Fraser Minten reveals which veterans have taken him under their wing in Toronto
When it was announced that Fraser Minten, on the merit of his body of work in training camp, had made the opening night roster for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the excitement could be felt by almost everyone in Leafs Nation. Not only is Minten an infusion of some fresh blood with a ton of potential, but he is also well ahead of schedule in his development and has shown that he can be an effective player for the Leafs. Now it's just about adjusting to the speed and intensity and seeing if he is ready, over the next 8 games, to stick beyond that initial 9-game trial run.
Minten joins fellow rookie Matthew Knies as a young player who is attempting to adjust to a pretty significant jump in competition, all while living in a new city where they don't know anyone aside from their teammates. The 2022 2nd round pick revealed on Friday that the Leafs' veterans are taking good care of him.
Morgan Rielly had made sure that Minten had a place to go to enjoy a nice Thanksgiving dinner this past week, but Minten revealed on Friday that veteran Ryan Reaves, another fellow newcomer, has taken the rookie under his wing in Toronto as well. Minten was asked by TSN's Mark Masters about having Reaves looking out for him and having him as a teammate. With Reaves sitting right beside him, holding his flip flop up next to Minten's face like a microphone, pretending to be a journalist, here's what the rookie had to say, with a huge smile on his face:
"He's the worst - no, I'm kidding. This guy's the man. He's super nice, goes out of his way to make you feel welcome. He had me over for dinner the other night, which was awesome and his steak is pretty unreal - one of the best I've had. He's a great guy [and] a great teammate." - Minten on Reaves taking him under his wing
Sheldon Keefe has also noticed just how great the veterans on the team have been about taking the younger guys in and looking after them. The Leafs' bench boss was very complementary of his team for taking care of one another and making sure that the guy guys, especially, have the support they need while they continue to transition to the pro game.
"It's great to see, because it's something that we had talked about when we made the decision that Fraser [Minten] was going to start with us. That was the next thing. 'Okay, he has earned his way here as a player, now how do we take care of him as a person and as a young man that's coming into a new city and playing professional hockey and all of that?' I was thrilled... there's been a number of [gestures] that our players, just on their own, have [extended to Minten].
I think when you step away from it and you look at it, we have a number of players who have been in his shoes. Maybe guys that came in and knew that they were going to be here, higher picks and whatnot. We've got a lot of guys that have been young people in a new city, learning a lot all at once and, I'm sure, along the way have had others take care of them and now they're sort of paying it forward." - Keefe on Reaves looking out for rookie Fraser Minten
I think when you step away from it and you look at it, we have a number of players who have been in his shoes. Maybe guys that came in and knew that they were going to be here, higher picks and whatnot. We've got a lot of guys that have been young people in a new city, learning a lot all at once and, I'm sure, along the way have had others take care of them and now they're sort of paying it forward." - Keefe on Reaves looking out for rookie Fraser Minten
We know that John Tavares had taken Matthew Knies into his home and under his wing last season and now it appears that Tavares and his wife, Aryne, have not only opened up their home to Knies once again this season - but Minten as well, so not only does he have Reavo looking out for him, but the captain too.
The Leafs are back in action tonight, at home against the Minnesota Wild. The puck is expected to drop shortly after 7:00pm ET.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 14 | 80 ANSWERS Fraser Minten reveals which veterans have taken him under their wing in Toronto How many goals will Ryan Reaves score with the Leafs in his first season in Toronto? | ||
| 4 or less | 15 | 18.8 % |
| 5-7 | 35 | 43.8 % |
| 8-10 | 20 | 25 % |
| More than 10 | 10 | 12.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
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