The Toronto Maple Leafs' season might as well be over, but there is still some movement in the organization. Two very interesting prospects have been signed to amateur try-outs to head to their first taste of professional hockey with the AHL's Toronto Marlies.
Both Tyler Hopkins and Harry Nansi -- two forwards out of the OHL who the Leafs drafted last year -- are heading to the Marlies, the team announced on Sunday.
The Toronto Marlies have signed forwards Tyler Hopkins and Harry Nansi to amateur tryouts for the remainder of the 2025-26 season.
— Toronto Marlies (@TorontoMarlies) April 6, 2026
Maple Leafs sign prospects Hopkins, Nansi to amateur try-outs
Both Hopkins' and Nansi's OHL clubs, the Guelph Storm and the Owen Sound Attack respectively, were swept in the first round of the playoffs, which gives them the chance to make this move to keep on playing hockey this season.
After joining the Storm in a mid-season trade from the Kingston Frontenacs, Hopkins initially ranked second on the team in scoring but ultimately finished the season as the club’s top point producer, recording 50 points -- more than any other Storm skater. Posting back-to-back 50-point seasons is an encouraging development for Toronto Maple Leafs management, as his growing offensive production complements an already reliable defensive game.
Selected in the fifth round (153rd overall), Nansi made significant progress this season, reaching new career highs across all offensive categories. Over 67 games, the 18-year-old tallied 13 goals and 43 assists, tying for the team lead in assists and ranking third among all Attack forwards with 56 points.
In his draft-eligible season, Nansi managed seven goals and 16 points, making this year’s 56-point performance more than double his previous career best of 23 points from 2024–25. He was held without a point in four playoff games against a strong Flint Firebirds squad. As one of the youngest players selected in 2025 -- missing eligibility for the 2026 draft by just one week -- Nansi could prove to be a valuable late-round find for the Maple Leafs.
Both of these prospects pose some interesting options for the Leafs in the future, and being able to play a solid amount of AHL games before they head back to junior hockey, is certainly a good experience. There has been no word as to whether or not either of these players are going to head to the NCAA at soon as next season, but it's definitely not out of the question.
The Marlies have five regular season games remaining and they should make the playoffs out of the North Division, giving these two youngsters even more opportunity to play high-stakes hockey, if they look good in the first opportunity or two.