Maple Leafs Officially Announce the First Round of Training Camp Roster Cuts

The Toronto Maple Leafs entered training camp with a very large contingent of players vying to make their mark in front of the management group and coaching staff.

73 players were invited in total with 44 forwards, 23 defensemen, and 6 goaltenders making up the roster. With 3 days of training camp practices and scrimmages now finished, the Leafs have officially made their first round of cuts, reassigning 6 players to their respective junior teams.

Defensemen Rylan Fellinger and Nathan Mayes, and forwards Tyler Hopkins, Harry Nansi, Matthew Hlacar, and Sam McCue were among those that were cut.

Fellinger was drafted in the 6th round of this summer's draft and will be returning to the Flint Firebirds of the OHL for his third season. Mayes was drafted in the 7th round of the 2024 draft and will be returning for his 5th season with the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL.

Hopkins, Nansi, and Hlacar were all drafted in this year's draft, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that they were amongst the first cuts. They are expected to return to their respective OHL clubs, where they will play major roles in the hopes of sticking around much longer at next year's camp.

McCue enjoyed a breakthrough season last year in the OHL where he combined for 36 goals and 55 points in 55 games split between Owen Sound and Flint. The 7th round pick from 2024, will look to continue off of last year's success with the Brantford Bulldogs.

The Maple Leafs' pre-season begins tomorrow afternoon when they visit the Ottawa Senators for a 3:00 PM (EST) clash at the Canadian Tire Centre.

Expect more cuts to be made in the coming days and weeks as the Leafs look to finalize their roster ahead of their October 8th season opener.