Toronto Maple Leafs Farm System Adds College Free Agent

Wednesday afternoon, the Toronto Maple Leafs AHL team, the Toronto Marlies announced through their website that they had signed college free agent Grant Cruikshank to a one-year AHL contract.

The contract runs through the 2023-24 season and the forward will remain with the Marlies through this season on an amateur tryout. This is an AHL signing that does not count towards the Toronto Maple Leafs 50 contract limit.

Cruikshank is a 5’11”, 180 lbs forward that played this last season with St. Cloud State in Minnesota where he led the team in goals with 23 and finished second in points with 38 over a 41-game season.

One of Cruikshank’s teammates this past season was Veeti Miettinen who is a Toronto Maple Leafs sixth round pick originally from Finland.

Toronto Maple Leafs, Marlies, and Grant Cruikshank

The undrafted Cruikshank was born in Delafield, Wisconsin and played five years of NCAA hockey split between Colorado College where he co-captained the team for two of his three seasons, before he moved onto University of Minnesota for a year and then joining St. Cloud State this past season.

Prior to playing college hockey, Cruikshank spent two seasons in Provincial Jr “A” in British Columbia under the BCHL for the Penticton Vees.  Over his two seasons with the Vees during his 18 and 19-year old seasons he averaged nearly a point per game as he recorded 74 points in 82 games including 43 goals.

Cruikshank is the son of former Olympian speed skater Bonnie Blair who appeared in three separate Olympics from 1988 to 1994 and won five gold medals.  His father David Cruikshank also appeared in three separate Olympics from 1992 to 1998 and has continued on as a skating coach for both speed skaters and hockey players.

Cruikshank stated in an interview with “The Rink Live” that his dad works during the off-season  and is able to give him advice throughout the season from what he watches on television.  He also stated that his sister Blair is working towards the next Olympic games with her specialty being the 500m in speed skating.

To get Toronto Maple Leafs fans even more excited, top prospect Matthew Knies retweeted the Marlies announcement of the Cruikshank signing.

The two players skated on the same team together during the 2021-22 season for the University of Minnesota.  Cruikshank elected to move onto St. Cloud this past season, likely due to the increased opportunity as the Huskies were losing two of their centers for this past season.  One of those players was Nolan Walker who signed with the Marlies last year and played with the Newfoundland Growlers this season.

While there is not a lot known yet of Cruikshank, one thing you can likely expect is that the Marlies new forward should come in with a solid skating ability.