Some names in Toronto Maple Leafs history can be painful for fans to hear. Through no fault of his own, Justin Pogge’s is one of those.
In 2006, Pogge was expected and billed as the future of the Toronto Maple Leafs. With him in their system, General Manager, John Ferguson Jr. felt comfortable to make the worst trade in team history.
At the time, Pogge and Tuukka Rask were both prospects whose rights were controlled by the Leafs. Ferguson decided that he didn’t need two young and talented goaltenders scratching for the same position and chose between them. History shows that he picked incorrectly.
Pogge remained in Toronto while Rask was shipped to the Boston Bruins. In return, the Leafs received Andrew Raycroft. Rask became the Bruins starting goalie and a reliable stopper for 12 seasons. In total, he played for 15 years in Boston. Raycroft lasted just two years with the Leafs.
Pogge did make an appearance between the pipes for the Maple Leafs. Sadly, it was only for a total of seven games in 2008-09. Those were his only NHL games played. He spent the rest of his career in the minors and playing in Europe.
Former Toronto Maple Leafs Prospect’s Comeback
Now age 37, the NHL is deep into the netminder’s rear view mirror. In May, he officially retired as an active player. Pogge is now trying something new on a big stage.
Pogge is joining Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He will act as the group’s goaltending consultant as they attempt defend the gold medal they won at last year’s tournament.
According to Hockey Canada, “The Hlinka Gretzky Cup is a premier international hockey tournament, featuring the best under-18 players in the world.” Canada has won the tournament 23 times in the past 30 years. They are the team to beat this year. Hopefully, with Pogge on staff, the Canadians find another way to add to their collection of gold.
Team Canada has selected a pair of goaltenders to represent the country and play in the tournament. They are Ryerson Leenders from the Windsor Spitfires and Carter George from the Owen Sound Attack. Both will have the opportunity to work closely and learn from Pogge.
Pogge should have a lot to offer. Working with young netminders isn’t new to the Albertan. This will be his third tournament with Hockey Canada. Pogge’s debut as a goaltending consultant was with Team Canada at the 2022-23 the U18 championship in Switzerland. Together, they captured a bronze medal.
Pogge returned to the role once again for Canada when Finland and Latvia hosted the IIHF World Hockey Championship. This time, the country won gold.
The Hilinka Gretzky Cup is being played July 31-Aug. 5 in Trencin, Slovakia and Breclav, Czechia.