Marlies defenceman John Prokop got the message the Maple Leafs likely meant to send when the NHL team’s top prospects spent Friday morning with an untamed horse.
“We got to watch a horse trainer develop a young horse so it will be able to perform in shows,†said Prokop. “The horse was a wild horse, a colt. It was pretty cool to watch the way this guy trained it. Then all of a sudden, by the end of it the horse was doing whatever the guy said. It was really cool to see.â€
The metaphor wasn’t lost on the college-educated Prokop.
“Learn from your elders, the guys who have gone before you, and you’ll succeed pretty quick.â€
Hayley Wickenheiser and the Leafs development staff will finish up Saturday with 47 high-end, mid-range and wannabe prospects, trying to turn wild stallions with bad hockey habits built through their teenage years into prized thoroughbreds who might one day skate for the Leafs.
The reputation Wickenheiser and the Leafs have built in turning prospects into NHLers is part of the reason they are able to attract some of the better college free agents, Prokop and forwards Luke Haymes and Ryan Kirwan among them.
“You’re surrounded by guys like (John) Tavares, who was skating this morning,†Prokop said at the Ford Performance Centre, where on-ice drills were held. “The pro guys stick around. You get all the resources and help from all the coaching staff, development, strength and conditioning, medical, you name it. They’re all here to help. It gives you training for over the summer, whether going back to college or junior.â€
“This is the best place to develop as a hockey player,†added Kirwan. “From the support staff to the coaching staff, everything just seemed so attractive and I was really excited when I got the opportunity to come play in ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½.â€
Given their penchant for trading draft picks, the Leafs have to work hard at developing prospects and luring college free agents who might be considered late-bloomers — such as Bobby McMann, who signed in 2020 out of Colgate University. McMann scored 20 goals for the Leafs last year and has a $1.35-million (U.S.) contract.
“That’s the guy (McMann) I’ve been looking up to,†said Kirwan, a six-foot-two power forward. “My coach at Arizona State University (Dana Borges) coached him at Colgate and said that’s the guy to look up to, somebody that took a similar path as me.â€
It’s a bit of a treadmill. For every McMann, there are more than a few Alex Steeves, who signed out of Notre Dame in 2021. Steeves never quite duplicated his AHL scoring touch in the NHL and signed as a free agent with the Boston Bruins.
Last year it was Jacob Quillan, who signed after a collegiate championship at Quinnipiac and joined the list of top prospects with an 18-goal campaign for the Marlies. This year, Prokop, Kirwan and Haymes will get a chance to move up the depth chart.
“This organization has a ton of success in the past,†said Haymes, who spoke about why he chose the Leafs. “Being a part of that and wanting to push them to the next step was one of my goals.
“And the other thing is opportunity — not a lot of draft picks. I wanted to plug myself in somewhere as an NCAA free agent to push for a spot as soon as I could.â€
All three got into Marlies games at the end of last season, but Haymes — the six-foot-one forward from Ottawa who has picked a side in the Battle of Ontario — made the biggest impression with two goals and four assists in nine games.
“Getting that exposure and knowing what it’s going to take to play at that level is really important,†said Haymes. “To be put in those games was really meaningful to me. I think I did well with it. I’m going to keep developing to do better.â€
Haymes, too, took away a message from the horse-training session.
“The little things matter and foundation is really important,†said Haymes. “We were there for two, two and a half hours, and the first hour was just foundation stuff: teaching the horse how to move in different directions, and to basically pay attention to you instead of distractions.
“That’s really important as hockey players, to keep your focus inside the boards and focus on what you’re doing.â€
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation