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Toronto Maple Leafs: From Draft Reject to the Big Leagues

By Carter Loewen

MONTREAL, QC - APRIL 28: Jake Muzzin #8 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates his goal with teammates Adam Brooks #77, Joe Thornton #97 and Justin Holl #3 during the second period against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on April 28, 2021 in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - APRIL 28: Jake Muzzin #8 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates his goal with teammates Adam Brooks #77, Joe Thornton #97 and Justin Holl #3 during the second period against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on April 28, 2021 in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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Toronto Maple Leafs
LAVAL, QC – DECEMBER 22: Adam Brooks #14 of the Toronto Marlies   (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /

In 2015, Toronto Maple Leafs Center Adam Brooks was passed over in the NHL Entry Draft. Today, he centers a Line with 2499 Career NHL Points.

Young Olympic Games Bronze Medal. WHL Points Leader. WHL All-Star. Calder Cup Champion. And now NHL Player. From a draft reject to the big leagues, Toronto Maple Leafs fourth-liner Adam Brooks has had quite the journey.

He’s gone through the thick of it and he’s worked hard but to start his story we must go back nearly a decade to his hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Brooks would play his minor hockey in his hometown of Winnipeg, MB for the Winnipeg Hawks of the WAAA. In his U15 2011 year, Brooks would put up 53 goals and 90 points in 30 games and ultimately end up a 2nd round, 25th overall pick of the Regina Pats in the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft.

After another year of minor hockey in Winnipeg and capturing a bronze medal in the 2012 Young Olympic Games in Austria, Brooks would then move on to the WHL full-time for the next 5 seasons.

Over his first two seasons, Brooks struggled in Regina, putting up a measly 23 points in 115 games. In the 2014-15 season former Winnipeg Jets Head Coach John Paddock would take over the reins in Regina and under new Leadership, Brooks would excel.

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