Happy Christmas to all those who read The Hockey Writers. In this Christmas Day post, I’ll take a look back at the past week in a few key areas. First, I’ll share that prospect Fraser Minten has been named captain of Team Canada’s World Junior team. Second, I’ll share news of a connection I just learned about on the weekend. That’s the close friendship between goalie Martin Jones and Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly. Both are Vancouver natives and have known each other for a long time.
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Finally, I’ll share about how the American Hockey League (AHL) Toronto Marlies did in their two games just before Christmas and note some of the key players. A surprise among them is Kyle Clifford, who’s still going strong.
Item 1: Fraser Minten Named Captain of Team Canada
Fraser Minten, the Maple Leafs prospect who was recently traded from the Kamloops Blazers to the Saskatoon Blades, was named the captain for Canada’s 2024 World Junior Championship, Hockey Canada announced. Minten, who played the first four games of the current NHL season with Toronto, was drafted in the second round in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Owen Beck (Montreal Canadiens), Maveric Lamoureux (Arizona Coyotes), Matthew Poitras (Boston Bruins), and Matthew Savoie (Buffalo Sabres) have been named alternate captains.
Of those five players, Lamoureux is the only one among them who has yet to play an NHL game. Minten was previously the captain of the Kamloops team before he was traded. He put up a strong pre-tournament showing with Team Canada, scoring three goals and five points in three contests.
Being named captain is a great honor for Minten, who is representing Canada internationally for the first time. For Toronto fans, it shows the respect that the youngster garners wherever he might go in the hockey world. Congratulations to him and good luck in tournament play.
Item 2: Morgan Rielly and Martin Jones Are Great Friends
It’s remarkable that Martin Jones, who was initially brought to the team as goalie “insurance,” has now become a key player in the team’s success this season. As Elliotte Friedman noted during the Hockey Night in Canada telecast on the weekend, when Jones was signed, the contract had a “clever bonus strategy” – a $100,000 incentive – that created a unique situation for any team looking to claim him off waivers. [See the video below as Friedman explains the situation.]
Fortunately, for the Maple Leafs, Jones did clear waivers. Now, with Joseph Woll sidelined and Ilya Samsonov struggling, Jones has emerged as a huge asset for the team during this crucial stretch of the season. Interestingly, Jones’ value also carries a bit of an intangible benefit. That’s the camaraderie that comes from his strong friendship with Rielly. They’ve known each other since their youth hockey days in Vancouver, British Columbia. They often worked out together in the summer, which also undoubtedly contributed to both players’ success.
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It’s also interesting how Maple Leafs’ player relationships can travel far back in history to when these players were kids skating together in the North Vancouver area. Specifically, Jones’ signing brought together two friends from their North Shore and Hollyburn skating days as youngsters.
[Maple Leafs fans from British Columbia, and there are some of us, might know that the North Shore generally refers to the northern shore of Burrard Inlet in the Vancouver metropolitan area. It includes the cities of North Vancouver and West Vancouver. Hollyburn is an area located in West Vancouver, which is also a part of the North Shore region.]
I’m always, yet never, really surprised when I hear stories like this about the familiarity and friendships that have been built along the way among NHL teams. I do not doubt that this makes the reunion in the Blue & White special for both players this season in Toronto.
Item 3: Reviewing the Toronto Marlies’ Pre-Christmas Games
The American Hockey League (AHL) Toronto Marlies had a week of mixed outcomes in their recent games before the Christmas break. In a dominating performance against the Providence Bruins, the Marlies won a convincing 7-3 victory. Despite being outshot in the first period, once again goalie Dennis Hildeby kept the Marlies in the game. The team’s offense came alive in the second and third periods, with key contributions from players like Kieffer Bellows, Logan Shaw, and Max Lajoie. That game pushed the Marlies’ winning streak to five games.
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However, the streak hit a snag during the Marlies’ game against the Belleville Senators, when the team lost a close game by a score of 4-3. Defensive lapses, including goals conceded in the final minute of a period and immediately after scoring, proved costly for the Marlies. Despite strong games from Clifford and (once again) Bellows, the Senators managed to win by scoring a late goal. As far as the standings go, the Marlies are in a solid position in the North Division.
Over the past week, several Marlies players showed outstanding performances. These include both Clifford and Bellows, each of whom scored two goals and added an assist. Defenseman Max Lajoie, who had returned from the Maple Leafs, added a goal and two assists to his statistics. Alex Steeves, with an assist in the Providence game, extended his AHL point streak to 16 games.
Maple Leafs fans will recall that Clifford came to the Maple Leafs from the Los Angeles Kings in the Jack Campbell trade. He’s still going strong with the Marlies. For fans who don’t pay attention to the Marlies, I encourage fans to watch out for Bellows. He was signed by the Marlies to a PTO (professional tryout offer) and has been playing lights out with the AHL team with 10 goals and eight assists (for 18 points) in 18 games with the Marlies. I have a feeling he could be with the Maple Leafs full-time next season.
For the first time this season, AHL goalie Hildeby faced some challenges over the two games last week when he allowed seven goals on 62 shots. His goals-against average rose above two for the first time this season and now stands at 2.08 At the same time, his save percentage dipped to 0.921.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
As the Maple Leafs head into the next part of their season in the New Year, they are well-positioned. However, the one big problem the team faces is in the crease. If the Samsonov situation improves, the team will be sitting nicely in the standings moving forward and into the postseason.
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Even if Samsonvov can’t find his form from last season, it might be that when Woll returns their goalie situation is strong enough to carry them into the playoffs. Wouldn’t it be funny (in a good way) if the tandem of Woll and Jones might just be enough this season?