Auston Matthews returned to practice and nearly took part in a full session. The question is how much longer? Before the Toronto Maple Leafs hosted the New York Islanders on Tuesday, the club honored nine alumni who passed away as part of a brand new memorial tradition. Ron Ellis, Sergei Berezin, Pete Conacher Ed Chadwick, Gerry James, Don Marshall, Larry McIntyre, Tim Ecclestone and Paul Masnick all passed away in 2024. The Leafs aired a tribute on their video board of all the players followed by a moment of silence. Afterwards, the video panned to a special box that saw family and friends of the deceased alumni taking in the game. The guests were also invited into the Maple Leafs dressing room after the game where the honored players' uniforms were hung in the locker room stalls. The Maple Leafs plan to hold this tradition on an annual basis going forward with the ceremony being held on the final home date of the subsequent calendar. It's a great way to honor those who have passed. Particularly when some of these passings occur during the summer when the Leafs aren't playing. Ellis played his entire 16-year career with the Maple Leafs and was a member of the club's last Stanley Cup team in 1967. A former captain, Ellis was popularized in Toronto for his work ethic. Sergei Berezin's best professional career came with the Maple Leafs where he spent five seasons. He had 126 goals and 94 assists in 357 NHL games from 1996-2001 and scored the series-clinching goal against the Philadelphia Flyers in 1999 to send the club to the second round. Berezin died at age 52 back in June with no cause of death disclosed. Ellis and Berezin received a nice little ovation when their images showed up on screen during the tribute. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjExNjM5NDEwNTc4NDM0MDI0/googlenews.svg] 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.
