A pair of ECHL Kelly Cup champions from that first Newfoundland Growlers team of a year ago earned job promotions this past season, with Hudson Elynuik and Kristians Rubins playing considerably for the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies.
Rubins managed to parlay his playing time to an entry level contract with the Maple Leafs’ organization.
Add to that another handful of Growlers — chief among them Scott Pooley, who was on fire at the time of his recall and impressive rookie defenceman Joe Duszak — who saw stints this past season with the Marlies.
It’s no secret the Leafs are looking to do things a little differently in stockpiling their minor league system, by dipping into the Canadian junior and U.S. college free agent pool.
Elynuik was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2016, but wasn’t signed. Toronto nabbed him as a free agent. Likewise undrafted free agents Rubins, Pooley and Duszak. Add to the list the Growlers’ leading scorer this season, Brady Ferguson.
The Leafs’ grand plan is to have the Growlers as the entry point into the organization, everyone from players to coaches and training staff working their way up to what may someday be the Maple Leafs.
Who knows if that will happen — it’s a huge jump, after all — but Justin Brazeau would like to be the first, or one of the first players to graduate from the Growlers to the Leafs.
He’s off to a pretty good start.
The 22-year-old forward from New Liskeard, Ont., finished runner-up to Tyler Sheehy of the Allen, Tx. Americans for ECHL rookie of the year last week. Brazeau was second among first-year players in ECHL scoring with 27 goals and 28 assists in 57 games. Those numbers also put him second in scoring on the Growlers behind Ferguson.
His 27 goals led all ECHL rookies.
Brazeau, by the way, is another one of these undrafted free agents the Leafs tapped into. As we said, we’re not sure if any will one day secure NHL employment, but Toronto sure is making it fun following the minor league Marlies and Growlers and the talented youngsters.
Brazeau could be Exhibit A of a young player with obvious skills, but perhaps not, in his early 20s, prepared for a full season in the American Hockey League.
There’s no concern with Brazeau’s size, not when you stand 6-6 and tip the scales at 225 pounds.
What was questioned was his skating, or more to the point foot speed. When you’re that big, chances are you’re not a burner.
But a bit of work goes a long way. Ask the Leafs’ 6-5 Frederik Gauthier, who had seven goals in Toronto this year.
Otherwise, for Brazeau, what was the problem?
Undrafted, Brazeau came up short of a getting a pro contract offer after a 39-goal, 75-point season with the Ontario Hockey League’s North Bay Battalion in 2017-18. The next season, as an overager, he torched the league with 61 goals and 113 points in 68 games.
The Leafs took notice, offering a two-year AHL Marlies contract. He’s entering Year 2 next season.
“I’ve definitely seen improvement in my game,” Brazeau said. “After the first month or two (of the 2019-20 season), I got lot more comfortable with pace of play.
“My skating got a little better, or certainly more of an adjustment to the speed. After that, I think my play picked up.”
Brazeau believes he plays with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, and you probably can’t blame him. If we go back to junior again, Brazeau appeared in 268 games with the Battalion, piling up 238 points. And 128 goals.
But still undrafted.
“I thought I got better every year,” he said. “I thought I’d get drafted, and obviously it didn’t work out. Ever since then, part of it’s been about proving people wrong and showing people what I can do.”
Funny how these things work out, though. He feels he has the best of both worlds now, signed and playing in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ system.
“I don’t think it could have worked out any better, especially after not getting drafted or getting any NHL deals,” he said. “I’m in a great spot here. The plan they have in place for me is pretty ideal.”
As we said, the Leafs are doing things differently, and unlike a lot of ECHL affiliates, the Leafs pay attention to, and actually take the Growlers seriously.
There is a lot of emphasis on the team from the brass. Mike Dixon, the Leafs’ director of minor league operations, is a frequent visitor to St. John’s, and general manager Kyle Dubas has made appearances at Mile One.
Training camp last year saw Toronto make a significant financial investment travelling to St. John’s.
“They’ve done a real good job with all the guys they’ve offered contracts to, putting a plan in place to where the guys feel important,” Brazeau said of the young free agents on which the Leafs have been loading up.
“We get all the same opportunities as the NHL guys in many ways, with our training during the summer and with development camps.
“I mean, the organization is unbelievable. The really take care of us down here, down to meals on the road, the supplements and helping us take care of ourselves, the attention the training and medical staffs give us.
“There’s always a representative from the Leafs or Marlies around all the time. We do a lot of a development skates with the Leafs’ staff. They make a pretty big emphasis on how important the Growlers and Marlies are to the organization.”
Now it’s just a matter of time before we see if that attention pays off with promotions to the Leafs.
Robin Short is The Telegram’s Sports Editor, and can be reached by email [email protected] Follow him on Twitter @TelyRobinShort
