The 6’1”, 185lb forward from Vancouver showed patience, poise and improved with each passing day during Maple Leafs Development Camp
Fraser Minten was just 14 years old when he was invited to play hockey at the Tier 1 level. Before that, he was playing in other levels and didn’t really have any aspirations of making it his career.
“When I started getting looks at Tier 1 and saw myself playing against the best kids and felt that I could not just fit in but excel against the top guys that I started dreaming big and wanted to make this the goal,” Minten explained.
The first step toward his dream came to fruition on July 8, when he was selected by the Maple Leafs in the second round (38th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft. Since the big day, Minten hasn’t had a lot of time to soak it all in. Immediately after becoming NHL property of the Leafs, he joined 43 other prospects in Toronto for the club’s development camp.
The highest draftee of the players in attendance, Minten’s size and presence was noticeable. He won a majority of his one-on-one battles and became a sponge for what Leafs development coaches were teaching.
“Puck protection, we talked a lot about accelerating through pickups,” Minten said of what he learned. “If a puck is coming down the wall to not slow down with the puck towards you. Being able to accelerate through it and create some separation that way.
“Learning about how to use our body to our advantage, how to place our hands, how to shift our weight.”
It’s Minten’s recall and ability to learn that have the Maple Leafs really high on the prospect.
By the final day of camp, Minten looked like he put all of those lessons to good use during the final scrimmage, scoring an important goal for his Team Blue squad in their victory over Team White.
What also stood out about Vancouver native was how calm and collected the 18-year-old was. In chatting with reporters this past week, Minten was thoughtful and articulate in his responses. He met fellow Vancouver native and Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly in passing and although he admitted it was cool experience, Minten wasn’t necessarily in awe of the moment.
“I don’t get too nervous talking to people, he seems like a pretty nice and normal human being,” Minten said of Rielly.
Minten was just about getting down to business.
“He has a really high IQ both on the ice and away from the rink,” Maple Leafs assistant general manager Hayley Wickenheiser said of Minten on the first day of camp. “He’s a very cerebral guy who asks a lot of questions. For me what stood out is how smooth he is. He looks lean off the ice but on the ice he uses his body well to get to the inside of the ice and seem not afraid to go to the tougher areas.”
When camp concluded, Wickenheiser said that while Minten has the size, his explosive power and strength are going to take some time to develop. Once that happens, he has all the tools necessary to be a Maple Leaf down the road.
“We’re just trying to encourage him to play the game and not overthink situations because he’s so cerebral on the ice,” Wickenheiser said. ”The skills that he has are very projectable in a way that I think he can become an NHL player.”
Minten will now join other junior players for a summer camp in Alberta for players eligible to play for Team Canada the 2023 World Juniors. Should he make it to the tournament, that jump combined with another year with his Kamloops Blazers, who will host the 2023 Memorial Cup, should allow for the center to add to his his development.
The Leafs see Minten as a potential bottom-six, two-way forward who can move up the lineup if need be.
He’s already grown a lot in just four years hockey competition at a high level and it’s clear to see why the Maple Leafs are enthusiastic about the promising prospect.