As Ryan Tverberg sat in his stall and spoke to the media on Monday morning ahead of his NHL debut with the Toronto Maple Leafs [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs], all Luke Haymes could do was smile. He had just been through the same thing [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/an-intelligent-player-maple-leafs-prospect-luke-haymes-set-to-make-nhl-debut-against-islanders] four days earlier on Long Island. "Just a lot of excitement," Tverberg said of making his NHL debut against the Dallas Stars. "Gonna have a lot of family in the building, so just a lot of excitement. I’m ready to go." It's been a long, difficult road for Tverberg, a seventh-round pick by the Maple Leafs [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/players/how-being-around-the-maple-leafs-made-prospect-ryan-tverberg-better] in the 2020 NHL Draft. He's spent the last three seasons in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies, but has dealt with numerous injuries throughout that stretch. Finally, this season, the 24-year-old put everything together. "I mean, just a lot of hard work," Tverberg said, "just a lot of hardships. But in the end, it'll feel pretty good tonight." Tverberg got his offensive production up this season [https://theahl.com/stats/player/9624]. He became more defensively responsible, too. The biggest thing of all, though, is that he remained healthy, tallying 14 goals and 32 points in 61 AHL games this season. "I think I play a good 200-foot game," Tverberg said of what's worked best for him with the Marlies this season, "just up and down the ice, be able to defend hard and have a good offensive style as well." The icing on the cake is that Tverberg is from Richmond Hill, Ontario, a short drive down the 404 and Don Valley Parkway. He grew up a Maple Leafs fan and remembers all the games he watched as a child. "If there was a hockey game (on) in my house, it was always the Leafs game," Tverberg smiled. "So, I mean, just seeing them on the TV all the time, I was just kind of born into (Leafs fandom)." Leafs’ Path to Keeping 2026 First-Rounder Gets Easier After Massive Out-of-Town Score [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/974eedf5-d46e-4996-8330-2c24109b5092.png] Leafs’ Path to Keeping 2026 First-Rounder Gets Easier After Massive Out-of-Town Score The Maple Leafs' chances of retaining their 2026 first-round pick have improved following favorable results for the Flames and Rangers in the league standings. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/leafs-path-to-keeping-2026-first-rounder-gets-easier-after-massive-out-of-town-score] Tverberg found out he'd make his NHL debut on Monday morning as he rolled into Scotiabank Arena. He'll be on a line with Jacob Quillan and Calle Jarnkrok [https://x.com/nickbarden/status/2043701507531407586?s=20]. "I just came to the rink, just got like some, ‘Hey, you ready to go?’ And yeah, just kind of like, ‘Okay, yeah, I guess I'm going,'" Tverberg said. "All the coaches, yeah, (Craig Berube) said it too. Like all of them came up separately when I got here this morning." "He's a tenacious player," Berube said when asked about Tverberg's game on Monday morning. "He's got some skill, but his speed and tenacity are what drives him, more than anything." As Tverberg said, he will have his parents, Todd and Paddy, in the building for his NHL debut, plus plenty of other family and friends. It'll be a massive moment in his career, years after being the fifth-last pick in the 2020 draft. Report: Maple Leafs Begin Head Of Hockey Ops Search With Goal Of Hiring One Person [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/08f4ca66-f658-49ac-b222-916e3a53bc57.jpeg] Report: Maple Leafs Begin Head Of Hockey Ops Search With Goal Of Hiring One Person Pelley said during his media availability on Mar. 31 that the Maple Leafs are looking to hire a head of hockey operations. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/report-maple-leafs-begin-head-of-hockey-ops-search-with-goal-of-hiring-one-person] And he remembers the moment when he was picked, too. "Just initially just a lot of shock. Just for it to be nice and close to home, that's just awesome," Tverberg said [https://x.com/nickbarden/status/2043712752435216615?s=20]. "And then just to get here at this point, just been with the organization for so long, so just definitely a lot of hours put in." "Every day goes by, you want that opportunity," he continued, "and now that it's here, try to make the most of it."
