TORONTO — As Easton Cowan’s hair blew in the cold Scotiabank Arena air and the Toronto Maple Leafs’ in-house DJ cued up Big & Rich’s “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)” — a nod to the farm kid’s nickname — to soundtrack his rookie lap, the former London Knights star looked up in the stands to soak in the moment.
Cowan spotted a row of his junior buddies wearing replicas of his old green-and-gold No. 7 sweater — backwards, so the lettering of his name stretched across their hearts.
“Just big smiles on their faces. It meant a lot that they came all the way here,” Cowan said, after realizing his NHL dream in front of 20 to 30 friends and family members on Thanksgiving. “Definitely special. It was very cool.”
Cool is an apt adjective to describe Cowan’s demeanour throughout this process, a third pro training camp that had him projected as a fourth-line starter, then bumped to the press box for the Leafs’ first two games, then suddenly parachuted onto Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies’s top line for a holiday debut.
The 22-year-old Knies is the most recent Leafs prospect to arrive with Cowan-like hype and hopes. He recalls his own NHL debut.
“It’s honestly hard to describe, really. You’re nervous, but you’re excited. A lot of emotions going through your head. You just try to simplify everything,” Knies said. “Try to communicate and help each other out and to try to make the person next to you a little bit better and make sure that they’re having a good game.”
Mission accomplished, in that regard.
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Matthews and Knies — who have previously shared shifts with Max Domi and Matias Maccelli this month — submitted their best game of the season’s with Cowan on their right flank. Matthews ripped a game-high and season-high eight shots; Knies had a goal and an assist in Monday’s 3-2 loss to Detroit.
“I thought he was great,” Matthews said. “He just carries himself with such a good confidence in himself and in the way that he can play and compete.
“Easy guy to play with. He made smart plays with the puck. When plays were to be made, he made him. And when the simple play was there to just get the puck deep or whatnot, he made it.”
Cowan hounded pucks, flashed a couple turbo boosts. He didn’t shy from contact, nor a few between-the-legs passes. Best of all: He buttered a five-foot saucer that set Matthews up for the captain’s best scoring chance yet.
“He played phenomenal,” Knies added. “He’s gonna be a heckuva player. I’m excited to keep playing with him.
“That pass to Matty for that breakaway, that’s pretty elite. And I think he did a tremendous job in every zone.”
Unflustered by all the uncertainty or the tough assignment, the youngest Maple Leaf wrangled the moment with a cowboy’s confidence.
He blocked a hard point shot in his first shift, threw a team-high three hits, and helped the Leafs outshoot the Red Wings 12-1 when he was on the ice.
The 20-year-old already has coach Craig Berube’s trust.
Cowan’s ice time (14:05) was only bested by the Leafs four forwards with power-play time, and Berube threw the 20-year-old over the boards in the final minute with the goalie pulled.
“Yeah, I felt good. I wasn’t really nervous at all. It was just another game,” Cowan said, calmly. “Just went out there, played free, and felt like I created a lot tonight.”
To think: Four autumns ago, Cowan was grinding away with the Komoka Kings. Now he’s skating on the top line of his favourite boyhood team. And earning a chance to do it all again tomorrow against Nashville.
“It’s pretty crazy,” Cowan said. “You know, about five years ago I was playing Junior B. So, just shows, if you stick with it and work hard, good things will come.”
Fox’s Fast Five
• Through the season’s first 120 minutes, Berube saw too many one-and-done shifts from John Tavares and William Nylander, so he dropped playmaker Matias Maccelli on their second line in hopes of more sustained O-zone pressure.
In their first trial together, the trio outshot the Red Wings 5-4 at even strength.
Better. Hardly dominant.
The coach made public his desire to see more from Nylander postgame.
The 2025 Rocket Richard Trophy runner-up has mustered just three shots through three games, despite averaging nearly 20 minutes a night and receiving bump-up shifts with Matthews.
Berube says Nylander needs to attack more, shoot more, and drive to the inside.
“We need more out of him,” Berube said. “I don’t know exactly what it is, to be honest with you. I’ll have a conversation with him, see where he’s at and what’s going on.”
• Chris Tanev crushed Lucas Raymond into the boards in the second period, and the Red Wings’ 2024-25 left the game with an upper-body injury. He did not return to the game.
Huge blow for Detroit. Raymond has played all 82 games in three of his four seasons in the show.
Todd McLellan had no update postgame. Raymond will require further evaluation in Detroit.
• Buckets off?
Since Lou Lamoriello joined the organization 10 years ago, the Maple Leafs have strictly adhered to a team rule: Wear your helmet during warmups.
Only once can we a recall a Leaf letting his locks fly in the past decade. Acquired in a deadline deal from the Kings in 2020, Kyle Clifford — unaware of his new club’s policy — went no bucky for his Toronto debut. Matthews, smiling, called it “a power move.” Clifford wore head protection the rest of the season.
Well, the Leafs may be relaxing their dress code.
Not only did Cowan take his rookie lap helmet-free but veterans Nylander and Domi both doffed their caps for the full warmup.
• The Leafs are closely monitoring the workload of Anthony Stolarz, their only goalie of record this season.
Following an exhausting Saturday in Detroit, Stolarz skipped Sunday’s practice in favour of one-on-one work with goalie coach Curtis Sanford.
The No. 1 will catch his breath Tuesday, when Cayden Primeau will presumably make his Leafs debut, and get a full day off Wednesday before Thursday’s date with the Rangers.
“He’s really calm in there, just watching him in practice,” Stolarz said. “So, excited for him. He’s a helluva goalie and someone who’s gonna help our team.”
• Promising news for Steven Lorentz, who posted two assists in Game 1 but suffered an upper-body injury Saturday.
The fourth-liner skated on his own Monday and is a possibility to play Tuesday versus Nashville. A durable hitter, Lorentz set a career high in games played last season (80).
