Easton Cowan is loving life as a rookie in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The 20-year-old has played two games alongside Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies on Toronto’s top line. He registered his first NHL point on Tuesday night against the Nashville Predators on a goal from Matthews.
Cowan has looked strong on the ice and very comfortable playing with Matthews and Knies. Part of that is because of the skill he possesses to play that high in the lineup. Another side of it, however, is his teammates allowing him to feel comfortable in what’s a big career moment.
Brandon Carlo joked on Tuesday about Cowan having an eye-opening experience during one of the team dinners. “It was pretty funny because there was a lot of things where he was like, ‘I’ve never had this before’, ‘I’ve never had this before’, and I remember being in that same position,” he smiled.
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Easton Cowan is enjoying life up in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“Yeah, obviously, the dinner is very good food, nice hotels, so just being grateful for each and every day,” added Cowan. But yeah, it’s called the never hungry-league for a reason, and I haven’t really been hungry that much, I’ve been eating a lot, lots of good food, so I’ve been very grateful for that.”
Cowan also revealed that he’s been pranked by a few of the older players on the team.
“We were out for dinner, and I was sitting with the younger guys on the team, I’d say, and the waiter came over and handed me a bill,” Cowan grinned.
“I thought I was going to have to pay for it, but it was just (Max Domi and Auston Matthews) playing a prank on me. So, it was definitely nice, finding out you didn’t have to pay for that, but just little jokes like that, that are funny and go a long way, and it’s just cool they can joke around, and you got to be able to take it.”
What did the rookie think when the waiter placed the bill on the table?
“Pretty nervous, but (Matthew Knies) helped me out, looked at the bill, made sure it was fake. So yeah, definitely nervous for sure though.”
Going back to that tuna tartare Cowan tried — what did he think of it?
“It was okay. Not a big fish guy,” he said. “It was okay, but I don’t think I’ll go back to it.”
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Chris Tanev recalls a time during his rookie year when he was handed the bill after a team dinner. The veteran defenseman didn’t reveal much about what occurred that night, aside from it being in Minnesota.
What he did reveal, though, was his welcome to the NHL moment off the ice.
“I think maybe the first time I had sushi. I never had sushi until I played in the NHL, so it was probably a ‘what’s going on right now’ (moment),” Tanev said.
“Or going to a nice steakhouse. I never really went to those growing up as a kid, so you sort of get thrown into a whole different life than you’re really accustomed to.”
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As Easton Cowan skated onto the ice ahead of his NHL debut, the crowd started cheering. Within all the noise, a song blared inside Scotiabank Arena: “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)”.
These stories, of course, are comedic, but they highlight an important aspect of rookies playing in the NHL. The older players want to welcome the younger players into the league — and when they can make someone feel comfortable, they’re going to do it for the betterment of the player and the group.
“It just makes you feel comfortable. It makes you feel welcomed,” Tanev said. “We know how hard he’s working on the ice and off the ice and he’s a really good player. So anything we can do to make him feel comfortable and welcomed, we’ll do.”
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