Bozak closes in on Eddie Shack with 500th game
TAMPA, FLA. — Mitch Marner remembers when Tyler Bozak had long hair. James van Riemsdyk remembers Bozak introducing himself at a rookie cardsigning show.
Bozak remembers sharing a condo with Victor Stalberg and Christian Hanson, playing video games for all hours. Oh, and all those questions about whether he was or wasn’t a true No. 1 centre. Those were fun.
Bozak has come a long way since signing as a college free agent under the Brian Burke regime in 2009. He plays his 500th game Thursday night at the Amalie Arena against the Tampa Bay Lightning, a playoff spot up for grabs.
“It’s something you don’t expect as an undrafted guy,” said Bozak. “It’s a pretty big accomplishment that I’m proud of.”
Bozak has been an important part of the Maple Leafs almost from the onset, coming out as a rookie from the University of Denver. He was paired with Phil Kessel almost immediately, with van Riemsdyk joining the line in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. Marner — the sensational rookie — has taken over the right side this year.
“I remember watching him when he was new to the team,” said Marner, who was 11 when Bozak broke into the NHL. “I remember his long hair. He was a pretty good player. It’s kind of funny to be playing with him after watching him on TV.”
Bozak, 30, said the 19-year-old Marner makes him feel old.
“He’s still a kid,” said Bozak. “But I’m still pretty immature. You can ask anyone that and they’d agree. I think I fit in right with this group.
“The body feels pretty old sometimes, but I feel pretty young.”
And he still plays video games on his console.
“My fiancée, she probably threw it out while we were on the road here,” said Bozak. “With the baby and stuff, there’s not a lot of time for that. But I still get on it the odd time and play with the young guys when I can.”
Bozak said he felt it was touch and go for a while — during the summer of 2015 — whether he’d remain a Leaf. The team had peddled his best friend, Kessel, to Pittsburgh. And there was no question it was transitioning after Dion Phaneuf was traded in the 2015-16 season. Bozak was happy to survive the purge.
“I wasn’t sure if I was going to stay or go at that time. It feels nice to be wanted. Then again, I’ve been through a lot of different GMs and coaches where things could have gone a different way. Everyone has believed in me and gave me minutes and believed that I can play. It’s nice to be part of it.”
Van Riemsdyk was then with Philadelphia when he broke into the league at the same time as Bozak, meeting him at an Upper Deck card signing.
“It’s funny how you cross paths later in your career,” said van Riemsdyk. “We’ve had some success playing together. I really enjoy it.”
Van Riemsdyk has had a front-row seat for Bozak’s maturing process.
“When you know someone long enough, life starts to happen,” said van Riemsdyk. “He has a baby, he’s getting married. It’s cool to see how your friend’s life changes over the years.”
Bozak remains an integral player on the team.
“He’s got smarts,” said van Riemsdyk. “His hockey-sense and awareness are his biggest asset. He reads the game so well, he’s able to take advantage of his skill set. You have to be able to adapt, and read different plays, and play different situations, and he has that.”
Bozak will tie Harry Watson, who played in the 1940s and ’50s, for 39th all time among games played by Leafs. Eddie Shack (504), Dmitry Yushkevich (506) and Nik Antropov (509) are within his range this season. He could be just outside the top 20 if he plays a full season for Toronto next year. Nazem Kadri (393) and Jake Gardiner (392) are next in line in terms of games played by current Maple Leafs.
There was a time Bozak was under fire because he centred the top line, but many didn’t believe he was a true No. 1 centre. He certainly paled in comparison to Mats Sundin, but he has more than held his own in his career.
“I think they ran out of questions for that one.”
This year it’s hard to tell the first line from the second or third.
The No. 1 points producer among centres is Auston Matthews (55), with Nazem Kadri (50) ahead of Bozak (46). But the van Riemsdyk-Bozak-Marner trio is outproducing all the others.
“All our centres, we’ve done a good job this year. Every line has done a good job in contributing. You don’t have to rely on one line every night,” said Bozak. “Whoever is good that night, is good that night.”