Late bloomer now top prospect
‘Well-rounded’ Leafs prospect Minten has a shot at a national title
Fraser Minten is just about the last Maple Leaf standing.
The team’s top pick in the 2022 draft has a chance to win the Memorial Cup with his Kamloops Blazers hosting the four-team tournament starting Friday.
“It means a lot,” Minten said Wednesday. “It’s the highest level you can win at as a junior player in Canada. So being able to have a good shot at that is a once-in-alifetime opportunity and something that I’m very grateful for and extremely looking forward to.”
The Blazers join the WHL-champion Seattle Thunderbirds, OHLchampion Peterborough Petes and QMJHL-champion Quebec Remparts.
A Memorial Cup title would be a real feather in the cap for Minten, a latecomer to hockey as a youngster whose progress in three years in Kamloops is a source of pride for coach Shaun Clouston.
“He’s incredibly intelligent,” Clouston said of Minten. “There’s a lot of conversation and talk nowadays about emotional intelligence. To me, that part of it is off the charts as well.
“He is a very interesting person. He plays the piano. He speaks French. He’s not your typical, runof-the-mill hockey player. He’s very well-rounded. And he is a late bloomer. He was good at 16. He outpaced expectations at 17. And he continues to find ways to improve his game.”
Minten, a hair under six-foot-two and about 190 pounds, centres a middle-six line with Daylan Kuefler and Connor Levis, supporting the top line of Logan Stankoven, Matthew Seminoff and Caedan Bankier. Minten is also on the second power play unit and is a top penalty killer.
With the Leafs and Marlies gone from their playoffs, there are few players left for Leafs fans to cheer. Timothy Liljegren is with the Swedish team at the world championship. And the Newfoundland Growlers are alive in the ECHL playoffs.
But Minten represents the future. He had 31 goals and 36 assists in 57 regular-season games for Kamloops, outstripping his 20-goal, 55point season that led to the Leafs drafting him 38th last summer.
“I think my game has developed in lots of different ways,” he said. “I feel as though I’ve gotten faster as a player, stronger, more sturdy, more physical, especially. That’s one area I really put some emphasis on this season. Getting some more hits, winning more battles, using my body whether it be faceoffs or in the corners or at the net front.
“I think offensively I’ve gotten more confident as well, developed my shot. And then the other stuff, I think playmaking and hockey sense was something that was a strength before and has continued to be strong for me.”
Minten doesn’t want to think beyond the next 10 days in Kamloops. But he will be at Leafs rookie camp this summer, and likely will be invited to Canada’s world junior training camp for the 2024 event in Sweden this winter. He said his first Leafs training camp taught him a great deal.
“There was lots that I was able to learn about pro habits and the level that you have to get to if you want to stick around at that level and compete and have a job essentially for the season,” he said. “It became really clear that everyone’s competing and battling for jobs all the time. If you’re not playing to a very high standard, you’re out and someone else is able to fill your spot.
“And then on the more positive side, it was really cool to be around super skilled players and guys that have had pro experience and that are motivated and successful and just watch what they do and try to learn.”
He has followed the news, and knows changes are coming to the Leafs’ front office.
“Obviously you can’t miss it on TV, watching playoffs or going on Instagram or whatever. It’s impossible to miss. But it’s completely out of my control, plus nothing that affects me right now, necessarily. So I’m not too worried about all that stuff.”
Clouston believes Minten will be a top-quality NHLer one day.
“I think he has the potential to be a top-six forward. Could he get to a top three at some point? Possibly. I would never count that out,” the coach said. “But he’s going to be a guy that, no matter what his role is, he’s going to embrace it and be the best version of that.
“I mean, if he needs to spend a year in the American League, he’ll do it and he’ll figure out a way to get better. If he needs to play on the fourth line or the third line, he’ll embrace that. And he’ll do it to the best of his abilities and figure out a way to be really effective with that. But, given time, he’ll find a way to be a top-six guy, for sure.”
How close does Minten think he is to being an NHL player?
“I would love to give you an answer that gives you a timeline of exactly how many years,” he said. “But I have no idea. I haven’t made it or gotten close enough to make it yet. So I can’t answer that specifically.
“I know there’s always people watching and evaluating, so I try to put my absolute best foot forward and play every area of the game as best as I can. I trust that they’ll tell me when I’m ready.
“So just doing what I can and then whenever they think I’m ready — or if they ever do think I’m ready — then I’d be honoured to get a spot there and try to maintain it.”