The Toronto Marlies will play three games at Scotiabank Arena next season.
The American Hockey League released the regular season schedule for its 32 teams on Thursday afternoon. Toronto will begin its season in Rochester against the Americans on October 10, before returning home to play the Americans at the Coca-Cola Coliseum on October 11.
Three games at Scotiabank Arena (on Boxing Day, Family Day, and St. Patrick's Day), the home of the Toronto Maple Leafs, is one less than the Marlies had last season. The Marlies played two doubleheaders with their NHL club on November 16 and March 15, and it appears that won't happen this season, unless their 1:30 p.m. St. Patrick's Day game is one.
Toronto's new opponents this season will feature the Chicago Wolves, Hartford Wolfpack, Grand Rapids Griffins, Springfield Thunderbirds, and the Iowa Wild, a team the Marlies haven't played since the 2014-15 season.
They will end their regular season at home on Sunday, April 19 against the Laval Rocket.
The Marlies' longest home stand will be five games, from Jan. 1 to Jan. 9 and March 14 to March 25. Their longest road stretch is eight games, from November 1 to November 19. Toronto's busiest months will be November and March, when they will play 13 games. They'll play on Saturday 23 times throughout the regular season.
'No Firm Offer' From Maple Leafs to Andrew Mangiapane Despite InterestAndrew Mangiapane, a player of interest for the Toronto Maple Leafs during their search for another forward, ultimately signed with the Edmonton Oilers when free agency opened earlier this month, rather than his hometown team. Instead, Mangiapane signed a two-year, $7.2 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers.
This announcement comes two days after Toronto made a second batch of AHL signings. The Marlies signed Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, Ben King, and Nick Rheaume to one-year AHL contracts, while also re-signing Marko Sikic and defenceman Ryan McCleary to one-year deals on Tuesday.
Rheaume finished his third year of college and attended Maple Leafs development camp this summer. Four of the five players who signed AHL deals with Toronto on Tuesday have previously participated in the organization's development camp.
The Marlies also had a round of signings on Monday, inking former Marlie Marc Johnstone to a two-year AHL contract. Johnstone left the organization in 2023, signing an entry-level contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He made his NHL debut with the Penguins on Dec. 8, 2023.
This Is What Riley Nash Will Always Be Remembered For In His Maple Leafs TenureA former Toronto Maple Leafs player, with a brief history with the club, has called it a career. Riley Nash told the Western Canadian news outlet Castanet that he is retiring from professional hockey after 628 games in which he registered 63 goals and 113 assists.
Toronto also added Ken Appleby on a one-year contract, while also re-signing Reese Johnson.
Appleby spent the majority of last season with the AHL's Charlotte Checkers, posting a .910 save percentage in 24 games. The veteran goaltender put up six shutouts, the second-most in the AHL last season. Appleby last played an NHL game with the New York Islanders during the 2023-24 season.
Johnson is coming off a season where he played three NHL games with the Minnesota Wild and the rest with the club's AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild. In 49 games with Iowa, Johnson scored four goals and nine assists for 15 points. He played six games with the Marlies, scoring one assist after being acquired by the Maple Leafs at the trade deadline in exchange for future considerations.
'Mitchy Earned The Right To Go Wherever He Wants': Ryan Reaves Discusses Marner’s Depature And Time Spent With The Marlies Last SeasonBefore Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves calls it a career, he hopes to hit the milestone of 1,000 games.
The Marlies saw several departures this summer, including Topi Niemela, Roni Hirvonen, and Zach Solow, who signed in Europe; Matt Murray, now with the Seattle Kraken; Alex Steeves, with the Boston Bruins; Nick Abruzzese, with the Tampa Bay Lightning; and Kyle Clifford, whose playing career could be over after he was a coach at Toronto's development camp.
The Marlies' 2024-25 season concluded after two straight losses to the Cleveland Monsters in the North Division First Round of the Calder Cup playoffs.
(Top photo: Thomas Skrlj / Toronto Marlies)