The Toronto Maple Leafs continued reshaping their bottom-six forward group this week, and one of their newest additions is already looking forward to recreating some past chemistry while embracing the weight of playing in the center of the hockey world. 

Teddy Blueger signed a two-year deal worth $5 million and said that Toronto’s immediate and consistent interest made his free-agency decision a straightforward one. 

"You kind of go off of where you feel like you're wanted and where you think you could have a role," Blueger said. "It seemed like during that whole process, Toronto was interested right from the start, and it just felt like the right place for me to go. And obviously, you know, being able to play for an Original Six team, that opportunity doesn't come too often, and that's a big honor to be able to do so. So, yeah, it just kind of ended up being an easy choice." 

A major storyline heading into training camp will be whether Blueger can capture the magic of his previous stop. During his time with the Vancouver Canucks, Blueger found immediate success on a highly effective line alongside Dakota Joshua and Connor Garland. While it remains to be seen how head coach Jim Hiller will structure his forward lines, Blueger is thrilled at the prospect of sharing the ice with Joshua once again. 

"I have no idea if I'll be playing with them or not, but we did have a good run... A lot of fun playing with those guys," Blueger noted. "I think the three of us complement each other pretty well. We kind of brought up slightly different skill sets. So I think the balance was there as a line. I think Dak, you know, he's big physical, power forward, great down low, great in front of the net, can score. So he's got a great skill set. I love playing with him and obviously hoping to get that chance again." 

Blueger’s adaptability will give the Leafs' coaching staff plenty of options. Throughout his NHL career, he has moved seamlessly between the middle and the flanks. 

"I think most centers can play wing normally and be adaptable that way and kind of switch back and forth," Blueger explained. "I think even last year there was times where I'd play a couple shifts at wing and then go back to center. So, you know, I feel comfortable kind of doing both and, you know, whatever I'm needed is where I'll be." 

For players who grew up in Ontario, pulling on the Blue and White comes with an inherent childhood nostalgia. But for a European-born player like Blueger, the draw of Toronto carries a different kind of prestige, one rooted in the sheer history and magnitude of the market. 

"Knowing Toronto seems to be kind of center of the hockey world," Blueger said. "And then, you know, just being part of an Original Six team, I know that all the guys that I'm friends with that have played on there just say it's a little bit different, carries a little more weight. And then anytime you're even in the building and you look up at the rafters and all the retired numbers and all the history and the weight of that. And then, you know, also people know how passionate the fans are and how much they care. And I think it's great to be doing something that people care so much about and being a part of that." 

Blueger will also find a familiar face in fellow newcomer Colton Sissons. The two crossed paths in a heated moment back in March when Vancouver played the Vegas Golden Knights, resulting in a physical altercation. Blueger downplayed any lingering tension, laughing off the past incident. 

"I think it'll be great being teammates. You know, he's been a great player for a long time in the league," Blueger said. "As far as the fight, I don't think it was really too much of a fight. Just the scrum kind of that went on there on the ice, and we were both kind of involved in it. So I think we'll probably just laugh about it when it comes up." 

Growth Through Adversity

Reflecting on his tenure in Vancouver, Blueger described a highly turbulent but ultimately rewarding period that shaped his understanding of team culture. He intends to bring those leadership lessons into the Maple Leafs' dressing room. 

"Particularly last year, I think it was a very, very challenging year but probably the year that I learned the most... throughout the course of my career," Blueger admitted. "So many ups and downs, so many challenges with the team, so much change, different guys getting traded, called up, all that. There's a lot of adversity, but I think also a lot of learning and growth." 

When asked what his biggest takeaway from that adversity was, Blueger pointed directly to the micro-habits that build a winning environment, lessons he first picked up playing with Sidney Crosby in Pittsburgh. 

"I think just about the importance of team cohesion. Culture type stuff... what makes a team tick," Blueger said. "I think the goal for any team is to kind of get to a point where you find this balance of guys caring about each other enough to where they're willing to sacrifice themselves for the good of the team... I think stuff that I took for granted early in my career in Pittsburgh with Sid setting the tone is practice habits, discipline of showing up on time, being respectful to each other, to the trainers, to the staff, things like that, that I think seem like when you take each thing on its own, it seems like a small thing, but you add them all up. It creates an environment within the facility that I think, you know, that environment's huge, and it has to be positive." 

That should serve the leafs well, who no doubt had their struggles down the stretch last season, missing the playoffs for the first time in 10 years. 

Listeners are often surprised to learn that Blueger hails from Riga, Latvia, given the complete absence of a European accent in his speech. He explained that his North American hockey journey began nearly two decades ago. 

"I came over when I was 14 so I went to Shattuck (St. Mary's) played there for four years and then after that I played four years of college at Mankato," Blueger explained. "So I've been over here more than half my life now, it's been a long time. And you know, my wife's American so you know we're mostly here now. We'll go back to Latvia for a couple weeks every year but yeah, so I've been speaking English a long time. Even before I came over I was going to an English school. So I started learning English at a young age and then obviously being over here so long you kind of you pick up on the language." 

With his versatile skill set, strong defensive acumen, and acute understanding of winning cultures, Blueger projects to be a foundational piece of Toronto's newly configured depth as they prepare for the upcoming campaign. 

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