Leafs not expecting further fights after rare development camp dust-up
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Players at Leafs development camp skated in two groups at the Ford Performance Centre on Thursday.
Kitchener Rangers winger Matthew Hlacar and Cincinnati Cyclones defenceman Rhett Parsons dropped the gloves during a battle drill at the end of Thursday's opening practice at Leafs development camp.
"It just two guys going hard and tempers flared, and it happens," said Hlacar, who was Toronto's seventh round pick (217th overall) in the 2025 draft. "It's all good. I talked to him and we're fine. It is what it is."
The pair needed to be separated after finally falling to the ice.
"When you're in a battle drill stuff like that happens," said Parsons, who signed a two-year American Hockey League deal with the Toronto Marlies in October 2024. "But total respect for him and no hard feelings off the ice."
General manager Brad Treliving is looking to change the DNA of the Leafs this summer by injecting more competitiveness into the organization, but this isn't exactly what the front office had in mind.
What was Hayley Wickenheiser thinking as she watched from the stands?
"'Oh no,' honestly," said the Leafs assistant general manager, player development, who is overseeing the five-day camp. "We don't want guys to fight in development camp. We talk about it, 'We want you to compete, but no one needs to get hurt.' But those two, that's what they do. It's part of their game."
Hlacar, who made the Rangers as a walk-on, scored seven goals while racking up 62 penalty minutes in 43 games in the Ontario Hockey League last season.
"I just play hard and try and do my thing," the 19-year-old from Binbrook, Ont. said. "I don't really try to be an enforcer or tough. I just kind of play hockey, play hard and whatever happens, happens, sort of thing."
Parsons registered five assists and 116 penalty minutes in 62 games in the ECHL.
"I like to get under guys skin," the 21-year-old from Cremona, Alta. said. "I'm not trying to hurt anyone out there. I'm just trying to play hard and do what I can to make a hockey team."
Leafs staff addressed what happened with both players after the fight.
"They were fine with it afterwards," said Wickenheiser. "Obviously you don't want to see it, but the game is full of emotion and you kind of, at the same time, are happy to see guys playing with emotion and passion and wanting to make an impact. So, it's fine line to walk."
The fisticuffs caught some of the other campers off guard, including Toronto's top pick in the recent draft.
"Really crazy, actually," said centre Tinus Luc Koblar, a second-round selection (64th overall) who plays for Leksands in the Swedish junior league. "I don't get to see that that much in Sweden. Just crazy."
Wickenheiser is not expecting a repeat performance on Friday or Saturday when the prospects return to the ice.
"I'm sure we won't see it again," she said with a laugh.
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Toronto's top prospect is attending camp this week, but not taking part in any of the on-ice sessions.
"Leafs want me to stay off, get some workouts in, and get the weight up," said forward Easton Cowan, who was picked in the first round (28th overall) in 2023. "I'll be back on the ice next week in London."
One year after a painful loss in the Memorial Cup final, Cowan led the London Knights to a Canadian Hockey League championship in May. He also represented Canada at the World Juniors in each of the past two years.
"He's played over 100 games the last couple seasons, so it was more allow him to have a bit of recovery time, a bit of down time," said Wickenheiser. "He's going to have a big few months here coming up so allow him to train, more importantly, off the ice right now and put on some of the weight he's lost through the season, and get some rest."
Cowan was listed at 185 pounds last season. He's hoping to get up to 187 pounds at least with 190 the dream scenario this summer.
Cowan will need to show his physical strength and mental strength to earn a spot on the Leafs roster at training camp.
"I know I got the skill and the compete to play," the 20-year-old stressed. "It's just managing the puck, knowing when to make the risky play and when not to."
Cowan led the Ontario Hockey League playoffs in scoring (39 points in 17 games) before being named MVP of the Memorial Cup. He showed off his two-way game I the playoffs.
"He's a 200-foot guy too," said Oshawa Generals defenceman and fellow Leafs prospect Ben Danford, who faced Cowan in the OHL Final. "He's good defensively. He could be a checking guy too. He's taken strides for sure."
"It's what do you do with the puck at both bluelines and not turning pucks over in soft areas of the ice," said Wickenheiser. "Being able to drive deep and take the puck to the net and then hound and hunt the puck, which he does really well, but in junior he could turn it on and off when he wanted to. I do think over the latter half of the season this year we saw a real big improvement that way."
So, is Cowan ready for the NHL?
"Time will tell," Wickenheiser said. "I guess that is the question we are all asking ourselves. But my money is on him that he will be fit enough and prepared enough. The experience to be able to step in and play — we'll see very quickly when camp starts."
Cowan is taking part in all the off-ice activities this week.
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The dream of being teammates with Mitch Marner in Toronto is over, but Cowan will always be grateful for the mentorship provided by the London Knights alumnus over the past two seasons.
"It meant a lot to me," the native of Mount Brydges, Ont., said. "Happy for him. Opportunities open up for other players. But, yeah, super happy for him."
Cowan also saw good friend and fellow top prospect Fraser Minten exit the organization back in March at the trade deadline when the Leafs sent the centre to the Boston Bruins in a deal for defenceman Brandon Carlo.
"That one hurt a lot," Cowan acknowledged. "Ever since I got to Toronto, he's been great to me and he's taught me a lot, even though he's [only] a year older than me. He was a pro and super great guy and, yeah, I wish him nothing but the best. We talk every day and I know we will keep talking every day."
The Minten move further depleted a Leafs prospect pool that has been pillaged by a win-now management group for years. Treliving, who stopped to chat with Cowan during Thursday's practice, is now scouring the trade market for a top-six forward to fill the void left by Marner.
Cowan is tuning out any trade talk.
"That's on them," he said. "That's what they do. For me, it's playing hockey, and focusing on what I can do and that's, you know, to get better to make the NHL, and that's my mindset this summer."
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Captain Auston Matthews sent messages to the players that the Leafs selected in the 2025 draft to welcome them to the Leafs organization.
"One of my idols growing up," said Kingston Frontenacs centre Tyler Hopkins, who was picked in the third round (86th overall). "Getting a text from him was pretty cool."
What did the 18-year-old from Campbellville, Ont. think when he saw his phone?
"I didn't know what to say," Hopkins recalled. "I remember I was standing there with my dad and I open my phone and it's Auston Matthews and I'm like, 'Dad, look at this.' Both of us are Leafs fans and ever since Auston got picked he's been our favourite player."
What does Hopkins learn from watching Matthews?
"You try to take things from his game," he said. "How strong he is on the puck is a thing I think the average eye wouldn't really notice, but he's so strong on the puck if you watch him. We watched video on him today and he's so strong on the puck, so skilled."
Hopkins also received welcome messages from John Tavares and William Nylander.
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While Hopkins attended the draft in Los Angeles, Flint Firebirds defenceman Rylan Fellinger was at his high school prom in Sault Ste. Marie when the Leafs picked him in the sixth round (185th overall).
"I was with my buddy [Sudbury Wolves forward] Hudson Chitaroni. He had the draft going [on his phone], but I wasn't too focused on it. Just wanted to clear my mind a little bit. He was just watching, and the Leafs were up next and I saw my name and I was going crazy. I couldn't even believe it. I was just running around. People might have thought I was crazy or something. It was awesome."
What did his date think?
"I think she was more crazy than me," the 18-year-old from Wawa, Ont. said with a smile.
Treliving called to congratulate him.
"I tried to get away from everyone because everyone was screaming and everything," Fellinger said. "I was trying to keep it calm, but everyone was going crazy and I couldn't help it."
Fellinger, who grew up a Leafs fan, considered staying home to watch with family, but ultimately decided it was fate that the prom and draft coincided.
"I still wanted to see all my childhood friends," he explained. "They've been with me since the start. They've always had my back, and I really wanted to spend the day with them. They were always there for me and to celebrate with them was an unreal experience."
It made the day even more memorable and meaningful.
"I couldn't even describe it," he said. "I didn't even know what to think at that point. I was just so out of it. I was so excited, so many emotions going through my mind."
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Fellinger stayed out late after practice on Thursday to work with former NHL defenceman Jake Muzzin, who is part of the Leafs development staff.
"It's awesome," he said. "I love that. Anything that comes from him is a great experience ... We were just working on boxing out guys. I need to hit the hips more instead of hitting higher, because then it's easier to bring them to the boards."
Another former Leafs defenceman, Mark Giordano, watched practice from the stands and is scheduled to address the prospects. He does not hold an official title with the team. Yet.
"I'm not sure what he's worked out with [Treliving] in terms of moving forward with a role," said Wickenheiser. "He certainly knows the organization. He's been around and is interested in the coaching development side of things. We're picking his brain. I've known Gio for a long time."
The Toronto native spent the final three seasons of his career with the Leafs.
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Danford, Toronto's first-round pick (31st overall) in 2024, is leaning on Leafs defenceman Chris Tanev as he looks to take the next step in his development.
"He's been phenomenal," the 19-year-old native of Belleville, Ont. said. "I've looked up to him for quite a few years now. I feel like that's someone that I can really learn off of ... Hopefully I'm even close to what he is in the NHL someday. He's just that rock solid d-man that can contribute second-piece offence as well."
Danford arrived in town last week and has already skated with Tanev a couple times this summer.
"It's great," Danford said. "Just to ask him questions, feed off him, stuff like that, it's really good."
Leafs management feels the same way.
"He's spent a little bit of time with Chris Tanev this summer already and I think that's a big influence on him," said Wickenheiser. "Just watching day in and day out how Chris carries himself."
Tanev is the picture of calm on the ice despite stepping in front of shots more than any other Leafs player and absorbing the most hits while going back to start break-out plays. Danford has been taking notes.
"The thing I've noticed is his game is starting to calm down," said Wickenheiser. "He's a great skater. He moves as well as anyone on the ice here. Sometimes he tries to do too much when he plays in the OHL and with Oshawa and we've just been talking to him a lot about taking the time to play calm, getting inside lanes to block shots."
Danford is also benefitting from seeing how Tanev and other professionals operate off the ice.
"I need to get bigger and stronger and faster," the Generals captain said. "You see guys in the gym that are at the NHL level, or even on the ice just how powerful they are, the way they can move and stuff, and how strong they are on pucks and that's a really big eye-opener. I feel like that's something I can really get better at."
The 6-foot-2 Danford, who was listed at 192 pounds last season, is planning to pack on five to 10 pounds of muscle this summer.
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The camp is shorter this year with only three on-ice sessions, which is down from five.
"There is a little bit more off-ice stuff going on," Wickenheiser said. "You can kind of go either way with it. Coming out of COVID, we had a lot of on-ice stuff. We wanted to see what the players were doing and had done in the time off. Now, it is a little bit more of an orientation."
The players had a session on dealing with pressure, expectations and social media.
Leafs coach Craig Berube and former Leafs great Wendel Clark also spoke to the group. And another interesting guest speaker is on deck.
"We've brought in a world-class horse trainer [Jeff Davis]," Wickenheiser revealed with a grin. "Actually, we brought in a wild colt, a wild horse, to talk about how you manage emotions and how you go through handling pressure and tricky situations [while] actually using a horse. So, it's going to be interesting. I can give you more tomorrow."
One thing is certain, though.
"The horse will not be on the ice and no one will be getting on the horse," Wickenheiser confirmed with a laugh.
Wickenheiser believes winning in any sport is 90 per cent mental because everyone is fairly equal physically.
"It's the ability to grind day after day after day and then to be able to have that performance on demand when it matters the most," the four-time Olympic gold medalist said. "That's a really hard thing to do ... So when you can get over the hump I think winning breeds more winning, and you've seen it with Florida and the confidence that they have."
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The players are the development camp are skating in two groups: