Days after being called up from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, Marshall Rifai will make his season debut with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night against the Vancouver Canucks.
“(It’s) obviously exciting,” Rifai said after Friday’s practice in Vancouver. “Just any other game, though. I’ve got to come in and prepare the way I always do. And that’s what I plan to do.”
Advertisement
This’ll be the first time Rifai dresses for an NHL game with the Maple Leafs since Feb. 21, 2024 — almost two years ago — against the Arizona Coyotes.
Yeah, it’s been that long.
(He was called up several times last year but never got into Toronto’s lineup.)
The 27-year-old defenseman missed a good chunk of the season after undergoing wrist surgery in September, following an injury in a preseason game. Rifai returned to the Marlies’ lineup on Dec. 27 and has since played 12 games with the club.
“It’s one of those things when you don’t get to do what you love every day, and you have to take a step back, it just leaves room for gratitude,” Rifai said of missing three months.
Advertisement
“And when I came back, I was fresh, which I think is a big thing in a long pro season and played a lot of pro hockey here. And I try to use that to my advantage instead of thinking it was a disadvantage.
“I get to come in fresh in the middle of the season and provide a boost for my team.”
Rifai will line up alongside Troy Stecher on Toronto’s third defense pairing on Saturday against the Canucks (Simon Benoit will come out of the lineup for Rifai). The two defensemen share something in common: both went undrafted, with Stecher coming out of the University of North Dakota and Rifai out of Harvard.
What makes Rifai an interesting player for Toronto is his untapped potential. With only two games played (both under former head coach Sheldon Keefe), there still isn’t much known about what he could do at the NHL level.
Advertisement
“What I’ve seen since I’ve been here, from last year to this year is how he prepared,” said head coach Craig Berube. “You notice little things with some of these guys: how early they get to the rink every day and their preparation. He’s a good pro.
“He does all the right things, and a lot of times it’s important that these guys do take the mental side approach. That’s definitely going to help their game.”
With the Marlies, Rifai is a strong skater who can move the puck and is quite the physical player. He won’t always put points on the board, but he can play in most defensive situations.
“I’d just say I’m smart, make a simple play, use my feet when I can,” he added. “If I have a chance to be physical, I’m going to try to hit and go from there.”
William Nylander Ready To Help Maple Leafs Against Canucks, Details Recovery From Groin Injury And Excitement For Olympics
Advertisement
What Berube appreciates about Rifai is his competitiveness. The head coach added that the trait is one of the biggest separators between being a consistent AHLer and a consistent NHLer.
“To play in the NHL, you have to be highly competitive,” Berube continued. “It’s just all that preparation that goes into what’s needed daily to play in the NHL. I’m not sure everybody’s cut out for that. It’s a grind.”
Rifai has over 200 games of pro experience, mostly all with the Marlies. He understands what’s needed of him in every game. And just because Rifai is up in the NHL, it doesn’t mean he’s going to try to change how he plays.
After all, that’s what got him to this point in his career.
Advertisement
“Everyone’s got a role on a team,” Rifai said, “and you’ve got to lean into your role at whatever level it is, and that’s the mindset coming in here.”
