The Toronto Maple Leafs held their final practice of their regular season opener. Fraser Minten and Noah Gregor earn spots in the opening-night lineup. The Marlies will be down one assistant coach to begin the season. Toronto hired an entire coaching staff in the off-season after dismissing former head coach Greg Moore and assistants A.J. MacLean and John Snowden. John Gruden was brought in as the new Marlies head coach while Eric Wellwood and Michael Dyck were hired as assistants. But just a few days before Toronto's regular season begins, there was some unfortunate news regarding Wellwood. "He's taken a medical leave for an indefinite amount of time," Marlies GM Ryan Hardy said on Thursday. "He's okay. I'm in contact with him all the time and I know people are wondering where he is, but obviously, any time you have a medical situation just for respect for the family, and for Eric, as he works through that process, that'll probably be all I'll touch on with that." Wellwood first stepped foot in the Maple Leafs organization in 2021 when he was hired as the head coach and assistant GM of the ECHL's Newfoundland Growlers. The 33-year-old led the team to the Eastern Conference finals back-to-back times as head coach. “Eric Wellwood is one of the brightest up-and-coming coaches in our game," Hardy said in a statement when the Growlers hired Wellwood in August 2021. "He emerged from a talented group of candidates based on his intelligence, his experiences as both a player and coach, as well as his ability to connect with players and staff." Wellwood began coaching after he was forced to retire because of a skate laceration he suffered in April 2013. It was not just a career-ending injury but also one that could have been fatal [https://windsorstar.com/sports/hockey/wellwood-retires-after-career-ending-injury]. He retired in May of 2014 and accepted an assistant coaching job with the OHL's Oshawa Generals. The Windsor, Ontario native won an OHL Championship and a Memorial Cup with the Generals in 2015. After that season, Wellwood joined the Flint Firebirds as an assistant coach before returning nearly two seasons later as their head coach. We at The Hockey News wish Eric all the best as he deals with this medical situation. We hope to see him back on the Marlies' bench soon. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNTk1MTUxMDE2NDM2ODQ0/cf1808c0-6a82-4298-9049-3eb2eae105b0.jpg] Related Maple Leafs React to Debut of New Goal Song [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/maple-leafs-react-to-debut-of-new-goal-song] Auston Matthews' Hat-Trick and Other Observations From the Maple Leafs' Wild Win Over the Canadiens [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/auston-matthews-hat-trick-and-other-observations-from-the-maple-leafs-wild-win-over-the-canadiens] Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews Becomes Fastest U.S.-Born Player to Score 300 NHL Goals [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/maple-leafs-auston-matthews-becomes-fastest-u-s-born-player-to-score-300-nhl-goals] News from THN.com Will the Canucks Use Conor Garland As Trade Bait for a Defenseman? [https://thehockeynews.com/news/will-the-canucks-use-conor-garland-as-trade-bait-for-a-defenseman] Vancouver Canucks Avenge Last Season Opener's Blown Lead, Trounce Oilers [https://thehockeynews.com/news/vancouver-canucks-avenge-last-season-openers-blown-lead-trounce-oilers] Sabres Sign Owen Power to Seven-Year Extension [https://thehockeynews.com/news/sabres-sign-owen-power-to-seven-year-extension]
