Leafs prospect Cowan picks up junior honour last held by Marner, McDavid
When the Toronto Maple Leafs selected Easton Cowan in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft last spring, plenty of people called out the franchise for a “reach” for a player they felt should’ve been taken much later.
A lot of people are retracting those takes now.
Last night, Cowan led the London Knights to the OHL championship in a four-game sweep of the Oshawa Generals, and had quite the dynamic performance along the way. In the championship series, Cowan put up 15 points, while he totalled 34 across 18 playoff games.
Easton Cowan claims the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award for being named the OHL Playoff MVP.
The last players who won both regular season and playoff MVP in the same season: Mitch Marner & Connor McDavid š pic.twitter.com/6nSmzlnE6l
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 16, 2024
He was an obvious selection for the Wayne Gretzky Award as OHL playoff MVP, but that wouldn’t be the only time he’s found himself in the history books this season.
Earlier this month, on May 2, Cowan picked up the Red Tilson Trophy as the top player in the OHL’s regular season.
He’s one of only three players in the last decade to pick up both honours in the same year, with Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (in 2015) and potential future Leafs teammate Mitch Marner (in 2016) the last two players to do so. He’s just the sixth player ever to win both in one season, following in the footsteps of Justin Azevedo (Kitchener, 2008), Corey Perry (2005) and Brad Boyes (Erie, 2002). Fittingly, the award was first given out in 1999, the same year the sport’s most famous No. 99 retired from the NHL.
āItās a great feeling, but I couldnāt have done it without any of these guys,ā said Cowan, as per the CHL. “My family, my friends, theyāre all here right now along with these boys that battle for me each and every night. Itās a great feeling.ā
While Azevedo never played a game in the NHL, the other four players who registered the honour all have gone on to lengthy careers in the league, which should be a good sign for Cowan.
With the OHL playoffs now complete, Cowan’s London Knights will face off in the Memorial Cup, starting May 24 in Saginaw, Michigan.
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