Leafs prospect Easton Cowan reveals his superstitions, his pre-game meals of choice and more
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If you're a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, it's tough not to be excited about 18-year-old Easton Cowan right now. Currently in the midst of a 26-game point streak, Cowan is really giving fans a show in London with the Knights and has fans in Toronto salivating at the thought of having him in the NHL in the next season or two to hopefully carry on what he's doing now in junior.
For a young player, it can be pretty intimidating being drafted to such a huge market like Toronto and all of the expectations that come along with that. The lights, the cameras, the noise, the chatter... Cowan has, so far, handled it all with grace and humility, despite already being a star of sorts among the Leafs' fanbase, with all eyes on him as he pushes on with his incredible streak.
Cowan joined TSN 1050's First Up crew this morning to have a chat with the guys and one of the questions that was asked was about the bright lights in Toronto and all of the attention he's received. Surprisingly, Cowan likens the situation in Toronto to the one he's currently experiencing in London, which he says has prepared him for the NHL.
"It means a lot to me. Obviously, there's a lot of attention out there, but I feel like London is kind of like the Toronto of the OHL, so I feel like London's helped me a lot to get ready for this and like I said, I enjoy every moment of it. There's a lot of interviews that come with it, a lot of people have got their eyes on you, but I enjoy all of that and I think it really has matured me a lot. My future plans are to be a Leaf, but right now, I'm a Knight and I'm focused on that."
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While Cowan is enjoying his incredible point streak, the Leafs are on a bit of a streak of their own, winners of their last 7 straight, with plans to make it 8 straight tonight against Vegas. Cowan was asked about whether he still finds time to watch the Leafs during his season with the Knights. Of course, Cowan confirmed that he does.
"I'm not surprised that they're on a 7-game heater right now and I've really enjoyed watching them. Me and my buddies, we always get together, mostly every night, and watch NHL hockey and I really enjoy watching the Leafs play."
Hockey players can be very superstitious creatures, carrying on a lot of habits and routines over the years so as to not disrupt their flow and momentum. Cowan admitted to the First Up crew that he is somewhat superstitious, but it's not exactly over the top.
"Kind of, but not really. I'm not over the top superstitious. I think was maybe like 10-ish games in and I switched my tape job, so I wouldn't say I'm too superstitious. I went from white tape to black tape and like switched how I taped my entire blade, so I wouldn't say I'm too superstitious. Some things, like how I get dressed, that's always been me, like I always put the right side of my gear on first, right skate, right elbow pad, stuff like that, but I switched my tape job mid-streak."
One of the routines that a lot of players carry on, especially on game days, is what they eat. Their pre-game meals provide them with the fuel and energy that they need to perform at their peak. For Cowan, his pre-game meals are pretty similar on a game-to-game basis, but he did admit that he's not as fickle with it as some others.
"Every home game, my billet mom will make me pasta, so I destroy that with a glass of chocolate milk and then when I get to the rink, I'll have some granola bars before I play, and a certain drink that hydrates me. Away games, I'll have my pasta, too, and I'll stop at like Tim Hortons and get a wrap of some sort. It's been pretty consistent, but like I said, if I don't have any pasta when I have an away game and I have to have some chicken, it's not the end of the world."
The 18-year-old from Mount Brydges has really turned a lot of heads this year after being drafted 28th overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. By all appearances, Cowan is a high-tier prospect who has a very bright future. The hope is that he'll join the Leafs next fall, but if his path takes him through another year of junior next season, it's not the end of the world. However, he's shown this season that he's probably too good to be playing in junior, so it shouldn't surprise anyone to see him in a Maple Leafs jersey next fall.
Previously on MapleLeafsDaily
| POLL |
27 FEVRIER | 627 ANSWERS Leafs prospect Easton Cowan reveals his superstitions, his pre-game meals of choice and more Will Easton Cowan be a Leaf next season? |
| Yes | 493 | 78.6 % |
| No | 134 | 21.4 % |
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