After signing a two-year, $4.25 million AAV contract with the Maple Leafs, forward Colton Sissons discussed his decision to choose Toronto in free agency.
What made Toronto the right fit for you?
Sissons: We just started chatting, and I knew there was a lot of interest there. There was a role to fill down the middle in the bottom six in Toronto, from doing some homework on my own heading into free agency. It just seems like it came together quite quickly and made sense for both parties. I was really excited about it.
Do you consider yourself a student in the game in terms of studying what is happening in the league, or was it a unique situation where you were headed to market?
Sissons: More so, just trying to be aware of where opportunities might be coming from and what might be a good fit for me. After settling down after the finals, I started doing a little bit of poking around, looking at different rosters, and so on, heading into UFA for the first time.
What did you know of the Leafs before you signed, and what do you make of all of the moves they made yesterday?
Sissons: I am aware of the roster heading into free agency; I’ve been playing against a lot of those boys for a long time, and I have a lot of respect for a lot of those guys in the locker room.
I was super excited about the action yesterday. Really, the roster is starting to take shape. That was exciting for all of us. It is looking really good, and everyone should be really excited about some of the depth pieces and getting Bob in net. It should be a great season.
You spent most of your career in non-traditional hockey markets. How does it feel to come back to a traditional one as a BC native? Did you grow up a Canucks fan?
Sissons: I was a big-time Canucks guy.
Coming from a smaller market, it will be a different experience for my fiancé and me. We are really excited about the new opportunity. I said earlier, being a Canadian kid watching hockey and HNIC, it is just an honour to be a part of the Leafs and come see what Toronto has to offer in a variety of ways.
You’ve been on long playoff runs in both Vegas and Nashville. What does it do for a player to go so deep into the playoffs?
Sissons: It is the best, going on those runs. There is nothing better in hockey. Unfortunately, it was an unfortunate ending to both of those. That is extremely motivating for me moving forward. It hurt badly, and I am still kind of reeling from it, to be honest with you. That is the only thing that I really care about: to try to win one. No better place to do that than in Toronto.
It makes you feel good as a player when the stakes are high and you are out there performing. It gives you a lot of confidence in your game and that you can step up in big moments in big games in hard series. Hopefully, I can take that into next season.
#10 might not be available in Toronto. Have you decided on one as a Leaf yet?
Sissons: I haven’t thought about it too much. I was hoping #10 might be around, but I will have to think about that one a little bit. I haven’t changed in a long time.
