The Toronto Maple Leafs aren’t the only big-time men’s hockey team in town.
The Toronto Marlies are set to kick off the 2024-25 American Hockey League season with a pair of games against the San Diego Gulls on Saturday and Sunday at Coca-Cola Coliseum. It’s the first time Toronto has battled with the Anaheim Ducks’ top affiliate, which makes it even more exciting.
But, more importantly, it’s a fresh start for the club. The team lost in the division final back in 2023, only to get eliminated in the first round in 2024. It’s been a while since Toronto won the Calder Cup in 2017-18, but with the parent team going all in during the Auston Matthews era, good, young talent has been difficult to come by for the Marlies.
Still, it should be a competitive group this year, especially with the arrival of Fraser Minten. He’s currently on injured reserve with an ankle injury, but should be a force once he eventually makes his way back into meaningful game action.
For now, here’s a look at five players you need to know in 2024-25:
Topi Niemelä, D
Now’s the time to shine for Niemelä, who was one of Toronto’s best players during the two-game prospect tourney in Montreal. He finished his first year with the Marlies last year and looked solid – but some scouts were hoping for a bit more. Luckily, as the season wore on, Niemelä’s confidence grew exponentially. He was the team’s go-to power-play D-man, something he wasn’t used to in Finland. But he didn’t fold under the extra responsibility, giving him some more oomph in his toolset.
The one thing scouts have noted frequently is Niemelä’s work ethic. He’s always rushing around, pushing the envelope and fighting for the puck no matter what. Now, it’s about elevating everything just enough to potentially find himself in the NHL come 2025-26. Consistency will be crucial here.
Alexander Nylander, RW
Of the five players listed, Nylander is the only one without an NHL deal. Could that change? Absolutely. The younger brother of Leafs star William, Alex had a fantastic end to the 2023-24 regular season with Columbus, which made the fact he only got an AHL deal all that more interesting. Nylander is a skilled forward with a great shot, and should play top-line minutes for the Marlies this year. Plus, the possibility of earning a deal and playing with his brother should give him all the motivation he needs to stand out.
Nylander has had plenty of success playing against the Marlies during his pro career. He scored in one of his final AHL games last year before getting sent to the Blue Jackets and had a five-point weekend against Toronto during the 2021-22 season. He never seemed to make it work consistently in the NHL, but he’s a darn good AHLer, at the very least. And he’ll be a fan favorite at Coca-Cola Coliseum, too.
Ryan Tverberg, RW
After a strong college tenure with the University of Connecticut, Tverberg embarked on his first year of pro hockey and looked quite good with the Marlies. He missed some time with injuries, but still finished with a solid 32 points in 46 games – not too shabby for a seventh-round pick. Tverberg’s work ethic is what scouts like, and it’s paying off. The 22-year-old winger has real bottom-line potential because he has had to spend his whole career trying to prove people wrong after getting drafted so late.
Dennis Hildeby, G
It’s going to be a crowded crease for Toronto this year, but as long as Hildeby is in the minors, he’s the No. 1 for the Marlies. Right now, he’s helping out the Leafs while Joseph Woll deals with another injury, but Hildeby should be returned before too long and continue his trek to becoming one of the best goaltenders in the AHL.
The Maple Leafs took the 6-foot-7 Swedish monster with the 122nd overall pick in 2022 – as a triple overager. For much of the year, Hildeby was a huge part of the Marlies, stealing the No. 1 spot and even earning a call-up to the NHL when Ilya Samsonov was briefly sat to regroup in the winter. The Leafs don’t need to rush Hildeby and he should spend at least another full year in the NHL. But it’s good that he has proven so much so quickly to the point where he’s a serious long-term option for the club.
Roni Hirvonen, LW
Hirvonen spent last summer on the sidelines after an injury in development camp knocked him out for the summer. On Oct. 15, things turned from bad to worse when the Finnish winger took a stick to an eye in an AHL game against the Utica Comets. Hirvonen was rushed to the hospital, with his season up in the air. That’s quite a bit of adversity to deal with with only two meaningful games under your belt. But once he returned in the winter, Hirvonen looked refreshed and powerful.
Still, it felt like a lost season, especially since he was just trying to get used to play outside of Finland for the first time in his pro career. Hirvonen will need a big effort to push himself forward this year because the talent is there, but we just need to see the results.
