MARNER SIGNS WITH MAPLE LEAFS

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that the club has signed forward Mitch Marner to a three-year entry-level contract.  Marner, 18, was selected by the Maple Leafs with the fourth overall pick in last month’s NHL Entry Draft after finishing second in Ontario Hockey League scoring with 126 points (44 goals, 82 assists) in 63 regular season games with the London Knights in 2014-15. The 2014-15 OHL All-Star also added 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) in seven playoff contests.

Marner recorded a 16 game point streak in which he totaled 44 points from October 24th to November 30th.  During his streak he won both the OHL and CHL Player of the Week twice for the week of October 27th-November 2nd and again November 17th-24th.  Marner was also named OHL Player of the Week for a third time from February 16th-22nd, OHL Player of the Month for November, Ryobi’s Hardest Working Forward for November and was voted Smartest Player in the Western Conference in the 2015 OHL Coaches Poll.  The second-year Knight was also the recipient of the Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy awarded to the right-winger with the most points in the OHL. At the London Knights end of season awards ceremony, Marner captured the 2015 Play-Off Performer award and was named co-MVP with captain Max Domi.   

In two seasons with the Knights, Marner has registered 185 points (57 goals, 128 assists) and 77 penalty minutes in 127 regular season games.

Internationally, the Thornhill, Ontario native helped Team Canada capture a gold medal at the 2014 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup, recording a team-leading seven points (two goals, five assists) in five games.