Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan named OHL's most outstanding player

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Easton Cowan, indeed, used his fine training camp with the Maple Leafs as a springboard to success with the London Knights this season.

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Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan named OHL's most outstanding player Back to video

The Leafs’ first-round pick in 2023 has won the Red Tilson Trophy as the most outstanding player in the Ontario Hockey League.

Cowan had 96 points — 34 goals and 62 assists — in 54 games for the Knights during the 2023-24 regular season to finish seventh in OHL scoring. The highlight was a 36-game point streak, which started on Nov. 25 against Barrie and was carried through by Cowan to the end of the season.

The 18-year-old forward also had at least one point in each of the Knights’ first six playoff games before the streak ended on April 16 against Kitchener. In London’s six games since, Cowan has seven points.

In total, Cowan has 14 points (four goals and 10 assists) in 12 playoff games.

“It’s pretty cool to receive this award,” Cowan said on Thursday. “Being consistent, having the same routine, how you prepare for a game and practice, I feel like I really got into a groove

“Playing with confidence, and being confident in myself and my game … I just feel like I did a good job of being consistent, in the gym and on the ice and that helped me a lot.”

The Knights lead the Saginaw Spirit 3-1 in the best-of-seven Western Conference final and can advance to the OHL final with a victory in Game 5 at home on Friday night.

The most recent time a Leafs prospect won the Red Tilson Trophy was in 2016, when Mitch Marner got the honour after putting up 116 points for the Knights. Among the others with Leafs connections who have won the award include captain John Tavares (in 2007 with Oshawa), Connor Brown (in 2014 with Erie) and Brad Boyes (2001 and 2002 with Erie).

Selected 28th overall by the Leafs last year, Cowan shone in his initial training camp with Toronto. He had three points in four pre-season games and served notice that he had the potential to live up to the expectations that come with being a first-round pick.

“The confidence I had playing in Toronto helped me a lot coming back to the OHL and bringing those pro habits back,” Cowan said. “Felt like I was a good leader throughout the whole season and I’m still trying to be. I had a blast in Toronto.”

Cowan, you can bet, will do all that he can to take his experience from this season into camp in September and turn it into a spot on the Leafs’ opening-night roster.

Marner became a good resource for Cowan at camp last fall.

“Marner was someone I looked up to,” Cowan said. “He always talked to me a lot and he still texts me to this day. It’s pretty cool to know my name is in the same category as him.”

Cowan’s focus is on the OHL playoffs with the Knights, of course, but he has been watching Leafs playoffs game when his schedule allows. He has been in consistent contact with Leafs staff during the season, getting instruction via video.

“I feel like my fast game, my transition game can really slide in well with the Leafs, as they want to play fast,” Cowan said. “I feel like I fit in there pretty well (last fall).

“That hard 200-foot game, I’ve been trying to work on that this year and working on my shot.”

Cowan left a mark in training camp with some young Leafs who are bound to be teammates in the relatively near future.

“My first impression was that he is pretty frickin’ skilled, pretty dynamic with the puck and can make plays,” Leafs winger Matthew Knies said on Thursday. “I wasn’t surprised with how he left here from camp and how he was going to start (his season) in the OHL and the things he did there, it’s pretty outstanding.”

When Nick Robertson scored 55 goals for the Peterborough Petes in the 2019-20 season, his longest point streak was 19 games. That Cowan was to reel off the run that he did was applauded by Robertson.

“That’s kind of crazy,” Robertson said. “It’s good to see him do well. He has a great team there. He’s had a blast of a year.

“It’s nice to have more guys coming in, (Fraser) Minten too, and other guys down on the Marlies. You pull for them to make it here so you can have more young faces (on the team).”

Truth be told, there’s not going to be a ton coming from the Marlies. The Leafs’ prospect pool beyond Cowan and Minten isn’t brimming with sure-fire NHL players. The best young Marlies who could make the next step include goalie Dennis Hildeby, defenceman Topi Niemela and forward Roni Hirvonen.