Veteran Leaf discusses the recent string of amateur tryout goalies in Toronto
A veteran of 932 NHL games, Luke Schenn was a last minute addition to the lineup Monday night against Florida after Erik Gustafsson left the warmup with an injury. It was an unusual situation for Schenn, and relatable to the situation that all of the Leafs' ATO goalies have been experiencing the last three games. Last night against Tampa, the Leafs signed their third different goalie to an amateur tryout contract as they dealt with cap issues and injury. Saturday against Montreal it was Jett Alexander, Monday it was Nick Chenard and last night it was Matt Onuska.
Prior to yesterday's game, Schenn was asked about all of the goalies the Leafs have brought in on ATO's as they deal with cap and injury issues and the situation they've been put in. Here's what he had to say:
"They're all really good kids. They all can't believe they're in this situation. They're just awesome guys. We're trying to take them in and chat with them a little bit. They're a little bit shy, but we're trying to make them feel comfortable. This is probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them. If you put yourself in their shoes, you're probably thinking, How the heck did this happen? And how proud their families must be, and all their friends talking and texting them. You want to make this memorable for them."Luke Schenn on ATO goalies in Toronto
As Schenn said, the three goalies are living a childhood dream and having a once-in-a-lifetime experience and he and the rest of the team are doing their best to make them feel included and welcomed in the room. For as much backlash as the Leafs have received over the last few days because of their roster moves, the players, Sheldon Keefe and Kyle Dubas don't seem to care and just want the goalies to enjoy the moment and the experience, once again showing why the Leafs are the class of the NHL.
Previously on MapleLeafsDaily
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