It’s been a manic summer in Hogtown. The Toronto Maple Leafs bid farewell to Mitch Marner, hoping it would spark a new beginning—but Auston Matthews might be right back to square one, as drama spilled into the NHL’s week of development camps.
Throughout the NHL, development camps are known for their intensity. It should come as no surprise that fisticuffs spun out of control during Toronto’s practices. However, it can send two very different messages.
Every prospect is looking to set an example during development camp, hoping to catch the eye of the coaches. However, tempers flared over the line as Maple Leafs prospects Matthew Hlacar and Rhett Parsons dropped the gloves.
Two conclusions
On the one hand, it means the athletes on the ice care and they are willing to go the extra mile to secure a spot on the roster ahead of training camp and preseason. It also shows the prestige Matthews’ Leafs hold, despite the recent collapses in the postseason and the drama surrounding Marner. Almost every kid dreams of donning Toronto’s colors, and this might the best shot some of them will ever have to represent the Leafs’ nation.
However, the on-ice chaos might reflect the buzz surrounding the facility and the nervous energy trickling down from the higher ranks to the coaches, players, and ultimately the prospects, all competing for their future during the NHL’s week of development camps.
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It’s do-or-die
Everybody in The Six knows it: the leash is getting shorter for Matthews and the Maple Leafs. Marner’s departure marks the beginning of a new era. Toronto has shown it can move on from anyone—even a hometown first-round pick who wanted nothing more than to bring Lord Stanley back to his city.
That urgency can be felt throughout the building. It bounces off the walls, creating a head-spinning atmosphere. From the moment you step into Toronto’s practice rink at the Ford Performance Centre, the air feels heavier.
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Such is the pressure that 19- and 21-year-old prospects are dropping the gloves with players who could soon be their teammates, all in hopes of making a strong first impression and helping turn the tide for an organization eager to flip the page.
