Ahead of Sunday’s preseason opener, the Toronto Maple Leafs are returning six players to their major junior teams, reducing the training camp roster to 67 players.
Rylan Fellinger, Nathan Mayes, Tyler Hopkins, Harry Nansi, Matthew Hlacar and Sam McCue will be all heading back to their respective Canadian Hockey League teams, the Maple Leafs announced Saturday afternoon. Fellinger, Hopkins, Nansi and Hlacar are all members of the Maple Leafs’ 2025 draft class, while McCue and Mayes were selected in the seventh round in the 2024 NHL Draft. Ben Danford and Miroslav Holinka are among the notable selections from the 2024 class that remain among the training camp roster.
“Now, again, some of these kids are going to have to find their role or their niche in the game and do what they have to do,” Maple Leafs director of amateur scouting Mark Leach said following the 2025 NHL Draft. “When you find those kids with that work ethic, that compete, they know who they are, and they what type of game they have to play, they work on those elements, they’ll find a role. There’s a role for everybody. As you saw in the playoffs: size matters, toughness matters, competitiveness matters. We hope we fill some of those roles in some of those kids.”
Hopkins was particularly impressive for the Maple Leafs during the 2025 Prospect Showdown, registering an assist against the Montreal Canadiens in a 4-1 victory on September 14. The defensive-minded centre was selected 86th overall, after recording 20 goals and 51 points in 67 games with Kingston last season. Mayes also stood out during a September 13 practice session leading into the Prospect Showcase, and the 6-foot-7 defenceman is expected to take a major leap this year with Spokane.
The @MapleLeafs have returned the following players to their respective junior teams.
D Rylan Fellinger (Flint)
D Nathan Mayes (Spokane)
F Tyler Hopkins (Kingston)
F Harry Nansi (Owen Sound)
F Matthew Hlacar (Kitchener)
F Sam McCue (Brantford)— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) September 20, 2025
Toronto will open its preseason schedule on the road, facing off against the Ottawa Senators on Sunday, before hosting the Senators on Tuesday.
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