Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan has had a remarkable season with the London Knights. In fact, no one in the Ontario Hockey League was better.
The 18-year-old forward was awarded the Red Tilson Trophy on Thursday as the OHL’s player of the year in voting by media members.
He’s the seventh Knight to win it, following in the footsteps of his idol, Leafs winger Mitch Marner, the 2016 winner with London. Other previous winners include Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid (2015, Erie) and Leafs captain John Tavares (2007, Oshawa).
“It’s pretty cool to receive this award,” Cowan told reporters via Zoom, adding that he picks Marner’s brain for tips whenever he gets the chance. “It’s pretty cool to know now that our names are in the same category.”
Cowan finished the regular season on a franchise-record 36-game point streak; the old mark of 33 was set by Dave Gilmore in 1993-94. In the past 20 seasons, only two Canadian Hockey League players have put together longer streaks: Alexander Radulov (50 games) and Sidney Crosby (37).
Cowan racked up 68 points during that stretch and finished the season with 96 points (34 goals, 62 assists) to help the Knights earn the No. 1 playoff seed. In the post-season, he has four goals and 10 assists heading into Friday’s Game 5 of the Western Conference final against the Saginaw Spirit. The Knights, who swept the Flint Firebirds and Kitchener Rangers in earlier rounds, lead the best-of-seven series 3-1.
“We’re looking to close this series out (Friday) here in front of our fans,” Cowan said. “I feel like we’ll be good if we just play our system and do what we do best, and that’s playing hard.”
Born in Strathroy, Ont., to a hockey-crazed family (former Detroit Red Wings forward Darren McCarty is his cousin), Cowan grew up loving the Leafs.
When Toronto drafted him 28th overall last June, much higher than projected, Knights general manager Mark Hunter heaped praise on the prospect.
“He’s a puck hound. His work ethic is impeccable, good skills,” Hunter said then. “He strips pucks like Mitch Marner does. I don’t want to mention in the same breath that he’s Mitch Marner or anything like that, but he strips, hounds, gets pucks, makes plays. He’s just a good all-around player.”
Cowan gives credit for his development to time spent in training camp with the Leafs and at Canada’s world junior selection camp in Oakville last December, where fellow Leafs draft pick Fraser Minten was also vying for a spot.
“The confidence I had playing in Toronto helped me a lot coming back to OHL, bringing those pro habits back,” he said.
He said he spends much of his spare time watching the Leafs, and has the skills to help the NHL club in the future.
“I feel like my fast game, my transition game really would slide in very well with the Leafs, if they want to play fast and cook up the next play,” he said.
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