Maple Leafs prospects have eye on future after 'super special' Calder Cup win

TORONTO -- Easton Cowan stood at center ice at Coca-Cola Coliseum, blue and white confetti floating down from the rafters, amongst a throng of people in the moments after the Toronto Marlies captured the American Hockey League's Calder Cup with a 4-3 triumph against the Chicago Wolves, winning the best-of-7 series in five games.

With a capacity crowd sounding louder than the 8,682 in attendance, the 21-year-old forward was asked if this moment left him thinking about what it would be like to win another championship in Toronto in the future, namely a Stanley Cup with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Before he answered, he paused, looked to his left, then to his right, just soaking in the experience.

"A hundred percent it makes you think to the future,” said Cowan, selected by the Maple Leafs with the No. 28 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. “Winning in this city is special and you could see it here tonight ... This is the place you want to win for sure."

If that should happen, Cowan figures to be a big part of it. He had three assists for the Marlies in their clinching win and tied for third among all AHL playoff scorers with 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in 22 games.

Recently, Cowan has done nothing but win. In 2024 and 2025, he helped lead London of the Ontario Hockey League to OHL titles; in 2025, London went on to win the Memorial Cup, where Cowan was named Most Valuable Player at the tournament.

"It could do a lot for my career,” Cowan said. “A lot of confidence and it's just fun winning. It's been fun showing up to the rink every day in shorts, you can't beat it."

“Winning is winning, no matter what league it is, it is super special, especially in this city. Obviously you want to keep winning in Toronto down the road so right now 
enjoy this, but that’s where my goals are at.”

Cowan joined the Marlies for their postseason run following his NHL rookie season with the Maple Leafs, finishing with 29 points (11 goals, 18 assists) in 66 games.

“Just from Day 1, his leadership just grew,” Marlies assistant coach Mark Giordano said. “He wasn’t with us all year, right? So it could have been a tough situation for a young guy to come in with having a lot of veteran players on our team, but you could see his leadership grow. He was well-liked in the room, the guys liked him and they got along. Right from Day 1 it just kept growing.”

Cowan was not the only player on the Calder Cup champs who could have an impact with the Maple Leafs in the near future.

Forward Jacob Quillan played 23 NHL games this season, with three points (one goal, two assists) for the Maple Leafs. In Game 5 of the Calder Cup Final, the 24-year-old scored the Marlies' third goal at 15:26 of the second period, taking a pass from Cowan before tucking a backhand deke over the glove of Chicago goalie Cayden Primeau. The Marlies never trailed after that.

"Winning always helps,” said Quillan, who signed a two-year entry level contract with the organization on April 1, 2024 and can become a restricted free agent July 1. “It's important and I want to do it with the Leafs. I want to make the team and want to contribute to winning there. Hopefully I'll have that opportunity soon to do some good things."

Defenseman Ben Danford, selected by the Maple Leafs with the No. 31 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, joined the Marlies after his OHL season with Brantford ended and the 20-year-old quickly became an integral part of the defense corps, with three points (one goal, two assists) in 16 games.

“It will go a long way,” Danford said. “This helped my confidence. I can’t thank the organization enough for putting a lot of trust in me, helping my confidence and I thought I got better as the playoffs went on, so that was great. Going into training camp, I think this experience is going to go a long way.”

Added Cowan, “A guy like that, he’s a winner, right? He blocks every shot, competes every shift. So to see him lift that trophy, it was special for me and everyone in this organization.”

It was the third straight season Danford reached a Final series, losing to Cowan and London in the OHL Finals in 2024 and 2025 with Oshawa. On Friday, Cowan passed Danford the Calder Cup.

“We talked about it the last couple of days, him handing it off to me,” Danford said. “We do have a really close bond -- we've lived together the last month or so. He’s taken me under his wing so for him to hand it off to me after beating me the last couple of finals, to be on his side this time, it’s pretty special.”

Giordano said he was impressed by Danford’s poise in critical situations despite his lack of experience at the professional level.

“What stuck out for me is he has no fear in his game, he doesn’t make the safe play or ice the puck when he’s in trouble,” Giordano said. “He’ll look to make the right play. His skating really pops out and stands out even at this level so that’s a good sign.”

Goalie Artur Akhtyamov won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the most valuable player of the AHL playoffs after going 15-7 with a 2.22 goals-against average, .923 save percentage and two shutouts in 22 postseason games. The 24-year-old, chosen by the Maple Leafs in the fourth round (No. 106) of the 2020 NHL Draft, played three NHL games this season and is likely to see more action with the Maple Leafs next season.

As the group gathered at center ice for the traditional championship picture, the goalie held the jersey of forward Rodion Amirov, the No. 15 pick by the Maple Leafs in the 2020 NHL Draft, who died of cancer in 2023.

"It means a lot because he was my friend,” Akhtyamov said. “We played together on the national team so that was pretty special for me."

It was a gesture not surprising to Cowan.

“We just have so many good guys,” Cowan said. “I came down earlier in the year and they were nothing but good to me and I stayed in touch with some of the guys, and then when I got sent down again for playoffs, honestly there isn’t one guy on this team I wouldn’t hang out with 1-on-1. Just all unbelievable guys, good character and that’s why we are champions today.”