Maple Leafs Full Media Availability | Practice | October 22, 2025

Maple Leafs Full Media Availability | Practice | October 22, 2025

Where are you at with the adjusting to new team, new system? How how good do you feel with what you’re doing right now? Uh I mean the adjust adjustment’s going to be going to be there, but I think we did a great job at it. So um obviously the zone’s probably the biggest part, but I think uh made some big improvement. The staff’s been really good with us. So um as far as my game, I think um try to help the team as much as I can. different situation uh where I can be face offs um uh play on the PK or um try to be hard to play against on the on the forch check and hold on to pucks um I think it’s in a pretty good spot obviously could be could be better at the start of the season here so just going to try to keep improving what’s been the biggest adjustment for you so far Nick um a little bit like I said I think the diesel uh the diesel’s a little bit different um came from more uh Um, I guess I’m not going to get into details, but just uh I’d say it’s probably the biggest part like these on uh uh difference adjustment. You’re also playing your your ice times down a bit. Like is that an adjustment? What’s that like? Different role. Um I mean uh try to play uh against the top lines over there. Be reliable defensively. Um but that’s always what I I’ve like is I can play in different situations. So, if my get my name gets called up to play in a more offensive situation, then I’ll be ready. If if it’s uh the type of game I can help the team with, then I I’ll be ready ready to do that and try to do it as much uh as good as I can. So, uh yeah, I like to put in every every situation. What has stood up most to you about Chris Tannon now that you’ve gotten to know him a little bit and how big of a loss will he be if he can’t come out? Yeah, obviously big leader big leader in this room. um played played against him quite a few uh in Dallas there. Um um and he does it all on the ice like he blocks shots obviously uh one of the best Pier there on on the D. Um but he makes plays like that first pass is really good at uh good skater. Um tough to play against also in the defensive zone. So um really big part of this group. Seven games in like you’re kind of a veteran in the league. What what should be the sense of urgency around a team at this time of year? Yeah, this time I don’t think should be any any panic or anything like that. I think we’re just trying to find our game. Uh it’s early in the season. Uh just try to improve game after games. Um I think we we’ve had good stretch. Um I think you look at every game. I think it’s just like a like a 10 minutes in seems like mostly the second period so far that we lose our game. They get some on rushes and in this league that can happen cuz every team uh can make you play. got to play a better 60-minute effort for sure. In your experience, how long does it usually take for a team to find its groove? Like, you know, you mentioned early season. Like, how long did it until you feel like you’re usually in a rhythm? It’s honestly, it’s uh it’s different every year. It’s just how it goes. Like, it’s a it’s a long season. Sometimes the team will go will start hot and then uh face adversity in I don’t know like November, December. Um other teams different start a little a little tougher and then they find their groove. Um every team’s going through it every year. Um there’s always there’s always a two weeks here, two weeks there that um it’s a little bit tougher for some reasons, but uh um yeah, it’s a long season, so we’re just going to uh go back to game. Why do you think second periods have been so difficult for you guys? Obviously the change the changes are part of it. Um you got to be careful with the with the change there. Um I think turnover is big part of it. Um I think you like you look at a team like New Jersey like you if you make a turnover there he’s going to make you play on the on the rush there. So got to be careful with with turnover changes. It’s it’s I think it’s the biggest part. We talk a lot about quick system this morning as somebody that’s new coming in playing for play. How how easy is it to pick up and implement? Uh, I mean it takes a couple games like to make sure like it’s it’s uh you don’t have to think about it. It’s like it happens right away. Um, but obviously in the in preseason um the coaching staff did a really good job at us like knowing what the assignments are. But uh like I said, it always takes a a little bit of time to like know exactly where to go, not not overthink it cuz on the extra just want to act like you want to go fast and you don’t want to be in your mind thinking about system and everything. So um you know I think as a group we we did some good things for sure. um all we can work on and um I think when you play against a team like New Jersey that’s got so much talent, so much speed, and they’re so good transitionally, it’s uh be super uh cautious with the puck and make the right plays. Um and obviously if you don’t, then they make you pay. So that was kind of the story of last night. And um yeah, you got to tip your cap to them, but we could certainly be there. They have a lot of nonplayoff teams coming up on the schedule, like teams didn’t make it last year. How important is it do you feel to rock some points right now? That’s totally irrelevant. Um, every every team is is hard to beat in in this league and anyone can beat anyone on any given night and that’s the approach you got to have. So, um, we not lucky before game. When you’re out there with Austin, Matthew, what’s the key to generating more offensive? Um, yeah, I think probably just standing a little bit tighter. Um, obviously when you have two guys on, whoever the two are on the puck, you’re trying to win win those battles and then that that third guy, you just got to stay a little bit tighter. So, um, there’s a couple instances there where maybe even like half a foot off and then that’s the difference between keeping the clock in versus tracking back the other way. It’s such a small detail, but it it goes a long way to having that sustained pressure ending zone. So, um, certainly something we can focus on. You’re a veteran in the league, like seven games in. What’s the sense of urgency or what should be the sense of urgency at this moment for this team? Yeah, every every game is is every single day really gets harder and harder as the season goes on. So, um that’s not going to change. We’re just going to keep working away, keep keep chipping away. I mean, sometimes teams go through littles here and there and um obviously we’re hitting there a little early on in the year and um got to work through it. It’s it’s a great great test for our group and hitting adversity early on. we see some some guys that are new here and um got to find a way to all of us gel together and and make it work. So, we’re uh we’re looking forward to you’ve been a new guy a bunch of times like how how long do you find it it takes to find it get it new? Uh you know I think it’s different for everyone obviously um it’s it’s not easy, right? You’re coming in new coach, new system, new teammates and line mates, all the above, new city. So, um, there’s a lot that goes into it, but it’s also it’s part of being a pro in the NHL, right? So, um, I think what makes those transitions easier is just the guys that have already been here and in the locker room that that you have and and I think we’ve got a great group of of guys that have been here for a while that make it easy on those guys. So, just got to keep chipping away like I said, we’ll be fine. Tann is such a warrior. Uh, he’s rarely stays down like kind of what goes through your mind when he gets hurt last night. Yeah, not to lie. I’m not going to lie with you. It’s always when he stays down it’s it’s definitely scary because I’ve never played with a guy as tough as Chris Tan have. So, um it’s not a good feeling as a group when you see a guy like that go down, but the things are doing well and tough as nail is huge part of our team. So, hopefully he’s doing all right. What does he mean? How would you sum it up? What he makes to this group. Uh man, it’s it’s such a loaded question, but uh you see what he does on the PK. Um he’s he’s a guy that leads by example. The way he plays is is how you want everyone to play, right? So he’ll he’ll drag guys into the war with him without even having to say a word just by going home playing a shift. So he’s a he’s a huge part of our group and we’re very lucky to have him. You and the last two guys on the ice there. What’s what do you like about kind of hanging out with him? Ah he’s the best. We have fun together. We always joke around and uh he loves the game, loves the rink, loves hanging out with the boys and uh I’ve said this from day one, he he’s going to be a heck of a player for a long long time in this league and uh such a good kid. One more for you. For me, Alejandro Kirk was the jersey you wore last year. Yeah. What what do you like about him? Uh to be honest, I actually got the jersey. Uh someone gave it to me the day before. So um it worked out. But uh no, he’s he’s hitting bombs. But I like the ball. So if someone were to ask me like who your favorite player, the Jays is, I couldn’t I couldn’t tell you. There’s probably six or seven of them. I mean, when you’re up there, it looks like there’s so much time and space, but obviously there’s not a lot. So uh you just watch the game, see how different players play the game. You know, New Jersey had a bunch of good players and obviously Tron does, too. So, just try to learn and keep getting better each and every day. Are you watching the other one specifically or just the forwards in general or like what do you do kind of zone in on? Yeah, like last night I watched a lot of like Mercer, Brat, and then obviously Hughes, you know, three good players. And then uh Trauma, I’m watching everyone, you know, just everyone how they uh pick up the pucks off the wall. Uh where they play some stuff like that. Just more knowledge on the game. What stands out most you about Jack? I mean, obviously his speed, his his feet are so good, like how he skates and, you know, he just the play goes through him and he controls the game. So, uh, he’s definitely a good player. When you play with Austin and N, what’s the key to generating offensive zone time? Yeah, I think just winning puck battles, putting the puck in good spots and, uh, getting into those two guys and just going to the net. Uh, feel like when we get it in deep and, you know, go low to high with net traffic, that’s when we’re at our best and we’re looking to do that. Uh Austin has got a pretty high hockey IQ obviously. What’s it like talking to him during games on the bench? What’s that like for you? Yeah, he’s very calm, so it helps me stay calm and uh just all positive from him. Uh very good leader and you learn a lot from him. What do you learn hanging out with Max Doy saw you guys last two on the ice at practice today? Optional practice. Yeah. Uh learned a lot from him. Uh you know, just how he shoots the puck, how he handles it, and obviously he’s got some good sauce and that’s something I want to work on cuz it’s not easy making plays in this league. You know, you got to sauce a lot of pucks. So just learning from him has been huge for me. Well, what do you notice about the way he delivers the puck? Yeah, he’s very deceptive. I mean, the blade’s not too open when he sauces them. It’s more closed and then it’s a little flick in the wrist, I guess. But yeah, I learned a lot from him and everyone on the team has helped me out a lot. Share any London stories, sorry, with with him. Uh, yeah, there’s a bunch. Uh, I mean, uh, just obviously a great guy, you know, he’s been around the league for a long time. Uh, won won some championships in in London there, too. So, he’s a good player for sure. Did you know him before because through the London connection or did you just see him when he got drafted? I just met him uh at my first training camp. Yeah. He was just saying like Tann’s such a tough guy and it was hard to see him go down. Like what are you thinking when you see him go down last night? Yeah, obviously it’s unfortunate. You never want anyone to get hurt. So, just hoping he’s okay and obviously you never want to see anyone get hurt. How’s how’s emptying? Uh yeah, right now um I mean he’s doing he’s doing better today. Um but um he’s questionable right now. How do you describe what he means to the team? How difficult that hole is and he misses time? Yeah, it’s a hole. Um you know, obviously we all know what he does for the team and what he brings, but um uh you know that’s part of the game. You deal with it and everybody has to step up. Feels like the team has kind of stumbled it, uh stubbed it to kind of lately. Is a little bit adversity a good thing in the long run? Well, it can be. Um, you know, we all been through these situations before and um it’s just a matter of fix, you know, working on fixing them and um getting the right mindset. From me, it’s all mental for me more than anything. I think um you know, we just got to put 60 minutes together. We got to play to our identity for 60 minutes and understand what we need to do to be successful. Sometimes these guys, you know, it’s just got to keep banging away at it and keep working at it. But, you know, sometimes early adversity is okay. I mean, it’s uh it’s all part of it. You go through it throughout the year at times. Um, and we’re going through it right now. Why did you decide to make today an optional? Well, we got backto-back games coming up uh early be an early game Saturday here. Um, so I just felt it was we got we’d get more out of uh meeting and talking with guys and team meeting and um, you know, guys can do what they feel is need needed to do today and there’s guys banged up we have to keep off the ice anyhow. So it wouldn’t have been a full practice anyhow. So we’ll get a we’ll get a full skate in tomorrow and then we got backto-back games. In in light of that adversity, you look at the schedule, you got a bunch of teams coming up that didn’t make the playoffs last year. Do do you look at this stretch as an opportunity to maybe stack some points and Well, I never look at where a team was at last year and where they’re at. You know, it’s different this year, right? And also in saying that, I don’t ever look at an opponent, whether they made the playoffs last year or not, as somebody we could take advantage of. Like, it’s hard league. Every team is good and you got to be prepared to battle and and and play the right way against any opponent. You know, Buffalo’s got a lot of talent. Buffalo’s a good team right now in my opinion. Like they’re they’re starting to come. Um you know, they’re doing some good things. So, I don’t look at it that way. I I focus on our team, what we need to do. Um we we got to worry about what we’re doing. Where’s uh where’s Joe Law at? It kind of feels like we might never see him again kind of going. Um yeah, I don’t really have an update for you right now on Joel. I mean um he’s doing fine. Like I said, like when he’s back, he’s back. Is he skating? Is he on the ice? Wherever he is. When he’s back, he’s back. That’s all I got. Do you communicate with Do you communicate with him or directly? Do I communicate with them? Uh, no, not right now. I don’t. Taking into account there are changes in personnel and all that sort of thing. It is still a veteran group. So, is it surpris you to an extent that there is this mental I don’t know block, whatever you might call it or issue at this point. Um, I don’t I don’t know if I’m surprised. Like, I mean, whether they’re a veteran group or not, I mean, it, you know, it’s just finding chemistry. I think some of our new guys coming in, finding some chemistry where they fit and and um trying to uh you know prove themselves almost a little bit, you know, and um then you know our whole team in general I in my opinion um is shooting themselves in the foot. um at different times in the game where there’s no need to do that. Like we didn’t do that stuff last year. Like if we lost the game, well, you know, we we didn’t shoot ourselves in the foot. We just got beat. Maybe it was a better team that night. Maybe they just couple bounces went their way. Um but it seems like we’re almost playing 50/50 hockey out there and we don’t want to do that. Like we want to play to our identity. We want to be a solid team, a checking tight team defensively. Like I talked about, we if you want to give teams oddman rushes in this league, they’ll make you pay for it eventually. You know, especially like Jersey got tons of skill. Um Buffalo’s got skill. So that’s the area for me that is hurting our team regardless and you know and and you got to clean that up. Um, and if we clean that up, we’re going to give ourselves such a better opportunity to be successful. How have you felt, Craig, about the team’s play in the neutral zone? You talk about kind of 50/50 in between hockey. You seeing enough with purpose to get not enough and we’ve talked about that and there Yes, we do it for a while, but then it goes away, you know. So, it’s got to be consistent all the time. It’s got to be your first thought and if it’s not your first thought, it’s too late. That’s how quick the league is. You know, it’s got to be our first thought and we got to we got to get that back. Regardless of who’s on the right side of them, what can Austin and N do to generate more of that offensive zone time you were talking about yesterday? Yeah. Um, well, for me it’s it’s when you want to create offensive zone time, you you got to put pucks in with a purpose. Um, you got to then you got to go and get it and you got to be physical and you got to be heavy on your, you know, your sticks and things like that. You got to win those battles to get those pucks back. Um, and we just got to do a better job with it. Um, you know, that’s that’s really the bottom line. How close is Scott L, you know, I think he’s he’s getting he’s um I think he’ll probably be on the ice tomorrow, maybe. Um, so I think it might be his first day on the ice tomorrow. Um, so I think he he’s training really well. He’s doing really well in that department. Um, I expect him get on the ice here, see how he feels. Things going well. Hopefully he’s back on the ice with us shortly. You’ve gone to Knlander with Matthews and N throughout the last, I guess, five or so games and points during the game. Is that a trio that you’d ever stick with full time? It could be. I mean, there’s obviously I I always want a little balance, but um it’s all it’s definitely something that I’m thinking about.

Players and Coach address the media following Wednesday’s practice.

00:00 Nicolas Roy
04:35 Max Domi
08:25 Easton Cowan
10:50 Craig Berube

SUBSCRIBE: https://tml.hockey/3FvgtoG
FOLLOW US
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/torontomapleleafs/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapleleafs/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs
#Leafs #LeafsForever #TorontoMapleLeafs