Prokop and Haymes, who played against each other in college, signed future contracts with the Maple Leafs four days apart. Nick Barden/The Hockey News Toronto [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/4140a554-0c91-400c-a872-98db9deed710.png] Nick Barden/The Hockey News Toronto Forty minutes after Toronto Marlies' practice concluded, two of the Maple Leafs' new college free agent signings, Luke Haymes and John Prokop, were still on the ice. Prokop worked with Marlies assistant coach Michael Dyck and Marshall Rifai while Haymes spent time by himself stick handling through pucks and firing countless shots on an empty net. The Maple Leafs signed the two players earlier this week. Prokop signed a one-year NHL deal, and Haymes inked a two-year contract, each beginning next season. The two players joined the Marlies on amateur tryouts for the remainder of this season. It was Haymes's first practice with AHL Toronto after a season with Dartmouth College, where he scored 12 goals and six assists for 18 points in 22 games. The 21-year-old participated in Toronto's development camp in 2023, which he says contributed to him signing with the Maple Leafs. "Talking to the staff, they’re huge on development, which is something I knew I needed," Haymes said on Wednesday. "Being a younger guy to come out of college, I wanted a place that would really develop me and somewhere with opportunity as well. I think those are two parts of the plan coming here and I’m super excited to be a Marlie and a Leaf." Growing up in Ottawa, Ontario, Haymes was admittedly a Senators fan, "but the Leafs were always a super fun team to watch," he added with a grin. Haymes called the Maple Leafs a skilled team that made a lot of good plays with the puck, making him excited for his future in Toronto. "I’m happy to be in here and be a part of it," Haymes said. But how did his friends he grew up with in the nation's capital take him signing with the Maple Leafs? "They were supportive, surprisingly," he smiled. Haymes played center at Dartmouth College and had a productive second-to-last season, scoring 18 goals and 18 assists for 36 points in 32 games. Although he was injured for part of this year, his clip was still strong, making the Maple Leafs interested. "He's a strong skater. He seems like he's pretty cerebral and a smart player. He kind of reminds me of (Jacob) Quillan a little bit when he came in," Marlies head coach John Gruden said. "Same size, can skate well. It's his first showing. He's here for a reason, continue to improve, and it'll be exciting to see where he goes from here." The other Maple Leafs signee, Prokop, is coming off a huge year with Union College, where he scored 27 points—eight goals and 19 assists—in 36 games. The 23-year-old was on a near point-per-game pace in the previous season, with 35 points in 36 games. After his second Marlies practice, Prokop said he worked on his two-way game in college this season: "That’s how you have to move up and play where you want to play." The 6-foot-3 defenseman has a steep hill to climb as several players are in front of him in the depth chart. But after just two days, Prokop understands what he needs to do to begin the trek of impressing Toronto's coaching staff. "I have to be strong in the D-zone," he said. "Boxing guys out and not letting the puck go in the back of the net. That’ll gain you trust with the coaches and that’s the way you play more minutes too." Through two practices, Gruden has liked what he's seen from the defenseman. "I think he skates extremely well. He's got good size, he's got great edges. He's got a good stick. The two days that I've seen him, there's a lot to like from an eye test in practice." When Prokop was determining where to sign, he leaned on a few of his Union College teammates who grew up in Toronto. The player development was a main factor in his decision to sign with the Maple Leafs, but the more he heard about the city, the more he wanted to play there. "They (his college teammates) lived here their whole lives and they had nothing but good things to say about it. Even when I try to ask, ‘Hey, what’s bad?’ There’s nothing bad," he said. "That just kind of made you smile, and I was like, alright, let me find out for myself then. And I haven’t found anything bad either. It’s been awesome." The passion of the Toronto fan base also influenced his decision. "Everyone in the city loves hockey here, and so do I," Prokop said. "I think that’s perfect and it’s what you want to be a part of. That’s exactly why I came here." He's still getting used to the Toronto traffic, though. "I don’t have a car here, luckily," Prokop smiled. "But I took the train once, or a subway, I don’t know which one it’s called. And it was pretty packed in there." Both players admitted that it will be nice to go through the process of joining a new organization together. They knew each other a bit, having played against one another in college, but this is an entirely new experience for the both of them. "When I saw he signed, a big smile went over my face. Not the fact that they beat us in the playoffs, but I had a guy to go through the same things I was going through," Prokop said. "We even texted before we met for the first time today. It’s honestly kind of special that we get to go through it together." Haymes and Prokop are eager to get started with the Marlies. Toronto sits third in their division and is in the midst of a playoff race, but with three games in three nights this weekend, Gruden says both will get into their first pro games. Toronto plays Friday night in Laval and Saturday night in Belleville before coming home for an afternoon game against the Bridgeport Islanders on Sunday. "They'll definitely be in this weekend," he added. "They just got here; get them acclimated with the systems. It's an exciting time because we're in a time where we're jockeying for third place. It'll be good to get them in." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stay updated with the most interesting Maple Leafs stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwytvfCA?ceid=CA:en&oc=3] to never miss a story.
