Three Former Maple Leafs Selected to Canada’s Olympic Roster

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when hearing the names Mason Raymond, Brandon Kozun and Ben Scrivens?

For me, it’s a series of horrific memories from one of the worst eras in Toronto Maple Leafs history. Each player was a byproduct of the Brain Burke/Dave Nonis regime, brought in to serve as yet another deck chair atop the organizational Titanic.

And now, thanks to the NHL’s criminally stupid decision to sit out this year’s Winter Olympics, they’re all Olympians.

Can you imagine time travelling back to 2014 to tell your past self that each of these guys would one day be representing Canada at the world’s premier sporting showcase? The sheer lunacy would have created a Back to the Future-esque scenario causing you to slowly fade from existence.

And yet, here we are. Hockey Canada announced the roster for the Canadian Men’s Olympic Hockey Team, and boy is it a doozy.

Yes, we live in a world where Rob Klinkhammer became an Olympian before Connor McDavid. God, the NHL is dumb.

Anyway, with the abundance of former Leafs on the roster, I thought I’d do a “Where Are They Now?” segment on each of them, to show you, uh, where they are now.

Join me, as we stroll down memory lane.

Brandon Kozun

Brandon Kozun‘s tenure in Toronto perfectly summed up just how desperate this fanbase was for any semblance of hope during the Burke/Nonis reign of terror.

In fact, Kozun’s journey to the NHL is actually quite remarkable. Drafted in the 6th round by Los Angeles in 2009, Kozun toiled in the AHL for five long seasons. At 5’8’, one can only wonder how he would have fared in today’s NHL, where speed and skill are valued over size and grit.

Remember, Kozun was drafted at a time when teams were still lining up to give the David Clarkson‘s of the world 7-year deals.

Growing tired of waiting for Kozun to seemingly hit a growth spurt at age 22, the Kings shipped him off to Toronto in exchange for Andrew Crescenzi. Crescenzi was, you guessed it, a hulking forward.

I remember the day the Leafs traded for Kozun. Given that they were regularly icing lineups featuring the likes of Jerry D’Amigo and Jay McClement, you would have thought Toronto had acquired God himself.

So, after a fantastic training camp prior to the 2013-14 season, Kozun suited up for the Leafs final preseason game with his roster status still uncertain. And then he did this.

Miraculously, Kozun made the Leafs out of camp, only to see his tenure cut short by a grisly knee injury. When the dust settled, Kozun’s NHL career lasted 20 games, with 4 goals, and 8 points.

Unable to find NHL employment, Kozun signed a one-year deal with KHL’s Jokerit in 2014-15.

To the surprise of most, he put up a team-leading 49 points in 58 games. Now, with a strong season under his belt, Kozun parlayed his production into a deal with Yaroslavl Lokomotiv, where he’s scored at a point-per-game pace ever since.

Keep killin’ it, Brandon.

Mason Raymond

Much like Kozun, Mason Raymond has suffered a devastating, career-threatening injury as well, only to miraculously overcome it and soldier on.

During game 6 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, Bruins defenceman Johnny Boychuk crunched Raymond into the boards in the midst of a seemingly harmless play. Only, it wasn’t harmless, as Raymond lay motionless on the ice, unable to get up.

Following the game, the Canucks announced that Raymond had suffered a vertebrae compression fracture. Suddenly, the chances of him playing hockey again were cast in doubt.

In a stunning turn of events, Raymond recovered enough to return the very next season. Unfortunately, it ultimately came at a cost, as he never truly seemed like his former self. So, after two seasons of inconsistent play, the Canucks declined to re-sign him, making him a free agent.

Throughout the summer of 2014, Raymond remained without a deal before eventually accepting a PTO with the Leafs mere days before training camp opened.

And he didn’t disappoint.

Despite making just $1 million, Raymond put up 19 goals and 26 assists for 45 points, good for 5th in team scoring.

The following summer, Raymond inked a 3-year deal with the Calgary Flames and it, uh, didn’t exactly go well. Finding himself on waivers a year later, his tenure as a Flame ended when the team eventually bought him out.

In 2016-17, Raymond did sign a one-year deal with the Ducks, although he would play in just 4 games before riding out the season in the AHL.

Yet, like Kozun again, Raymond found his success overseas. Earlier this year, he signed a one-year deal with Bern SC of the Swiss A-League, where he’s been scoring at a point-per-game pace ever since.

Going from buyout candidate to Olympian is nothing short of remarkable, no matter the circumstances. Kudos to you, Mason.

Ben Scrivens

It’s a well-known fact that Ben Scrivens is one of the smartest and nicest people in hockey, thus earning himself the nickname of “The Professor”. His pleasant and quirky nature led him to the distinction of “fan favourite” during his brief stint in Toronto.

Scrivens journey to the NHL is a remarkable one.

Going undrafted, he bucked the mainstream NCAA trend, instead choosing to hone his craft at Cornell University. Upon his degree’s completion, he attracted the attention of the Leafs organization and climbed the ranks all the way from the ECHL’s Reading Royals to the NHL.

Despite playing 32 games for some of the worst Leafs teams in recent memory, Scrivens fared reasonably well. In fact, across his 20 game stint in 2012-13, he registered a respectable .915 save percentage.

That’s better than Carey Price’s this year, and he just got named an All-Star. Have I mentioned that the NHL is dumb?

Anyway, the summer following his breakout season, Scrivens was traded to the Los Angeles Kings as part of the Jonathan Bernier deal. From then on, he bounced from team to team, never staying put for more than two seasons at a time.

Unfortunately, putting up a sterling save percentage of .931 for the Kings in 19 games wasn’t enough to stay put. In January of 2014, Scrivens was then dealt to the place where careers go to die; Edmonton.

Playing in front of a last-place team, Scrivens tried his darnedest to will them to victory. At one point, he even stopped an NHL record 59 saves en route to a shutout.

Alas, it was all for nought. The Oilers continued to suck, and they eventually jettisoned Scrivens to the AHL. Finishing the 2015-16 season with a 15 game stint for the Canadiens, he wisely bolted to the KHL in the summer.

Looking back, it remains the best decision he’s ever made.

In two seasons overseas, Scrivens has posted save percentages of .918 and .917. Furthermore, he even led Dinamo Minsk to the Gagarin Cup playoffs in 2016-17. Funnily enough, that marked the first time in Scrivens’ career that his team qualified for their league’s playoffs.

Now, he’ll be representing his country at 2018 Olympics. Follow your dreams, kids.

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