Marlies toast emotional win over Habs affiliate as top Leafs prospect Danford joins the group

After the Toronto Marlies eliminated the Laval Rocket on Saturday, some fans at Place Bell tossed beer cans on the ice. Marlies defenceman Dakota Mermis picked one up and pretended to chug.

“It’s just a fun rivalry,” Mermis said with a grin. “It was a very intense series. I think, at the end of the day, the fans were just saying, ‘Cheers on a hard-fought series,’ and I was just enjoying that with them.”

The best-of-five affair between the American Hockey League affiliates of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens went the distance with the final game hanging in the balance until the final seconds. Toronto rallied from 2-1 down in the third period to win 3-2.

The broadcast showed Mermis’ celebration take place while Laval’s Alex Belzile was hunched over his stick skating back to the Rocket end.

“The way the camera happened to catch that ... kind of just caught it perfectly,” Mermis said with a smile. “There’s a lot of emotion when that series ends and there’s stuff falling from the sky.”

Mermis’ phone was flooded with messages as the moment circulated on social media. The 32-year-old confirmed the beer can was already empty when he picked it up, but the moment was full of satisfaction for the underdog Marlies.

Toronto finished fourth in the AHL’s North Division and needed to survive a best-of-three series against the Rochester Americans before facing top-seeded Laval, who received a bye to the second round.

“They were rested 10 days coming into Game 1 and came out really physical,” Mermis said. “We stayed with it. We wore a lot on the chin. We stayed extremely disciplined, poked back when we could, knowing that they were a team that would kind of get undisciplined if you stayed disciplined. They wanted a hard game, but only if it came easy.”

The Marlies had 23 power plays in the five-game series verus 15 for the Rocket.

“There were a lot of bumps and bruises and guys had to swallow their pride in a lot of situations,” Mermis said. “So when you finally pull off that win and you finish that series, come back in the third, there’s just a lot excitement. Always good to beat a rival, especially in the playoffs in their building. It was a good confidence builder.”

The Marlies will now take on the Cleveland Monsters, Columbus’ farm team, in the AHL North Division final, which starts on Thursday in Ohio.

---

The Marlies roster received a boost on Monday as the Leafs assigned Ben Danford to the AHL. The 20-year-old defenceman saw his Ontario Hockey League season come to an end when the Brantford Bulldogs lost Game 7 against the Barrie Colts in the Eastern Conference final last week.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Danford said after taking part in an optional practice. “Last thing I want to do is go home and sit around for a couple weeks. This is going to be fun. They’ve been playing great here. They have a great lineup and just such a great group. You can already tell how tight they are.”

“He’s going to fit in,” said Marlies head coach John Gruden. “He’s a great teammate [and] having him is going to definitely be a boost of energy for the older and younger players.”

It can be a big adjustment when a player goes from junior hockey to the professional level, but Danford’s transition may be easier because of the way he plays.

“It’s always a difference just with physical matchups,” Gruden noted. “Guys are just stronger, bigger, but there’s a lot of things that are the same. The hockey instincts are still there for him and the way he defends, he’s cognizant of his own end, and that is going to help him.”

Gruden also believes Danford’s experience with Team Canada at the World Juniors will serve him well in adapting to playoff pressure at this level.

“It will take him a bit to get acclimated, but good players like that find a way to figure it out,” the coach said.

“His game just fits the pro level perfect,” said Marlies winger Easton Cowan. “He plays hard, is a very good skater and has a very, very good hockey mind so he’ll help us out a lot.”

Danford, who was Toronto’s first-round pick (31st overall) in 2024, and Cowan, who was the Leafs first-round pick in 2023 (28th overall), have gone from OHL rivals to close friends.

“We went out to the Jays game yesterday, went out for dinner, and it was good catching up with him,” said Danford. “Maybe I’ll go stay at his place for a couple nights. They have me in a hotel, but maybe I’ll go have a sleepover over there.”

---

Cowan produced two goals and two assists in the second-round series against the Rocket, including a highlight-reel goal in Game 2.

“I thought my first three games of the series went very well,” he said. “Last two, kind of, you know, lost the groove a bit, I’d say. But that’s OK. There’s going to be ups and downs, you just gotta be able to battle through that.”

All four of Cowan’s points came in Game 2 and Game 3, which were both won by the Marlies. What was missing in the final two games?

“Just didn’t generate as much as I’d like to,” said Cowan. “I feel like once I do that it brings a lot of momentum to our team. So just keep that going, have a positive mindset, and it’ll be good.”

One year ago, Cowan was named the MVP of the Memorial Cup while leading the London Knights to a Canadian Hockey League title. The Marlies are confident he will also be a clutch performer during this first professional playoff run.

“Players of his calibre, they feed off points and goals,” Gruden said. “We don’t want him to focus on that. If he does the other things, the goals and assists will come, so just make sure he’s doing the other things and making sure he’s being responsible. I thought he handled things extremely well and I liked his line [with Jacob Quillan and Ryan Tverberg]. He’s only going to continue to get better.”

Danford’s Oshawa Generals were eliminated by Cowan’s Knights in the 2024 and 2025 OHL championship series.

“A good way to describe it is he’s a game changer,” Danford said. “He’s a guy that can go out there and just change the whole tide of a game. The way he can think a game is pretty crazy and the skill he’s got, he’s got a lot of confidence. And he’s a great guy off the ice. He’s a great teammate. He’s someone you want to go to war with.”

---

Cowan made his NHL debut this season and suited up in 66 games with the Leafs. Danford is hoping to join him on the NHL roster next season.

The Leafs won the draft lottery and will pick first overall next month, so Toronto could have another youngster in the lineup next season. Gavin McKenna, who is the favourite to go first overall, played with Cowan at the 2025 World Juniors.

“We’ve stayed in touch,” Cowan said.

So, how does Cowan feel McKenna would handle the spotlight in Toronto?

“He’d be fine,” Cowan said. “He’s got that swagger and he’s a good player. He’s confident. He’s got a lot of skill, but he’s got that swagger that I like. So, he’d be good.”

The final decision on what the Leafs do with the pick will be made by new general manager John Chayka and new senior executive advisor Mats Sundin.

Gruden hasn’t had much communication with the new management leads since they were hired, but did get a message after Saturday’s win.

“Just a ‘congratulations’ text, which was nice to get,” Gruden said. “We’re going about our business, but it was nice for them to check in and to know they’re watching.”

---

Marlies lines in Saturday’s game:

Groulx - Shaw - Lettieri

Cowan - Quillan - Tverberg

Pare - Haymes - Nylander

Pezzetta - Johnston - Johnson

Rifai - Thrun

Mermis - Villeneuve

Smith - Chadwick

Akhtyamov

Hildeby