5 little-known facts about Hayden Christensen
By Nick Porr
3. He’s an avid Toronto sports fan
Born in Vancouver, Canada, it would make sense for Christensen to be a fan of his nation’s favorite sport. Although born in British Columbia, young Hayden would be raised across the country in Markham, Ontario.
Before he was starring in movies, Christensen was a student-athlete. Competing at the Provincial level, Christensen played tennis and hockey while attending Baythorn Public School and Unionville High School in Markham, Ontario.
He’s retained his love for sports as an adult, rooting for Ontario’s home teams, including the Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Raptors. Specifically, though, he is a massive fan of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs.
In 2018, Christensen co-starred alongside Emma Roberts in Little Italy, a romantic comedy set in Toronto and filmed on location. In the film, his character Leo sports a Blue Jays jacket in one scene. When asked about the outfit in an interview with the Toronto Sun for the release of the film, Christensen spoke about his love for the Blue Jays, Maple Leafs, and Toronto sports as a whole.
"I’m a massive Maple Leafs fan. I grew up playing hockey, so hockey’s my first love. But I’m a fan of all things Toronto, so Jays, Raptors, Leafs, Toronto FC… I support them all."
Christensen’s time playing hockey in high school has stuck clearly stuck with him. Paparazzi have caught him at Maple Leafs games many times before, and just out in his Leafs hat or in Blue Jays gear.
In August 2018, he threw out the first pitch for the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre prior to a game against the Baltimore Orioles as part of the promotion for Little Italy.
The pitch was far better than many of the celebrity throws we’ve seen over the years, proving that the force is strong with this one.