William Nylander appears set to center the first line while Morgan Rielly will lead the D corps. Max Domi will play his first game in a Leafs sweater and top prospects Matthew Knies and Fraser Minten will be out there as well. One player who will be instantly noticeable will be Keenan Suthers, who played with the Newfoundland Growlers last season. At 6'8 245lbs, the big forward will be easy to spot on the ice.
Between the pipes, the Leafs are going with 6'7" rookie Dennis "The Hildebeast" Hildeby and Keith Petruzzelli. These two are likely to make up the Marlies' goalie tandem this year.
Even without the biggest names on the ice for the Leafs today, it feels good to know that hockey is back. It's been a long summer and I couldn't think of a better way to kick things off than a renewal of hostilities in the Battle of Ontario!
The full roster can be found here:
POLL | ||
24 SEPTEMBRE | 299 ANSWERS Leafs reveal lineup for their first pre-season game Who are you most excited to see in the Leafs' pre-season opener today? | ||
Willy at center | 66 | 22.1 % |
Fraser Minten against NHL competition | 50 | 16.7 % |
Max Domi's Maple Leafs debut | 144 | 48.2 % |
Other | 39 | 13 % |
List of polls |