Mitch Marner won’t be 20 until May 5, 2017. That’s well after the regular season ends, so it’s a full year of multiple teenagers on the Toronto Maple Leafs ahead.
Teenagers that are looking to make history, apparently - and, evidently, succeeding at it.
Marner wowed everybody with his three assists in the Leafs’ 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers. It wasn’t just that the assists were great, though - it’s that he’s only the fourth teenager to ever do something like that for the Leafs.
Via the Elias Sports Bureau:
The 19-year-old Marner is only the fourth teenager to rack up three assists in one game for the Leafs. The other teens to do that for Toronto were Gaye Stewart (age 19 in 1942-43), Ted "Teeder" Kennedy (age 18 in 1943-44) and Al Iafrate (who did it twice at age 19 in 1985-86).
So not only is Marner joining an exclusive club here, but he’s the first to do it in a long, long time. Marner was born in 1997; all these other guys were old men by then.
Marner now has one goal and six points through seven NHL games this season. Let’s see what else he can do.