Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Connor Brown recently told me about his first call-up to the NHL.
“Yeah, it was pretty cool.”
I think he might be underselling it a bit.
You see, this hasn’t been an easy season for Brown. The 2014-15 campaign saw him tear onto the professional hockey scene with 61 points in 76 games — enough to make him the Toronto Marlies’ leading scorer as well as the top-scoring rookie in the entire American Hockey League.
Brown began this season, however, with just four assists and no goals on 22 shots. Not great for one of the Marlies’ most likely candidates for an NHL call-up. But it can only go up from there, right?
Well…
The forward suffered an ankle injury on Oct. 30, sidelining him long-term. Suddenly, seeing Brown make it to the NHL took a backseat to just getting him back into the AHL. Almost three full months and 35 games later, Brown finally returned to the Marlies’ lineup with two goals in the first period of a 7-1 demolition of the Utica Comets.
He didn’t exactly slow down after that, either.
Brown’s performance after returning from injury resulted in his first shot at the NHL. (Don’t worry, he continued after saying how cool it was.)
“First couple games I felt like I was a step behind or just kind of getting accustomed to the league, but last five games I felt like I really settled in, tried to contribute offensively, and play my game.
“The big challenge with transitioning from the AHL to the NHL is you kind of want to bring the same aspect that you bring, and I feel like I’m an offensive player, so it was nice to settle in and do better and better in that regard.”
And settle in he did. Brown’s last game with the Leafs before being reassigned to the Marlies was a three-point night against the Florida Panthers.
“Yeah that was pretty cool,” said Brown, starting a theme. “It’s one of those games where the puck seems to be following you. I felt a little more poised with it and I wasn’t rushed to get it off my stick. It was really nice to be able to stay up for that long. They gave me an opportunity to stay for that long to get comfortable. Often times, guys go up for two games, they don’t play that well, and they’re back down. They kind of gave me a real shot, after two games they gave me a third, and I felt better and better so that was really nice to see.”
Brown’s parents were in attendance that night.
I mean, they were there for the game, right?
“I think mostly the weather; secondly me,” Brown said with a laugh. “One of my dad’s good buddies, Ed, is from out there. They’ve been best buddies growing up so he kind of took an opportunity to see them, and to see me play, and I think kind of wanted to go see my first road trip. They’re pretty ecstatic about the whole thing.”
So that was fun. Brown got his first taste of the NHL, it went well, and now he’s back in the American Hockey League. With a few games under his belt since his first stint in the NHL, Brown has a new respect for AHL hockey.
“I think you kind of realize how good a league the AHL is,” said Brown. “You don’t come down here and just dominate and think the game’s way slower. They skate just as fast, they’re just as strong. You gotta be mentally prepared and they made sure that the guys who came down were. We were ready to go, weren’t taking anything for granted. You realize that it is a really good hockey league.”
Even if the gap between the AHL and NHL is as small as Brown says, he still took some things he learned with the Leafs back to the minors with him.
“I think a couple things on the power-play, for sure, at the NHL level. It actually translated pretty good on Saturday night against Grand Rapids. Just little things, playing with [Tyler] Bozak, you see things he does and try to learn from him.”
Things have changed a little bit for the Marlies over the past few weeks. On top of getting the likes of Brown and Zach Hyman back, meeting trade deadline acquisitions like Ben Smith and Connor Carrick, and the inevitable return of William Nylander and several others, the “black aces” are rolling in, as well. Recently-signed goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo has joined the Marlies, and Leafs draft picks like Andrew Nielsen and Tony Cameranesi have recently arrived, too.
If you follow the Toronto Marlies on Twitter, it seems like a player is signed to an Amateur Tryout deal every day or two.
“I feel like I’m introducing myself to someone everyday here. It’s been a lot of guys,” said Brown. “But it’s a nice little opportunity for them and hopefully they’ll get into a couple games and show what they got. You kind of go through the same stuff in the NHL. You treat people like you want to be treated and everyone who’s been here has been very respectful and really good so hopefully they’ll get a couple games to show what they got. It’s a crowded locker room but a lot of good guys.”
The Leafs’ season might be ending but the Marlies just clinched first place in the entire American Hockey League. After everything, the Marlies’ season — as well Brown’s — may just be starting.
