Ive been designing tattoos for people for 11 years now. Im pretty well known in the industry in Saskatchewan, and let me tell you most and I mean most tattoo artists hate doing maple leafs. Skulls are still cool. Tazmanian devils biting through hockey sticks are not.
As for the Olympians haveing maple leafs, its been a tradition for years and years for Canadian swimmers to get maple leafs on their left breast and if they make the Olympics they get the rings underneath.
I have only 3 tattoos, an Octapus, a puking bear, and a BBQ.