Fraser Minten looked ready to make an impact at the NHL level during his season debut with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. It was also his first game in the AHL after spending most of the 2023-24 season in major junior hockey.
Minten had been recovering from a high-ankle sprain he suffered in September, which kept him out of the start of the 2024-25 season.
He returned to skating with the Maple Leafs’ development staff on October 17. The 20-year-old missed training camp but worked hard to get back to full health. In his first game with the Marlies, he recorded an assist in their 4-3 win over the Charlotte Checkers on Saturday.
For his strong performance, Minten was awarded the team’s belt, which is given to the player who makes the biggest impact.
Minten had a great training camp last season and made the Maple Leafs’ opening night roster. However, after playing four NHL games, he was returned to the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers.
He was later traded to the Saskatoon Blades, where he became the captain of Canada’s World Juniors team. Minten had a goal and three points in the tournament, but Canada lost in the quarterfinals to Czechia.
“Very fun,” Minten said after the game when asked about his season debut. “It was a long time sitting on the sidelines since basically May, right? It was probably the longest I’ve gone without playing a game other than that one in Montreal. It feels like a long time ago, so it was very fun.”
Minten earned his first AHL assist by teaming up with Alex Nylander to set up Logan Shaw’s power-play goal in the first period.
Minten primarily played center on a line with Nikita Grebenkin—who had impressed during training camp—and Alex Steeves, who scored two goals, including the game-winning goal on the power play.
It was a solid debut for Minten, who is seen as a future key player for the Maple Leafs. If he continues to perform well in the AHL, he could get a call-up to the NHL soon.
