Toronto Maple Leafs: Tim Brent, Who Is This Guy?

With the regular season just over a week away, speculation is swirling that Tim Brent, a relatively unknown player, has all but secured his place on the Toronto Maple Leafs roster as the third line centre. For Maple Leaf fans, Brent’s rise comes with mixed emotions as many fans were hoping that rookie forward Nazem Kadri, who has been criticized by management for his paltry play thus far in the pre-season, would emerge as the team’s number three or number two centre. Brent, who hails from Cambridge, Ontario, honed his craft in the OHL as a member of the St. Michael’s Majors from 2000 through 2003, amassing a total of 78 goals, 142 assists and a +50 rating in 238 career OHL games. Originally drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the second round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft (37th overall), Brent followed his OHL career up bouncing around different AHL venues, including Cincinnati, Portland, WB Scranton and Rockford, where he has registered a total of 87 goals and 223 points through 302 AHL ...