Jani Hakanpaa reflects on his first full skate with the Toronto Maple Leafs: "A long time coming"

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Chris Gerics
October 2, 2024 (4:28 PM)

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Jani Hakanpaa took part in his first full skate with the Maple Leafs since Toronto signed him and for the Finnish defender, it's been a long road to finally get here.

When the Toronto Maple Leafs signed Finnish defenseman Jani Hakanpaa at the start of free agency, they anticipated they would have an elite shutdown defenseman who could help lead their team to the playoff success they crave. Although, his ongoing saga of did he or didn't he sign led to a lot of questions surrounding the health of Hakanpaa and whether or not he would actually land with the Maple Leafs.

Well fast forward to October, where Hakanpaa has a contract with the Maple Leafs, albeit for a bit less than originally offered and the improvements regarding his knee injury seem to be on full display after taking part in the practice skate with the main squad on Wednesday:

It was a positive sign that not only are the Maple Leafs close to having the roster GM Brad Treliving envisioned lining up this season, but that Hakanpaa can be a healthy part of that equation. While it's fantastic to see him on the ice, it may be a bit before we see him according to head coach Craig Berube, who prefers a wait and see attitude but seems highly positive towards the progress of the 6'7 defenseman:

Hakanpaa also took time to speak to the media afterwards and felt increasingly optimistic about his time so far in Toronto and how long it will be before he's cleared and back on the ice in game situations:

"I think so. I think this was kind of like the first test to kind of see where we're at and how everything's going to go. We'll see where we are tomorrow morning and then we'll go from there again."

He was also very happy with the progress he's made so far, noting that it hasn't been the easiest journey on the way to Toronto, even though his injuries and the uncertainty regarding his signing might have been a setback for him:

«It's been a long time coming, for sure. I've been doing a lot of work to get here. It was a lot of fun to actually be out there with the guys every day, you take a small step forward, and we've been on a good track.»

It's been a journey for Maple Leafs fans too, as they come into the 2024-2025 season with as much anticipation as ever. With the possibility of the Core Four splitting up at the end of the season, and the ever mounting pressure to perform; not to mention the magnifying glass the new additions will be under, it will be tough. But that's not to say they can't handle the job, and with a player like Hakanpaa healthy and able to contribute the elite, shutdown defense he's been known for the past few seasons it could spell massive success for the Maple Leafs.

The road to get here for Jani Hakanpaa was filled with uncertainty, injury and speculation. But the Finnish defender is here now, ready to help the Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup for the first time in 56 years.

Now that would be a long time coming.