"Thank you Toronto": Liljegren drops touching goodbye to Leafs fans
One of the longest serving members of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization saw his time with the team come to an end today, and made sure to get his farewells in order pretty quickly.
Timothy Liljegren, who was sent to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenceman Matt Benning, a third-round pick in 2025, and a sixth-rounder in 2026 dropped a little note on Instagram to say his goodbyes to the only NHL organization he’s ever played for.
View this post on Instagram
“Thank you Toronto for making my dream of playing in the NHL true. I’ll always hold Toronto close to my heart and loved every minute of my seven years in the organization! Have met amazing people and have made friends that’ll last a lifetime,” Liljegren wrote.
A 25-year-old Swede originally from Kristianstad, Liljegren was a member of the 2018 Calder Cup-winning Toronto Marlies AHL team.
The five-photo post shared pictures starting with his draft day,the Calder Cup win, and a photo each from the dressing room and the Scotiabank Arena ice alongside former teammates Michael Bunting and Rasmus Sandin.
“With that said, I’m excited to join the Sharks organization,” he added.
A 2017 first round pick of the organization, Liljegren had several stretches throughout his career that made him seem like he was on the precipice of greatness, but was never able to become the consistent player the Leafs were searching for. He played just one game this season, having played 197 regular season contests with the organization since being drafted.
Liljegren joins a Sharks team that, well, probably has nowhere to go but up. They’re currently last place in the NHL with just six points on the season through 11 games, though they are riding a two-game winning streak.
The Sharks return to Scotiabank Arena on March 3, where Liljegren will likely receive a short tribute for his time with the organization.