Toronto Maple Leafs' forward Fraser Minten in action against the Detroit Red Wings in the third period at the Scotiabank Arena on Oct. 5.Dan Hamilton/USA TODAY Sports via Reuters
He is 19 years old with a kid’s cheery face and a few traces of teenage acne. On Sunday, Fraser Minten found out that he had made the Maple Leafs’ opening-day roster.
On Thanksgiving he centred Toronto’s third line between Matthew Knies and Calle Jarnkrok at the club’s practice facility. He has played three seasons for the Kamloops Blazers in the Western Hockey League but never above that level. And he came out of left field to earn a place on an above-average NHL team.
“It means everything,” Minten said after the next-to-last workout before the regular season. The Maple Leafs open at home against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday at Scotiabank Arena. “It has been a dream of mine ever since I started to play hockey to be a in position like this.”
To be certain, he turned heads during Toronto’s development camp and had four points in five pre-season games. He also took more faceoffs than any other centre and was successful on 37 of 67 of them.
Sheldon Keefe, the Maple Leafs head coach, said Minten was not on the team’s radar at all.
“We had people in player development and scouting that watched him very closely and thought he may factor in more than we figured and it turns out that was the case.
“It’s a credit to Fraser. I am really happy for him. He has worked hard. He can help us and we will give him the opportunity.”
Monday was a busy day in Maple Leafs Land. Ten players were lent to the Marlies of the American Hockey League. The biggest name of note was Nicholas Robertson, after that it was fellow forwards Nick Abruzzese and Pontus Holmberg.
It was also announced that Jake Muzzin has been named a pro scout. The 34-year-old defenceman suffered a head injury four games into last season and can play no more. Goalie Matt Murray has undergone hip surgery and it is estimated it will take him six to eight months to recover.
Toronto spent nearly an hour on the ice and it was an upbeat session. John Tavares, the team’s captain, brought two of his young sons out to skate with him afterward, the youngest wearing a jersey that said ‘Daddy’ across the back. Ryan Reaves had his seven-year-old out, too.
The biggest surprise to everyone has been that way that Minten has emerged. He impressed a year ago during development camp but has made huge strides since then. He is from Vancouver and was drafted in the second round last year, after which he scored 31 goals and had 67 points in 57 outings with Kamloops at the major-junior level.
He got a call from general manager Brad Treliving on Sunday that confirmed he made the team.
Brad Treliving will need his emotional IQ to navigate sports in Toronto
Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving is taking the wait-and-see approach. Good luck with that
“He told me to just keep doing what I have been doing and to take it one day at a time and earn your next day,” Minten said. “He told me to just keep it up.”
Minten shows maturity beyond his age and Keefe said that he shows up with a pro’s approach – something that normally has to be taught to young players.
“It is the body of work that he did that has led to him being here,” Keefe said. “He never really took a step backward and that is what you really look to see. He remained relevant in the conversation all the way through.
“We believe in him and he has earned the opportunity.”
Minten has caught the attention of his established teammates.
“You recognize the hockey sense and awareness that he has,” Tavares said. “He is a very mature kid within his game and off the ice as well. He has all the attributes that will transition very well to the pros.
“I know he is going to have an impact for us for a long time.”
Minten called his parents in British Columbia on Sunday to share the exciting news. He has been staying in a hotel during training camp and on Monday said he would talk to club officials about housing.
Minten said he is not completely surprised but didn’t truly believe it was a possibility that he would make the team entering training camp.
“You look at the roster and it is pretty full of NHL veterans,” he said. “At that point I wouldn’t have thought that this was necessarily a spot I would be in.”
Toronto will have nine regular-season games before it has to decide to keep him or return him to the Western Hockey League.
“It is hard to get here and it is even harder to stay,” Minten said. “I will try, day by day, to do the best I can do.”