Episode 2: Momentum Building for the Marlboros

Emily

Hey everyone, welcome back to This Week in Blue & White—your weekly spot for everything Toronto Marlboros U15. I’m Emily, super pumped after a weekend like that. Let’s jump into Friday, because, wow, the Marlies set the tone for the whole season with a 7–1 home opener against the Mississauga Senators. I mean, you look at the stat sheet—67 shots generated with 53 on net, just peppering their goalie all night long—and you get the sense that this team’s not just skilled, they're relentless. Scoring started early with #19 Longo lighting the lamp, and it just kinda snowballed from there, which, by the way, is exactly how you wanna start a season. You want that wave of momentum right out of the gates.

Emily

And seriously, let’s give some love to the guys who really made this game pop. #73 George, two goals and an assist! He was absolutely everywhere—forecheck, backcheck, just hounding pucks and then finishing in tight. Then you’ve got #75 Duke flying around with two assists and absolutely leading the team in hits, and #84 Challenger? Monster night! He set up the power play, had nine shots, just living in the offensive zone. You could tell he’s really finding his groove as a puck mover on that top unit. But it wasn’t just these guys—the defensive pair of #11 Ryan and #7 Birch looked like they’d been partners for ages. Both were solid, playing tough minutes, and keeping things super simple, which, honestly, sometimes doesn't get enough attention, but that makes all the difference. Lynkin Heath was excellent in net making some huge timely saves!

Emily

You know, it kinda reminded me of my high school team’s opening night way back—okay, not that far back, but you get it. There’s just this electricity on the bench when you’re rolling over the boards and everyone’s dialed in. You look to your left and right and you can feel that buy-in, that, like, belief, ya know? The Marlies totally had it this weekend. All the leaders were vocal—trust me, that’s contagious—and the compete level stayed sky-high. I know we talked a lot about team chemistry and leadership last episode, and you kinda just saw all that come to life on Friday. It’s not perfect, but man, you can feel them building something.

Emily

But hey, winning isn’t just about what happens between the whistles, right? Saturday was all about team bonding. The guys hit the ice for a high-paced practice—gotta keep the legs moving after a big win—then…hot yoga! First session of the year. I—look, if you’ve never seen a bunch of teenage hockey players trying hot yoga for the first time, let me tell you, it’s, uh, hilarious and kind of humbling. Afterwards Coach Joe hosted them for a pool party and BBQ at his place, which, honestly, is the kind of thing that just makes a team that much tighter.

Emily

This week, I got to catch up with a couple of guys who, if you’ve been following, you know they’re not just talented, they’ve got some personality. First up, Lynkin Heath—the goalie with NHL dreams. He told me if he could have any superpower, he’d pick speed. Not even for stopping breakaways, just, like, wanting to be the fastest at whatever he does, on and off the ice. His favorite pre-game track is ‘Something in the Orange’ by Zach Bryan, which I have to check out now, thanks, Lynkin. On the ice, he’s all about that Marc-André Fleury mindset; focusing on angles and that compete level. And his travel dream? Sun, blues skies in Malta or Greece—basically, anywhere there’s sun and somewhere to chill between games.

Emily

Then there’s Lucas Young, who’s got this dual-sport thing going. Balancing hockey and baseball. Wild, right? He told me his superpower pick is flying—so not only would he be flying in the crease, but also, like, literally off the ground! He’s got Italy on his bucket list (can’t blame him, pizza and gondolas, sign me up), and his Netflix show for winding down is Brooklyn Nine-Nine. He likes to keep things light with the team, always DJ’ing in the locker room with his custom playlist. On the ice, he studies Thatcher Demko, which is, honestly, a perfect pick for a young goalie—talk about vision and quickness.

Emily

What stands out with both of these guys—and a lot of the team, really—is how they blend their focus and competitiveness with some serious personality off the ice. Lynkin is all about pro habits and competing like his hero, while Lucas is always making sure the guys keep loose and laugh a little. Two different styles, but both dialed in and crucial for team culture. That’s the kind of stuff that stuck with me from talking to them, and honestly, it’s what makes following this team so much fun.

Emily

Alright, speaking of fun, let’s get into Sunday’s showdown against Markham, which, I mean, if you’re the Majors, you probably wanna just throw out the tape. Marlboros rolled again: 7–1. Back-to-back seven spots! They came out flying, two goals in the first, four in the second…I almost lost count. The team generated 22 scoring chances and just hemmed Markham in their own zone all night. Everyone contributed, but you gotta throw the spotlight on #84 Challenger—came up with a hat trick and two assists! He was just finding space, finding the puck, it felt like if he shot it, it was going in.

Emily

#10 Mancino and #29 Thompson each put up three points, with #17 Lamming getting two goals and being surgical—six for six on shots, which, that’s just silly efficient. When I talked to the guys, you could hear how much they’ve been working towards nights like this. Everyone knows their job, everyone supports the puck, and the chemistry is, like, locked in right now. That’s just what winning teams look like—tons of puck movement, next-level awareness, and zero quit.

Emily

Major props to the D-core too: the Marlies blocked eleven shots, kept Markham to only four from the slot. That’s pretty wild. Guys like #26 Nadeau, #93 Leung, and #9 A.K had solid nights! A great welcome back from #88 Zettas who had a beauty goal. And oh, goaltending! Lucas Young—yep, the same guy with the playlist and Italian travel dreams—had some big-time saves that coulda easily swung things if he wasn’t so steady. Faceoffs were maybe the only area where Markham had a little edge, and even there, the Marlies were ruthless when it counted—offensive zone draws, puck possession on special teams, that whole deal.

Emily

The physical side wasn’t lost either—hits were pretty even, but you saw Hanson, Heine, Hutch throwing solid contact and sort of setting the tone. At the end of the day, every line, every player, just bought in. This wasn’t just another win, it was a statement: the Marlboros have, like, legit championship momentum now, and it’s pretty special to see how those off-ice bonds—like, the yoga and BBQs and all that—translate right into how they play together. That’s it for this week’s breakdown. Stick around all season—more recaps, stories, and plenty more personality to go. Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice and your playlists fresh!