Although the Toronto Marlies’ summer signings have been relatively slow, there has been significant news off the ice.
New ECHL Affiliation
With the sad demise of the Newfoundland Growlers, finding a new ECHL affiliate was imperative for the organization. The Cincinnati Cyclones have filled the hole.
The Cyclones are an adequate fit geographically, given the lack of available options. Cincinnati’s international airport is just a 20-minute drive from the rink, and Toronto’s North Division opponent, Cleveland, is less than four hours away by car.
Cincinnati is a well-supported club and finished sixth in average attendance last season despite posting a losing record and missing out on a playoff berth.
Toronto native Jason Payne holds the positions of head coach and Director of Player Personnel. In the 2022-23 campaign, Payne guided the Cyclones to a 47-16-9 record (second in the ECHL), but the team was unceremoniously ousted in the second round of the playoffs in a sweep by Toledo, who outscored them 22-7.
Like many ECHL teams, Cincinnati has had its fair share of different affiliations, including Montreal, Nashville, Florida, Buffalo, and New York, before teaming up with Toronto.
2024-25 Schedule
The Marlies’ schedule release is normally nothing to write home about, but there has been a notable shift for 2024-25.
Toronto kicks off its campaign at home with a doubleheader against the San Diego Gulls (Anaheim). For the first time, the Marlies will face Pacific Division opponents. This is a very welcome change, and I applaud everyone involved for making this a reality. The Bakersfield Condors and San Jose Barracuda will also visit Toronto, with the favour repaid in late January when the Marlies play six games in 11 days against those three aforementioned Pacific Division opponents.
The latter marks the end of Toronto’s longest road stretch, which spans 10 games. It starts in Syracuse, hits Utica and Manitoba, and then heads to California.
The Marlies will play Belleville and Laval 10 and eight times, respectively. This isn’t a revelation, given the clubs’ locality, financial implications, and fan rivalry. Somewhat surprisingly, Toronto faces Utica just four times, which is a shame given the bad blood between two teams that have consistently clashed in the playoffs in recent years.
Toronto’s schedule includes eight of the 10 Atlantic Division teams, facing each home and away: the Bridgeport Islanders, Charlotte Checkers, Hershey Bears, Lehigh Valley, Providence Bruins, and Wilkes/Barre-Scranton Penguins.
The home schedule provides fans with every opportunity to catch a game this season. Almost two-thirds of games hosted at Coca-Cola Coliseum (or SBA) will be played Friday through Sunday, with 13 on Saturdays.
Speaking of Scotiabank Arena, Toronto will call the building home on four occasions: Boxing Day (December 26), Family Day (February 17), and two doubleheaders with the Toronto Maple Leafs on November 16 and March 15.
Player Movement
While players have moved on from the Toronto Marlies with regularity this summer, replacements have barely trickled in.
Departures include the following:
| Former Marlie | New Club |
|---|---|
| Maxime Lajoie | Seattle Kraken |
| Dylan Gambrell | Columbus Blue Jackets |
| Kieffer Bellows | Nashville Predators |
| Max Ellis | Jukurit |
| Keith Petruzzelli | Lehigh Valley Phantoms |
| Dryden McKay | Ontario Reign |
| Grant Cruikshank | Hershey Bears |
| Josiah Slavin | Carolina Hurricanes |
| Jay O'Brien | Charlotte Checkers |
| Tyler Weiss | Hershey Bears |
| Tate Singleton | Ontario Reign |
| Brock Caufield | Reading Royals |
I expected a little more in terms of recruitment after the organization agreed to terms with Cinicatti. In previous years, Toronto has loaded up their ECHL affiliate with a combination of junior and college free agents signed to AHL contracts.
The signing of Alex Nylander to an AHL deal intrigues the fan base for several reasons. The average fan loves it because the brothers are (somewhat) reunited, and that must have played some part in Alex’s thinking. The AHL contract guarantees Nylander will remain in Toronto to start the year, as waivers won’t be a consideration unless he earns an NHL deal.
Nylander fared okay on a bad Columbus Blue Jackets team last season, and I’m a little surprised that no NHL team in need of scoring was willing to bet on him with a short-term two-way deal. For the first time in his career, Alex is on an AHL contract with plenty to prove.
There’s no doubt that he will aid Toronto’s offensive output, and it’d be no surprise if he led multiple categories in that regard. The knock on him has always been his lack of willingness to engage defensively and compete physically. His shot is clearly NHL calibre, but one-dimensionality has been the persistent criticism. At a make-or-break stage of his North American career, Alex will be one of the stories to watch in 2024-25.
Team greybeard Kyle Clifford recently signed his first AHL deal, to the surprise of no one.
The following is now based on unconfirmed reports, albeit from sources whom I trust implicitly.
In a post regarding Alex Nylander, Todd Crocker stated that Zach Solow and Matteo Pietronirio have signed AHL deals.
Tony Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey posted that Robert Mastrosimone has agreed to terms on a new AHL contract and confirmed the two acquisitions above. Tony also stated that Toronto signed 20-year-old Ryan McCleary after the defenseman impressed at the most recent development camp.
The remaining AHL free agents are Luke Cavallin, Joseph Blandisi, Cameron Gaunce, and Tommy Miller. I would be stunned if Blandisi and Cavallin were not retained.
The other piece of Marlies/Leafs news waiting to drop is the future of Alex Steeves, who was qualified as an RFA by the Leafs and could conceivably end up in the AHL for 2024-25.
