Maple Leafs Prospect Fraser Minten Named Captain of WHL's Kamloops Blazers
Minten, at Maple Leafs development camp earlier this summer, said he was looking to take on more of a leadership role in Kamloops this year.
Fraser Minten is off to lead the Kamloops Blazers after spending some time in the NHL with Toronto.
The 19-year-old center played four games with the Maple Leafs after what was an impressive training camp with the team. Following the four games, Minten was a healthy scratch before ultimately being returned to the Blazers on October 27.
"He should be proud and feel really good about what he has done to earn an opportunity to play in the NHL," Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said of Minten last week. ""It’s just about his development and what he can take away from the experience."
One of Minten's goals this season is to make Team Canada's World Juniors roster. And at this point, with how he's played and how he's matured, it's almost a lock.
"That'd be amazing if I could make that happen," the 19-year-old said during training camp.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8202hys2BE[/embed]
After making the Maple Leafs out of training camp, Minten centered Toronto's third line, averaging 11:26 during that span. His maturity was something that stood out during development camp this summer, and that continued throughout his entire time with the team.
"Fraser himself just has terrific perspective and maturity about how he handles things," Keefe said.
One of the questions asked to the players in Kamloops when their season began was who's going to be their next captain? According to Blazers GM and head coach Shaun Clouston, who spoke with TSN's Mark Masters, it was "unanimous" from all the players that Minten was going to be their next leader.
"That's the influence he has on his group. That's how the guys view him. They really look up to him in lots of ways."
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