SAN JOSE, Calif. — Noah Gregor dismissed any notion of emotion ahead of his first game against the San Jose Sharks.
"I don't know," the Toronto Maple Leafs forward said following the team's practice in Irvine, California on Friday. "It's just another game. It'll be exciting to go up against some old teammates and some friends, but I'm just going to try to get out there and get the win."
The Sharks drafted Gregor in the fourth round (111th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft and the six-foot forward spent parts of the last four seasons playing with the NHL club. But his role was never defined as he bounced through all four lines on the rebuilding club.
In the summer, the Sharks did not tender the 25-year-old a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Gregor went through the summer without a deal. The Leafs granted him a PTO and the player won a job out of training camp, signing a one-year, $775,000 contract.
It would be an understatement to say it's worked out great so far for Gregor and the Leafs. He's carved out an everyday role on the team's fourth line and is one of just eight players in all 36 games this season. That's a stark contrast t to his final year with the Sharks when he was a healthy scratch on several occasions under San Jose coach David Quinn and was limited to 53 games.
Still, Gregor was happy with how his game evolved in his time in San Jose, despite the team being in a constant rebuild mode during his time there.
"I think guys have developed in (San Jose)," Gregor said. "It can be tricky at times if you want to put guys into a situation where they're going to be losing or you just want to keep them developed in the minors."
Gregor has earned the trust of Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe as the Alberta native has played regularly on a line with Bobby McMann and David Kampf. The Leafs have a rare cross-continental home-and-home with the return match taking place at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday.
Gregor has five goals and two assists this season.
The Maple Leafs will go with the same lineup they deployed against the Anaheim Ducks in their 2-1 overtime victory on Wednesday.
Nick Robertson will be a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game and Martin Jones will make his fourth consecutive start in goal for Toronto.
The San Jose Sharks have lost 10 consecutive games but could be getting Logan Couture back soon. The club sent Jack Studnicka down to the minors with Quinn telling reporters that the captain's return could be coming soon.
Couture has not played this season due to a lower-body injury.
Where to watch
Viewers in Canada can watch or stream the game on CBC and Sportsnet as part of Hockey Night in Canada. In the Bay Area region, the game will stream on NBC Sports California. For the rest of the United States, the game will stream on ESPN+.
For viewers around the world, the game will stream in the country that carries NHL Live.
Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET.
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