Cowan, Maple Leafs prospect, has 'pretty cool' NHL family link to McCarty

TORONTO -- Easton Cowan may not look physically imposing, standing 5-foot-11 and weighing 170 pounds, but his style of play suggests a fearlessness that evidently runs in his family.

The 18-year-old forward prospect, selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs with the No. 28 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, shares the same great grandparents as Darren McCarty, one of the most rugged players of his generation, a veteran of 758 NHL games and four-time Stanley Cup winner with the Detroit Red Wings.

"He was a Detroit Red Wing and I'm trying to be a Toronto Maple Leaf so we're a bit different there," Cowan said, "but he was a great player and it's pretty cool I have someone in my family that went that route and played in the NHL."

Cowan was 3 1/2 years old when McCarty played his final NHL game on Nov. 24, 2008. Though he does not remember his cousin playing in person, the native of Strathroy, Ontario, is well aware of the type of game McCarty played.

"My parents are always telling me about him," Cowan said. "I heard he's pretty tough and he's won Cups so he knows how to win, and I want to be known as a guy who can come in, mix it up a bit and put the puck in the net."

Cowan being selected by the Maple Leafs left McCarty looking back at the past, as well as toward the future.

"The cool thing is, could you imagine, I was part of the Red Wings winning the Cup for the first time in 42 years," McCarty said. "Could you imagine if Easton is part of the Toronto Maple Leafs to win that Cup for the first time in a long time?"

Cowan had 53 points (20 goals, 33 assists) in 68 games with London of the Ontario Hockey League last season and added 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) in 20 playoff games to help London to the OHL Championship Series, where it lost the best-of-7 series to Peterborough in six games.

By the midway point of his rookie season in the OHL, Cowan was playing a top-six role and was a fixture on the top power play and penalty killing unit.

"His tenacity (is his best trait)," London general manager Mark Hunter said. "He never stops hounding pucks and that's why he got better. His stamina is exceptional, and his will is exceptional."

Cowan's continued progression throughout the season that led him to a larger role with London played a factor in Toronto's decision to draft him, despite being ranked 51st among North American skaters in the NHL Central Scouting Final Rankings.

"There is something about him that speaks to him having an internal fire about him," said Hayley Wickenheiser, Maple Leafs assistant general manager of player development. "The odds of being a smaller player, playing Junior-B, getting drafted higher than maybe people would have thought. He's a very modest kid, a farm boy and obviously a lot of credit to make the London Knights as a 17-year-old, to kill penalties and to play the amount of important minutes that he did by the end of the season. ... He's a player we really like and he's someone who is easy to work with and open to coaching."

Cowan received texts from several current Toronto players after he was selected, including defenseman Morgan Rielly, center John Tavares and forward Mitchell Marner, as well as a note from former Maple Leafs and London center Nazem Kadri, now with the Calgary Flames.

"Nazem [texted] from the London connection ... so that's something I won't forget ever," Cowan said. "He used to play for the Knights and he used to play for the Leafs, so having that connection is pretty cool."

Hunter said Cowan will have the capability of impacting the game in all facets at the NHL level.

"I see him being a real versatile player who can kill penalties, play power play, a guy who the coaches will rely on in key moments," Hunter said. "I think he can play in the top two lines. I just think he needs to get stronger. Once he gets more strength, weight behind him, I think his game can go to another level."