Patrick WilliamsTheAHL.com Features Writer
“How are Mary and the others?”
That’s forward Michael PezzettaThat was the question asked at the team’s Calder Cup celebration Monday at the Real Sports Bar & Grill in Toronto.
This spring, the Marises answered a lot of questions. They raised more money with great play, showing they were more than just a fourth-place team in the regular season. But those questions will have to wait until training camp this September, when these players — newly crowned champions as they are — can show what they gained from the experience.
After nearly two months, 24 games, five rounds and multiple close calls in the playoffs, the Marlies can finally breathe a sigh of relief after hoisting the Calder Cup last Friday night. They reached the end of the road on the ice at Coca-Cola Arena, defeating the tenacious Chicago Wolves 4-3 in Game 5 of the Calder Cup Finals.
On Monday, they had a chance to party with fans at Real Sports, a large sports bar next to Scotiabank Arena.
After being cheered throughout the run, the captain Logan Shaw Give back the love of the fans at the venue.
“We want to give you a big round of applause,” Shaw said.
The work, lessons learned and confidence the Marlies gain from this championship pursuit may allow them to eventually become full-time NHL players. Year after year, the Maple Leafs consistently invest heavily in making the Marlies an elite team on and off the ice. The Marlies’ playoff performance has a chance to make that investment more rewarding.
Starting with a rookie forward easton cowanHe joins the Marlies after spending one season with the Maple Leafs. He played 22 games in the Calder Cup playoffs, scoring 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists), ranking tied for third. or defender Ben DanfordThe 20-year-old from the Ontario Hockey League came on time for the final three rounds and quickly looked like a pro. Dynamic rookie forward Landon Sim Brings the ability to disrupt opponents. There is a newcomer in front of me, Luke Hyamshandled hockey’s playoff jump well.
then the goalkeeper Artur Akhtyamovhe took control of the team’s top spot early in the playoffs and won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the Calder Cup playoff MVP. Akhtiamov, 24, went 15-7 with a 2.22 goals-against average, .923 save percentage and two shutouts in 22 games, including a 20-straight postseason run. A number of other prospects have also increased their chances of getting a job with the Maple Leafs next season.
But it’s not all wins and high points, especially for a team that finished fourth in the North Division with a 36-26-5-5 record. Their regular-season scoring percentage of .569 was their lowest in the 24 years of Calder Cup champions. However, they competed together in the playoffs, posting a 16-8 record. But even for a champion, the playoffs come with plenty of disappointments, setbacks and obstacles that teams must overcome.
“It’s amazing,” Shaw said.
Mali have won seven of nine one-goal knockout games. They survived the knockout round four times. Shaw and Cowan pulled off a third-quarter comeback in Game 5 of the North Division finals against Cleveland. They defeated the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the Eastern Conference finals; Pezetta scored five goals in 39 regular-season games to win back-to-back games, while Cowan made up for the mistakes that cost the team Game 4 and scored in both Games 5 and 6.
Then the Wolves tested, pressured and demanded more from the Marlies. Toronto won Game 1 with a goal and an empty netter. Chicago tied Game 2 with 16.7 seconds left in regulation before Shaw’s game-winning shot in overtime. Game 3 was a hard-fought 1-0 battle that ended with a 120-minute penalty shootout after the final whistle. With Game 4 awaiting the presentation of the Calder Trophy, the Marlies were unable to hold on to a two-goal lead in the third period and fell in overtime.
The next night, however, they got the job done, holding off the Wolves’ late onslaught and winning the franchise’s second championship in nine years.
The Marlies are not on the fast track to the Calder Cup. This pursuit is an ordeal. After so many battles, they have also grown.
“Learning how to win” is a common theme in player development. Well, the Marlies learned how to win.
“I think you know a big part of developing these young players and their prospects [the Leafs] “We’re teaching them how to win,” Shaw said, “and we do that.”
Shaw and Pezzetta’s contracts run through the 2026-27 season. Some of those players, like Cowan, will join the Maple Leafs in the fall. Others will remain with the Maris family in larger, different roles. For some, a new NHL organization or overseas opportunity may be their breakthrough.
But no matter where their ambitions take them next on the hockey map, they will always have this championship to tie them together. They will also learn the lessons of this time.
“I know none of us will forget this,” Pezzetta said. “We are the champions of life.”
About two decades in the American Hockey League, TheAHL.com feature writer Patrick Williams also currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor to SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. In 2016, he received the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for outstanding coverage of the league.
