Leafs rookie Cowan looking to end trying season on high note as major contributor for Marlies

Despite the Toronto Maple Leafs missing the playoffs this season for the first time in nearly a decade, one member of the team is attempting to bring a hockey championship to the city this spring.

Rookie winger Easton Cowan, who turned 21 last week, joined the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies at the end of the NHL regular season and has helped guide the minor-league team to the Eastern Conference Finals where they’ll take on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

On Sunday, Cowan scored the series-clinching goal against the Cleveland Monsters with just 12 seconds remaining in Game 5 to send the Marlies to the next round. The goal capped an impressive comeback as the Marlies were down 2-0 with just over five minutes remaining in the do-or-die contest.

Cowan, who has four goals and four assists over 13 playoff games for the Marlies, considers it one of the biggest goals of his young career.

“It’s up there for sure. Obviously, it’s a big goal. Just happy to score for these guys. They’ve been battling all year and just a bunch of great guys and they welcomed me in with open arms,” Cowan said during an appearance on TSN 1050’s First Up on Tuesday morning. “It’s been so much fun so far and I’m just hoping to keep it going.”

It’s been an interesting year for Cowan to say the least.

The native of Mount Brydges, Ont., was selected 28th overall by the former Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving in 2023 and made his NHL debut in 2025-26 after two dominating and successful seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the London Knights.

Cowan was joining a team that had made nine straight postseason appearances but were coming off an embarrassing second-round Game 7 loss on home ice to the Florida Panthers the previous spring and the departure of star winger Mitch Marner over the summer.

The Maple Leafs’ season was a disaster from the start as they finished last in the Atlantic Division with a 32-36-14 record, leading to the firing of Treliving and head coach Craig Berube.

John Chayka has since been brought in to serve as the GM alongside Leafs legend Mats, who is working in the front office as an advisor.

Toronto’s luck began to turn around earlier this month when they won the NHL Draft Lottery with just 8.5 per cent odds, putting them in line to select top prospect Gavin McKenna with the top pick.

Cowan acknowledges changes are part of the business of pro sports, but is trying to focus on his current playoff run with the Marlies.

“I mean, obviously, it’s a bit shocking,” said Cowan. “It’s unfortunate and it’s no one’s fault. It’s about the group and obviously we didn’t get it done this year. So, unfortunately that stuff happens, but just not trying to focus on it at all really. I’m with the Marlies right now. We’re having a good playoff run. A lot of good vibes down here and it’s fun playing in May and hopefully until June. Trying to keep my mind off of it, obviously it unfortunately happened, but that’s just how the business is.”

Despite the team’s poor play, Cowan managed to net 11 goals and 18 assists over 66 games during his rookie season in the NHL, adding one goal and two assists across four regular season games with the Marlies.

Expectations were heavy for Cowan entering his pro career, after winning back-to-back OHL titles in 2024 and 2025 as well as the Memorial Cup last season.

His best junior season came in 2023-24 when he scored 34 goals and 62 assists over 54 games for the Knights.

Cowan, who says it was a mutual decision to keep playing hockey with Marlies at the conclusion of the Leafs’ season, is now looking to finish the season on a high note as major contributor in pursuit of the Calder Cup.

“Obviously it’s tough, but you know, a lot of ups and downs this year, but it’s adversity and everyone’s got to go through it. So, it’s been good for me and just learning to play at different levels and learning to play a different style of the game and different roles,” explained Cowan. “It’s been good for me, just looking to keep bringing the same energy and compete each and every shift and capitalizing on my chances.”

Cowan says he’s far more confident as a player today compared to when the season first start in October.

“I mean, not just my overall game, but my confidence as a player. I feel like the more reps you get, the more comfortable you get. So definitely feel better as a player. I feel like I’ve gotten, a bit bigger and stronger too and just looking to maintain that the rest of the year and then have a big summer for me will be huge,” said Cowan.

Cowan represented Canada at two World Junior Championships in 2024 and 2025, scoring two goals and three assist over 10 total games, failing to medal on each occasion.

The Marlies’ lone Calder Cup victory came in 2018.

Game 1 of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals against the Penguins goes Wednesday night in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.