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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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The Toronto Marlies returned to familiar surroundings for the second half of November with five dramatic home games against formidable opposition. This time at Coca-Cola Coliseum, deeply ingrained leadership, sacrifice and roster-wide determination were the trinity of traits which helped the team shine.

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But before returning to home ice, a first trip to Scotiabank Arena for the 2024/25 season was on the schedule as the Marlies hosted rivals Belleville Senators in their first game back.

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Travelling fans were treated to a thrilling comeback as the hosts gave it everything they had to score three unanswered goals in the third period and force the longest shootout in franchise history.

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“It’s kind of been the story of our team. The one good quality that our team has is that they don’t quit,” said head coach John Gruden after the game.

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Goals from Fraser Minten, Nikita Grebenkin and Zach Solow helped Toronto claw back before things turned tense. A stunning 12-round shootout was required, where Belleville ultimately prevailed despite a strong performance from goaltender Denis Hildeby.

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Then, in true Toronto fashion, the Marlies bounced back the best way possible with a 2-1 overtime win against the Rochester Americans. Sacrifice from multiple players on behalf of the team led to a positive outcome. Toronto were 7-for-7 on the penalty kill en route to their first overtime win of the season.

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Nick Abruzzese let his experience shine and led the team in shots. He put them on the board in the first period after another assist from Captain Logan Shaw. After impressing last season, the duo thrives thanks to their developing on-ice partnership.

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As the visitors eventually tied the game, Alex Nylander made some personal history to decide things. The Swede scored 35 seconds into overtime as Coca-Cola Coliseum erupted. It was his 100th AHL goal in his career.

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“The guys are there, they’re committed to blocking shots. They’re committed to sacrificing their bodies and doing what they have to do to keep [Rochester] off the board,” reflected a proud Gruden. “We have some big, strong defencemen and forwards that are willing to sacrifice to get the job done. It was huge for us, we needed it.”

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Additionally, the efforts of goaltending prospect Artur Akhtyamov received high praise with the rookie making 30 saves.

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“There’s a lot there to like [about Akhtyamov] … Like I said, usually the goalie has to be your best penalty killer, and he was outstanding,” added Gruden. “It’s always an adjustment coming over here and playing in the North American game where there is a little more traffic. But he seems like he’s handling that really well. Good for him, and again, we wouldn’t have won that game without him.”

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Up next was the most significant result during the five-game run at Coca-Cola Coliseum. One where critical leadership, roster depth and talent meshed perfectly to beat reigning Calder Cup champions the Hershey Bears in overtime (4-3).

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According to Gruden, increasing the intensity and maintaining a “next man up” mentality were decisive characteristics in the statement win. Multiple players proved they can deliver when it matters and successfully did so across all five of Toronto’s home games.

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After allowing three goals in the first period, the team’s reputation remained true. Solow kickstarted the comeback before Nylander again proved decisive with two goals and an assist to set up Abbruzzese for the winner 45 seconds into overtime. 

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After the victory, Solow revealed that key voices in the locker room were invaluable to the comeback, including captain Shaw, who helped Toronto awaken their pesky, never-quit attitude.

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“Our captain [had the energy]. He’s saying, ‘Stay calm boys, we know what we need to do,” he revealed “‘Play the right way and good things are going to happen.’ We’re a fast team [and] we’re detailed. So, if we just forecheck [and] we stay on top of our guys, we’re going to get the puck back.”

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The Marlies then relied on that same quality leadership against San Jose Barracuda, with whom they split their weekend series. The first game saw Toronto win 3-0 in regulation time before succumbing to a 2-1 loss via a shootout in the second game. 

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After impressing in earlier performances, Minten, Grebenkin and Nylander were all called up to the NHL, leaving significant gaps to fill. However, not without talent, Toronto relied upon a host of other names to pull off results against the Barracuda.

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Sam Stevens was a standout across both games, netting his first professional goal before making it two in two a day later. His memorable achievement was notably set up by the experienced Shaw. The captain has a history of setting up players for their first goals.

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Looking ahead in the season, Gruden hopes the man who wears the ‘C’ continues to be at his best. When Shaw’s leadership excels, the team also does collectively. 

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[Logan’s] been really, really, good. He’s taken another step in leadership and how he goes about his business. He’s out there trying to make everybody better and he’s really played extremely well,” said Gruden. 

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“His game is at an all-time high for me right now in all aspects. We’re going to need that and it’s exciting for us as a staff and for our team for him to be playing at the level he’s playing at.”

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Other notable names to step up during the final two games included Ryan Tverberg (first goal of the season), Cade Webber (two assists in two games), Abbruzzese (two assists in two games), Akhtyamov (second career shutout in game one) and Matt Murray (26/27 shots saved in game two).

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The Marlies now head out on the road with three games. The first is against the Cleveland Monsters, and then there is a double-header against the Laval Rocket.

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ALL-STAR STATS

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The AHL celebrated eight Marlies players for their efforts on the ice. These include Akhtyamov (two first stars), Nylander (one first star, one second star), Minten (one second star), Solow (one second star), Stevens (one second star), Abruzzese (one third star), Roni Hirvonen (one third star) and Murray (one third star). 

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Additionally, the Marlies have gone into overtime in eight of 16 games this season, another example of the never-quit attitude.

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Season leaders:

*Amongst active players

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Goals 4 (N. Abruzzese) 

Assists 9 (L. Shaw) 

Points 11 (L. Shaw) 

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PPG 2 (R. Hirvonen) 

Shots 28 (L. Shaw, R. Tverberg) 

+/- +10 (M. Rifai) 

PIMS 14 (J. Quillan, M. Rifai)

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MARLIES MIC’D UP

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Captain Logan Shaw on hosting Campfire Circle for Hockey Fights Cancer game: 

“It’s special, every win is special, but the little ceremony before the game you kind of get goosebumps. The way that those kids fight and their families fight, it’s pretty special. 

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Having a family myself, it touches the heart and it’s pretty cool to see how each and every one of those kids fights each and every day. It would be nice to have [Blandisi] in the lineup for a night like tonight for everything that he does for Campfire Circle, but it was nice to win for sure.”

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Fraser Minten on the compete level in the AHL: “Good, it’s another level of strength for sure. A lot more consistency. All four lines, every one you’re out against, they know how to play. They can be strong, fast, physical. In junior you have the younger lines … The depth that everyone has [here],everyone can play.”

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Sam Stevens on his first goal: “I got a great pass in the neutral zone, went wide and I just saw a seam out wide and yelled [Shaw’s] name as loud as a could. He’s a great player and he made a great pass. 

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“It’s great, that’s what you work for as a kid to get your first professional goal. Especially at home in front of our great fans, it was a special moment. [The guys] were really happy for me. We’re all really close … There’s no one individual success, it’s the team. Whatever I can do to help the team win, I’m happy.”

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The Toronto Marlies skated onto fresh ice at Coca-Cola Coliseum in early October with a newfound confidence. Led out of the player tunnel by captain Logan Shaw with head coach John Gruden and his staff calling the shots on the bench, the 2024-25 American Hockey League (AHL) regular season got off to literally the perfect start.

Comeback wins were a theme throughout the month, occurring in five of six games. As a result of that grit, the Marlies remain the only undefeated team across the AHL (6-0). This matches their franchise record from 2019-20 for consecutive wins to start a season. 

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A proud Gruden championed the team’s roster depth and ability to reconfigure when their backs are against the boards, while Shaw highlighted comebacks as a testament to the team’s development. That blooming maturity led to a notable career achievement for goaltender Dennis Hildeby, who earned his NHL debut with the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 10.

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“[The comebacks] are a sign of a team that cares about winning and cares about understanding the situation,” said Gruden. “At the end of the day, just to see the response is huge. It’s something we’ll continue to monitor. But the result at the end is great and we had some good showings for our team.”

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Two visits from the San Diego Gulls saw Toronto’s offence dig deep in front of the net. The Marlies won their thrilling home opener 4-3, inspired by three unanswered goals from three different skaters in the second period before Nick Abruzzese won the game. The players returned to the rink a day later to record a second win over the visitors, dominating the ice 4-1. 

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Roni Hirvonen and new signing Alex Nylander were standouts from both games, each registering a combined two goals and one assist. Rookie Jacob Quillan scored the first of the season for the Marlies and his first professional goal, while veteran Shaw registered a total of five assists across both games.

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“I just have to play my game, help my team to get better and I was playing with two really good players, Shawsy and Abruzzese,” said Nylander on his first Marlies goal. 

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“Part of it is that we start with a good beginning and now we just have to keep building off that and keep trying to get better every day.”

“Great group of guys here, they get you comfortable right away and you fit in well here. It’s been easy. I’m just trying to keep getting my game going and be ready every game.” 

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The Marlies then took their winning streak on the road and beat the Rochester Americans 4-2 before returning to Toronto. Cédric Paré’s first-ever goal for the team ignited the comeback as rookie goaltender Artur Akhtyamov recorded his second consecutive win.

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Back at Coca-Cola Coliseum, the Americans were again ousted by a Marlies revival courtesy of record-chaser Alex Steeves. After scoring the game-winner on the road in Rochester, the 24-year-old repeated that feat this time in a 3-2 home victory and moved up Toronto’s all-time points standings. Steeves is currently 10 back of the franchise record (Kris Newbury, 158).

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“Ever since I met him four years ago, he’s been a hard-working guy. He’s honest, he does everything the right way, he takes care of his body,” reflected teammate Joseph Blandisi on Steeves. 

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“He’s not afraid to get in the dirty areas. You know he has a shot like a cannon but he’s also not afraid to score those goals in tight and the ones you need to take a beating to go get.”

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“When you get a player like that, that can fire on all cylinders like that, with a mature personality that he has, he’s going to be a pro for a long time.”

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October’s next two home games saw the Marlies rally twice more. Toronto finally opened the scoring on the ice this time against the Utica Comets via Paré. Another two skaters found the back of the net for Gruden’s team en route to a 4-0 victory. It was the first game of the season where the Marlies recorded a shutout as Akhtyamov stopped all 17 shots faced.

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A visit from rivals the Belleville Senators rounded out the stretch of games, and once again, the Marlies bent but didn’t break. Toronto came from behind to win a dramatic shootout 4-3 to make it six wins from six games.

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Shaw scored a shorthanded goal before Abruzzese tied the game 27 seconds into the third period. Akhtyamov then saved all three efforts in the shootout and the captain registered the game-deciding goal as the third skater. It was Toronto’s first home shootout win since January 2023.

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“I’ve liked everything from every line. What everyone is seeing is it’s someone different every night and that’s a luxury that we have as coaches,” said Gruden. 

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“We’re comfortable putting any line out in any situation, putting any defencemen out. Right now, things are clicking. We can still get better in some areas, but at the end of the day, to play three-in-three like that this early in the year is good to see.”

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ALL-STAR STATS

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A total of 11 Marlies players were celebrated by the AHL for their standout performances on the ice. Shaw (one first star, one second star), Akhtyamov (one first star, one third star) and Paré (two second stars) led the way for the team with more than one selection so far. 

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Additionally, the Marlies have 10 different goal scorers six games into the season, 17 players with at least one point and 24 skaters have hit the ice. Toronto also has a 100 per cent success rate on the penalty kill.

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Season leaders:

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Goals: 5 (A. Nylander) 

Assists: 7 (L. Shaw) 

Points: 8 (L. Shaw) 

PPG: 3 (A. Nylander) 

Shots: 26 (A. Nylander) 

+/-: +6 (T. Miller, M. Rifai) 

PIMS: 8 (A. Steeves)

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MARLIES MIC’D UP

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Captain Shaw on promising team dynamics: “We have a great group of guys. It’s fun to come to the rink every day and we know what to expect from each other. They’ve done a great job, the organization, by bringing in good people.” 

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“Obviously, they’re skilled and talented and work hard, but it helps a lot when everyone comes to the rink with a positive attitude and wants the best for each other. It’s easier to push and cheer for each other when everyone is pulling the rope in the right and same direction.”

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“The turnover from two years ago, to last year, to this year, we set our own foundation here from management down to coaches to players. We just demand the same thing, we want work ethic every night. The rest will come. We have a talented team, so as long as we outwork the opposition, then we should have a good chance to win.”

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Head coach Gruden on impressive goaltending: They’re so driven. They don’t like getting scored on, they don’t like getting scored on in practice, they don’t like getting scored on in a game. They’re ultra-competitive and they’re athletic. It’s good for our shooters because they have to go against them in practice. Also knowing that they’re in net, it’s going to give us a pretty good chance to [be] in hockey games and give ourselves a chance to win. It’s pretty exciting. 

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The Toronto Marlies took home a 4-3 overtime win in Game Two of their best-of-three series with the Belleville Senators on Friday night. The series is now tied at 1.

Joseph Blandisi opened the scoring less than a minute into the first period, giving the Marlies a quick 1-0 lead. Kyle Clifford added a second Toronto goal just over three minutes into the second period. Donovan Sebrango added the first Sens goal at 9:50 in the second. Marshall Rifai scored the Marlies third goal just over six minutes later, restoring the Marlies two goal lead.

 Garret Pilon scored twice – at 19:13 and 19:40 in the second and third periods – to tie the game at three and force overtime. Dylan Gambrell scored 50 seconds into the extra frame, securing the 4-3 victory.

After the game, Gambrell admitted he wasn’t even sure he had scored.

“I couldn't see anything,” Gambrell said.“I saw Blender coming running to jump at me so then I knew.”

Dennis Hildeby stopped 31 of 34 shots, including 14 of 15 in overtime. Joseph Blandisi said Hildeby has been integral to the team alls eason.

“Yeah, posts are his friends because he takes up the whole net. So, they're missing wide or going to hit the post,” Blandisi said. “He's been our rock the whole season. I think he's our MVP and you're able to see it day in and day out, so I think with him back there we've got so much trust in him and gives us a lot of confidence playing in front of him.”

The Marlies will play the third and final game of their series on Sunday in Belleville. Head Coach John Gruden said the team can pick up where they started on Friday.

“Well, I mean that first ten minutes were pretty good. We got in a little bit of trouble, we started forcing things in the middle of the ice,” Gruden said. “They can generate on our turnovers. We have to prevent that from happening again. All in all, I like where our mindset is. They understand what it's going to take. It's going to be an exciting game.”

Puck drop on Sunday is at 3:00pm in Bellville on AHLTV.

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