The Crown Report: Marlies Tinkering With Identity As Steeves Makes History 

Knelt on his right leg, arms stretched out wide and his head up to the sky, all smiles. That’s how Toronto Marlies forward Alex Steeves celebrated when he became the new all-time franchise points leader with a goal against the Laval Rocket.

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It was a picturesque moment for the player and equally enjoyable for the team as they rallied to congratulate Steeves on the achievement. Better yet, it was not the only celebratory scene during Toronto’s three-game road trip and three additional games at Coca-Cola Coliseum. 

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As November turned into December, the Marlies produced mixed results across six games, winning three and losing three, including their first regulation loss at home this season. However, the team’s formidable attitude is a quality which will help them tinker with their identity.

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Moving forward, the priority is to shake off slow starts and be the first team on the board rather than being tagged as comeback kings.

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“[The positives are] their ability to not give up, it’s happened all year,” admitted head coach John Gruden. “[Slow starts are] not a trend that we want to continue to go with, but if it’s going to happen, it’s better than just throwing in the towel and quitting after 10 minutes."

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“Credit to our guys. But as the season gets on, you’re just not going to be able to get away with that. We have to understand that, we have to be better at it … It’s something we definitely have to clean up.”

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This was arguably the biggest lesson on the road. Toronto was shut out for the first time in 2024/25 after a 2-0 loss to the Cleveland Monsters. But not without strutting their stuff, as Zach Solow, Braeden Kressler and Marshall Rifai drove the team forward in shot attempts, demonstrating the team’s impressive depth and never-say-quit mentality.

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Denial in front of the net in Cleveland later lit a fire under Toronto. Nick Abruzzese opened the scoring in under seven minutes against the Laval Rocket as the Marlies fought for a 3-2 shootout victory. Cédric Paré scored the game-deciding goal in the shootout in his first attempt of the season.

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“It was a tight game. They’re a high-pressure team. They come at you, especially in this building,” Gruden said afterward. 

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“I thought we did a good job of weathering the storms and any waves that they threw at us, any pushes. For the most part, our guys did a really good job of protecting the inside and then we got the big saves when we needed them and huge kills.”

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Then, it was Steeves’ time to shine during Toronto’s third away game. A sharpshooter with what teammates call a relentless work ethic, the 25-year-old made Marlies history in his 200th career AHL game during a 5-4 loss to Laval.

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“Other than the support of my family and friends outside of the organization, the first thing that comes to mind is all the amazing faces of teammates and coaches who have come and gone along my three years and change here,” said Steeves on the achievement.

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“There is a particular group of guys who have been here the majority of my career so, a special shoutout to those guys … It’s nice to take a moment to be grateful for the things you do have and the amazing support group and everything here with the Marlies.”

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Upon their return to Toronto, the Marlies treated fans to genuine thrillers as the first two games back at Coca-Cola Coliseum featured 20 goals combined. And they won both. 

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A sizzling second period against Lehigh Valley Phantoms saw Toronto rally from two goals down to win 6-3. Captain Logan Shaw earned two assists as Mikko Kokkonen (two goals), Abruzzese, and Steeves found the net four times in roughly 10 minutes. Nine individual players earned at least one point during the thrilling comeback.

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The second game at home, this time against the Bakersfield Condors, was the most entertaining. The visitors quickly scored three goals in the first period, and it appeared Toronto was down and out. But the Marlies would never accept that situation.

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Another eight players earned points as the hosts tinkered with their game plan and cut the deficit down minute-by-minute. An overtime winner from Alex Nylander, who registered his first career AHL hat-trick alongside two assists, helped the home side win 6-5. The arena erupted.

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The weekend series ended with another meeting against the Condors, where Toronto fell just short of a comeback and lost 3-2 in regulation. However, the third loss from this six-game stretch offered the best opportunity to look in the mirror and begin some honest reflection. 

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What keeps the team uplifted is knowing that the entire roster has the qualities to prioritize their main goal for 2025: shaking off the comeback kings tag.

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“We’re going to be playing to the road. We have to have better starts. I can sit here and talk about it. We have to be more predictable, we have to play faster and play into our self game,” said Gruden. 

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“That’s what our identity is and we have to be willing to stick with it because it’s going to tighten up as we move forward. Teams get better and the league is a good league. We’re going to have to definitely 100 per cent be better at it otherwise it’s going to really catch up to us.”

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“Not exactly sure what it is; it’s something for us to figure out internally,” added captain Shaw. “You have to give our group credit for not quitting, but we always start behind the eight ball. We’ll figure that out and try to straighten it out for the next three games before Christmas.”

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The final games of 2024 include four road games alongside a Boxing Day clash with the rival Belleville Senators at Scotiabank Arena.

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ALL-STAR STATS

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The American Hockey League again celebrated eight Marlies for standout performances over the last six games. 

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Steeves, Kokkonen and Nylander each received First Star honours, Shaw and William Villeneuve earned Second Star honours and Abruzesse, Matt Benning and Robert Mastrosimone all received Third Star honours.

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Season leaders:

*Amongst active players

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Goals 14 (A. Steeves) 

Assists 13 (L. Shaw) 

Points 22 (A. Steeves) 

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PPG 5 (A. Nylander) 

Shots 63 (A. Steeves) 

+/- +11 (M. Rifai, A. Steeves) 

PIMS 20 (J. Quillan, J. Quillan, A. Steeves)

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MARLIES MIC’D UP

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Head coach John Gruden on Kokkonen’s two-goal game: “Everyone wants to look at their point totals and their goals and if they’re not getting any, sometimes they get a little frustrated, but there are so many other things he does well that people don’t see on a scoresheet. For him to get rewarded with a couple is important for his confidence and it’s good for our D’s confidence too, to see that. It was good and I’m happy for him.”

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Captain Logan Shaw on Artur Akhtyamov’s play: “You don’t want to dwell on the bad games, but you want to learn from them. He obviously played great again tonight (loss against Bakersfield). He gave us a chance to stay in that game tonight. He’s been our rock all year, and all three of those goalies. For him, it’s just about being mentally strong and making sure that he rebounds.”

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