win their second World Series in a row.”
He says the atmosphere in Toronto will be unmatched. “It’s going to be electric. Fifty thousand people cheering for the Blue Jays. The Dodgers are not playing good baseball right now,” he said. “And the Blue Jays, from first player or 26th player, everybody’s contributing. It’s going to be crazy.”
Even in Quebec, where baseball fandom once belonged to the Expos, De Falco says the Jays have captured a new generation. “The province of Quebec right now is behind the Toronto Blue Jays,” he said. “A lot of young fans never knew about the Expos, so the only team right now in Canada is Toronto.”
He adds that the team’s playoff run is giving the city an economic boost as well. “Earlier this week, I read an article that there’s about 40, 45 million dollars in revenue sharing about the game day in Toronto,” he said. “It’s incredible. It’s going to be electric in the stadium tomorrow. If the Blue Jays win, it’s going to be the first time that they win the World Series in more than 32 years.”
Still, he notes, the challenge won’t be easy. “They’re going to face a very hard pitcher. Yamamoto was electric,” he said. “He has five, six, seven quality pitches. But I’m telling you, Guerrero right now is in his zone. Bichette came back from injury and is playing very well. And the role players like Ernie Clement and Addison Barger are very hot right now. I think the Blue Jays are going to upset the Dodgers tomorrow.”
Fans ready for history
For longtime baseball follower Scott Cessford, who once worked for the Montreal Expos, the Jays’ success feels like a full-circle moment.
“I think right now it gives people hope and you can see people just walking down the streets,” he said. “Either they buy a new hat or they’re dusting off their old Blue Jays hat and everybody’s talking to each other about it and they feel hope.”
Cessford believes the Jays’ chemistry is what makes them special. “They didn’t really change everything. They didn’t go out and get that big free agent. They had the same core. They believed in themselves and then it just worked out,” he said. “They’re a really good team together. Good defense, elite defense, and then they all hit. So that’s the thing. It’s a team effort.”
He predicts a win Friday night. “I think they’ll win tomorrow,” he said. “I think the 18-inning game broke the Dodgers.”
Meanwhile, Andrew, another Montreal fan, says he’s confident Toronto will finish the job. “I think they win tomorrow,” he said. “I feel like they got it in them. I feel like they’re gonna dig deep and I feel like they’re gonna pull it out.”
“It’s tooth and nail. It’s been a grind but I feel like Toronto’s the better team and it’s showing,” he added.
For Stéphane Savoie, the moment feels almost surreal. “A great game from Gausman, one homer from Guerrero, and maybe a few surprises from the rest of the lineup which are pretty amazing so far,” he said. “I hope it’s finished tomorrow. I have a house in Toronto, so I’m going to drive down and go into the parade on Tuesday, Wednesday, whenever it is.”
What’s at stake
If the Blue Jays clinch the win, they’ll capture their first World Series crown in more than three decades. But if the Dodgers stay alive, baseball fans know what that means — the tension builds, the stakes rise and everything comes down to Game 7 on Saturday.
“It’s Canada against L.A.,” said De Falco. “Why not win tomorrow?”
Game 6 of the World Series gets underway Friday at 8 p.m. on Citytv and Sportsnet.
