Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe sings the praises of top prospect after overcoming devastating diagnosis
Sheldon Keefe's tenure in Toronto has certainly been chock full of ups and downs. Still, one thing that the young head coach has preached over the course of his time in Toronto is building Stanley Cup habits and competing hard every night.
Following the team's season opening loss to the Montreal Canadiens and ahead of the team's home opening win against the Washington Capitals, Keefe had the opportunity to speak with the media. When he was asked about 2020 1st round pick Rodion Amirov being with the team, here's what Keefe had to say:
"You talk about competing - here's a guy who has been through four rounds of chemo, still with a big smile. We want him to have some experiences with our team."
Not only do Keefe, Dubas, Shanahan and the rest of the Leafs' brass have a lot of respect for Amirov, who has battled against a devastating cancer diagnosis, but the team has rallied around Amirov as well. The 21-year-old is currently in Toronto and received the full Leafs treatment on Thursday, accompanying the team's injured players at the home opener, being honoured before the game and joining the team in the locker room after the game to celebrate the win.
You absolutely love to see the kind of support that the Leafs are providing Amirov with. Hopefully it won't be too long until he's back on the ice and continuing with his on-ice development and an eventual return to game action.
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