Trio of Maple Leafs Prospects Stand Out to Begin Rookie Tournament in Montreal

After a long summer of missing hockey, Leafs Nation was happy to be able to tune in for some Leafs rookie action, as the Buds took on the Ottawa Senators' rookies on Saturday afternoon at the Rookie Showcase in Montreal.

The Maple Leafs had paired two of their top young rookies together, as Jacob Quillan was centering a line between rookie sensation Easton Cowan and the intriguing Borya Valis.

The Toronto Sun's Lance Hornby took in the action and noted that 3 young Leafs were very noticeable. Those 3 rookies were Easton Cowan, Jacob Quillan and Miroslav Holinka, who all had chances to tie the game late with the goalie out.

Quillan scored a goal in the 4-3 loss, with Cowan contributing with an assist on the play, and Luke Haymes was another guy who impressed with a goal and an assist, but ultimately, the Leafs' rookies fell just short of the goal of winning the opening matchup of the tournament.

Quillan spoke with the media after the loss, he admitted that his line maybe started a little bit slow, but did notice the improvements in Cowan's game, calling the rookie sensation "a superstar".

Obviously, there is nothing on the line in this tournament other than bragging rights and the ability to make a good first impression on the coaching staff, but I'm sure if you were to ask the rookies who are participating, they'd tell you that winning is always important.

The next matchup will take place between the Leafs and Canadiens rookies later this afternoon, with an estimated 3:00pm ET start time.