The gesture earlier this month wasn’t lost on Jacob Quillan.
For salary-cap reasons, the forward was included on the Maple Leafs’ opening-night roster and though there was no plan to have Quillan start the season with the Leafs, a phone call from general manager Brad Treliving was taken to heart.
“He said I was playing well and that he wanted to reward me with a day’s (salary) in the NHL,” Quillan said. “I’m thankful for that. I love this organization. I just want to keep working hard and hopefully make it.”
Quillan had six points — one goal and five assists — through the Toronto Marlies’ first six games, picking up on a productive theme that he put into gear just before Christmas last season.
After recording four points in his first 21 games in 2024-25, Quillan had 33 points in his next 46 games. In the midst of that, he was recalled by the Leafs and made his National Hockey League debut on Jan. 25 in Ottawa against the Senators.
Helping to set the 23-year-old Quillan apart is his desire.
“He wants to go, go, go all the time, which is a good thing,” Marlies coach John Gruden said. “It’s easier to turn someone down than to turn him up and he has learned to slow it down a bit.
“Hockey’s played in those small, tight areas and he comes away with the puck and he wins his battles.
“He’s trending in the right direction. It has been fun to see his development over the last year and a half.”
For Quillan, a full year of pro on his hockey resume has been beneficial.
“Adjusting to the pro lifestyle, the pro game, it took me a while, but I found my footing,” Quillan said. “I’m more comfortable now.
“I know I have a lot of work to do. When I was up (with the Leafs) last year, I loved it. The guys treated me so well. It’s something you strive toward.”
CHADWICK ADJUSTING
Noah Chadwick has determined a point on his learning curve as he makes the transition to having an impact in the American Hockey League.
The 6-foot-4, 208-pound defenceman, after four seasons with the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League, continues to settle into his spot with the Marlies.
“The danger levels are a little bit higher on mistakes,” Chadwick said of one of the big differences between junior hockey and minor pro. “(The puck) comes back quick and everyone makes plays faster, and it gets to dangerous areas quickly. It’s about adjusting to that and being ready for that quick attack on the other side.”
It’s no coincidence that the 20-year-old Chadwick has been paired with experienced veteran Matt Benning, who has played in 464 games in the NHL.
“They can almost learn sometimes more from (older teammates) than they can from us,” Gruden said. “It’s good for him to be able to learn from (vets) and see how they prepare and how they go about their business and how they play.”
One area for Chadwick, a sixth-round pick by the Leafs in 2023, to continue to show development is at the net-front. It’s one thing to fend off teenagers in junior hockey, but another task when you’re asked to do the same against older and stronger AHL veterans.
“He just has to learn how to get into them a little earlier,” Gruden said.
“Before, he could probably out-muscle and bully some guys. He can’t do that here. And if he waits to box out, next thing you know, it’s too late.
“That’s something he’s going to have to work on and it will get better because he’s big and strong enough to handle himself. It can be taught and he’s willing to learn and listen.”
There’s a change that has come off the ice for Chadwick, a native of Saskatoon. He’s now a rookie who wants to soak up as much as possible after he served as captain of the Hurricanes for the 2024-25 season.
“It’s a lot different,” Chadwick said. “In a way, now you’ve got to be a leader for yourself, if that makes sense.
“Everyone has their own way of preparing and doing all these things off the ice. That’s where I can lead myself and that’s how I be a professional.”
THREE NOTABLES
Forward Harry Nansi, the Leafs’ fifth-round pick (153rd overall) in the 2025 NHL draft, has had an excellent start for the Owen Sound Attack of the Ontario Hockey League. Nansi had three assists in the Attack’s 7-3 win against Sarnia on Wednesday, giving him 17 points (five goals and 12 assists) in 15 games. Last year, the Nepean, Ont., native had 23 points in 67 games.
Miroslav Holinka was leading the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL in scoring with 14 points (seven goals and seven assists) through 12 games. The forward, picked in the fifth round (151st overall) in 2024, signed a three-year entry-level deal with Toronto in July.
Goalie Dennis Hildeby, if he was put off by falling a spot down the Leafs’ depth chart with the claiming of Cayden Primeau this month, wasn’t letting it impact his performance. Hildeby allowed just six goals in his first three starts with the Marlies, going 2-0-1 with a .926 save percentage and a 1.92 goals-against average.
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