• by Teresa Buyikian , May 7, 2024

Hockey fans aren’t exactly known for their gentle demeanor. They actively show their appreciation for a win -- along with anger and grief when their team loses.

Boston Pizza, one of Canada’s largest pizza chains, understands hockey fans’ feelings. So, to deal with team losses during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the company created a custom rage room at its Toronto location, “equipped with all the tools necessary to safely smash, break, and even weep” per a release.

According to Wikipedia, a rage room,  “also known as a smash room or anger room, is a room where people can vent their rage by destroying objects… They provide stress relief, with controversy over psychological effectiveness."

"Hockey is Canada's game and while we can be bitter rivals during the regular season, playoffs should be a time where we join together for the greater Canadian good," said Senior Vice President Marketing and Communications of Boston Pizza Peter Blackwell in a release. "The BP Rage Room encourages fans to let out their emotions so we can refocus on a singular goal: bringing hockey's coveted prize home to Canada where it belongs.

And Canadians hockey fans have a reason to be upset: A Canadian team hasn't won the Stanley Cup since 1993, when Montreal took down Los Angeles for the win. Per the release, Boston Pizza “is encouraging Canadians …to put their rivalries aside and team up for the win in the hopes of ending the 30-year drought.”

In honor of the playoffs, the chain has also added a new menu, including drinks and shareable items “that are sure to unite those with different palates and jerseys.”