Connor Brown’s full-circle moment: Toronto kid facing Maple Leafs tonight – Hockey Writer – Toronto Maple Leafs
When Connor Brown dons a New Jersey Devils sweater tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs, it won’t just be another NHL reunion, it will be a reminder of what it means to persevere. Brown should never have gotten to this point. He was one of those “good stories” when he was drafted in the sixth round by the Maple Leafs in 2012.
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Brown, a native kid from Toronto, excelled in junior high, scored 128 points with the Erie Otters and worked his way up the hockey ladder on his own. With the Otters, he was teammates with the great Connor McDavid and even outscored him in 2013-14. In fact, the 19-year-old Brown leads the Ontario Hockey League in scoring by a wide margin over the 16-year-old McDavid (McDavid 128 points to McDavid 99). Brown’s 45 goals helped fuel the Otters’ high-powered offense. McDavid, who dazzled with 71 assists, is still perfecting a generational skill set that will soon take over the NHL.
Brown’s Maple Leafs start to show promise
Brown became a full-time starter for the Maple Leafs in 2016-17, scoring 20 goals in his rookie season — the same season that saw Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander begin to reshape the franchise. He’s versatile, reliable and willing to do the little things that don’t serve as highlights. In three full seasons in Toronto, Brown played a mix of mid-six and penalty minutes, averaging 31 points per year.
(Amy Owen/Hockey Writers)
When he was traded to the Ottawa Senators in 2019 as part of the swap for Nikita Zaitsev for Cody Ceci, it wasn’t because of poor performance, but because of salary cap calculations. The Maple Leafs need space, and Brown is the kind of player every coach loves but every general manager has to sacrifice at some point.
From Ottawa, Brown transitions to role player to journeyman
Statistically, Ottawa is Brown’s best chapter. He scored 43 points in 2019-20 and scored 21 goals in 2020-21. On a rebuilding Senators team, Brown became one of the steady presences — a penalty killer, a quiet leader, a reliable voice in a young room.
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After Ottawa, his career took him to the Washington Capitals, where a knee injury derailed his 2022-23 season after just four games. The next season, he joined the Edmonton Oilers, and despite a mediocre regular season (12 points), he became a reliable bottom-six player during the team’s 2025 Stanley Cup run (five goals, nine points in 20 playoff games).
(Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)
That playoff performance revitalized his career. He signed a four-year, $12 million contract with the Devils this summer — not bad for a player who many thought might be expiring soon. Through five games this season, Brown has scored three goals, including a shorthanded goal Saturday against his old Oilers teammates.
Brown opened my eyes to Nylander
Interestingly, it was Brown who first changed my mind about William Nylander. In one of his early interviews, Brown talked about Nylander being the most laid-back guy he had ever met before his skates hit the ice. Then he showed no mercy. Brown described Nylander always being on the court before practice, handling rows of pucks with his stick, quietly perfecting a game that would become one of the smoothest offensive plays in the NHL.
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This little insight from Brown struck me. It showed me that Nylander’s easy-going nature wasn’t disinterest, but focus. A player like Brown, who has to fight for every minute he plays, is able to notice and appreciate this quiet dedication.
What kind of players will Maple Leafs fans see tonight?
Brown, 31, is no longer the fresh face that once skated on Matthews’ wing. He’s the kind of player every contender wants right now. In Toronto, he was steady, reliable, not flashy, and completely unafraid of tough times. Brown has more than 600 NHL games of experience, 261 points and a reputation for coaching players: smart, detailed and trustworthy.
(Jesse Starr/Hockey Writers)
In many ways, his career reflects the type of player the Maple Leafs are trying to develop under head coach Craig Berube — a forward who works on both ends of the floor, kills penalties and never cheats.
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So when Connor Brown returns to Toronto for the first time, it won’t be just a nostalgic moment. It’s a complete story about a kid who grew up here, earned everything he had, and kept going even after the spotlight was removed.
