While the Leafs are always happy to add some toughness and grit, they may need to educate prospect, Sam McCue, about how things work in the league. McCue was playing a game against the Brantford Bulldogs on Friday, October 4th and was subsequently ejected from the game. He refused to leave the game through the tunnel and pleaded his case to stay in the box; ignoring the referee's demands to leave after receiving a game misconduct.
Well, the OHL has handed out some punishment for McCue, suspending him for the next two games for his actions. This information was relayed by Maple Leafs reporter and insider Kyle Cushman on X:
McCue, the Maple Leafs 7th round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft is known for being an enforcer and someone who uses intimidation to control the ice as opposed to lots of offensive talent.
He can manage to score a bit, having a career-high 12 goals and 21 points last year for the Owen Sound Attack, and started off the 2024-2025 season hot with two goals and an assist in three games before the suspension. McCue never had a shot to make the Maple Leafs this season and often practiced in the third grouping at camp, but could be an effective tough guy for Toronto once they move on from Ryan Reaves; McCue was among the first cuts for the Maple Leafs this training camp.
Unfortunately, McCue is going to miss the next couple of games given his hot start to the season, and for someone who isn't known for scoring much, it must be a tough bump in the road. Perhaps McCue will learn his lesson and things will be smooth sailing from here on out.
POLL | ||
Should the Maple Leafs keep, trade, or release Sam McCue after his suspension? | ||
Keep | 88 | 43.3 % |
Trade | 36 | 17.7 % |
Release | 33 | 16.3 % |
Don't care either way | 46 | 22.7 % |
List of polls |