Skip to main content

The Toronto Maple Leafs will continue to rely heavily on Toronto Marlies call-ups like Nazem Kadri writes David Shoalts. FILE PHOTO: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren CalabreseDarren Calabrese/The Canadian Press

Both Nazem Kadri and Jake Gardiner will be playing hockey in Toronto this season, only it will be down the road at Ricoh Coliseum instead of the more familiar Air Canada Centre.

The pair were among 22 players that the Toronto Maple Leafs assigned to the American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies Saturday, pavin g the way for the youngsters to get much-needed game experience in the almost inevitable event of an NHL lockout with the current collective bargaining agreement expiring at midnight on Saturday.

The parent club also sent four youngsters back to the junior hockey teams, including Morgan Rielly, taken fifth overall in June's entry draft. He will return to Moose Jaw of the Western Hockey League, while Tyler Biggs, David Broll and Stuart Percy were assigned to the Ontario Hockey League's Oshawa Generals, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and the Mississauga Steelheads respectively.

The full list of the players sent to the Marlies is as follows: Spencer Abbott, Carter Ashton, Jesse Blacker, Tyler Brenner, Sam Carrick, Joe Colborne, Andrew Crescenzi, Jerry D'Amigo, Nicolas Deschamps, Jamie Devane, Jake Gardiner, Simon Gysbers, Ryan Hamilton, Korbinian Holzer, Nazem Kadri, Leo Komarov, Greg McKegg, Mark Owuya, Brad Ross, Kenny Ryan, Jussi Rynnas and Greg Scott.

Interact with The Globe