Craig Berube jokes that Easton Cowan should stick to hockey after singing in front of group in Muskoka

There’s a comedic lack of context here, leaving one to wonder what prompted this in the first place. The most likely explanation is that Cowan had to do this as the sole rookie on the team, but you never know. Maybe they were doing some karaoke with dinner and drinks and the Maple Leafs’ first round pick in 2023 had a wave of confidence. Either way, if your coach shuts it down, it’s probably best you focus on your day job.

As mentioned, golf was part of the festivities this week, and Auston Matthews was paired with Scott Laughton, Matias Maccelli, and Dakota Joshua.

“I wasn’t expecting DJ to be such a good golfer. Great golfer,” Matthews said. “Little inconsistent but he came up big for us. And Maccelli’s player comparable in golf is Patrick Cantlay. Takes a little bit of time to hit his ball, but he’s a good player.”

Matthew Knies, who played with Anthony Stolarz, Dakota Mermis, and Leafs’ strength and conditioning coach Louis Rojas, had his own observations about his group.

“I figured out that Stolie has the best chipping ability that I’ve ever seen but can’t drive the ball to save his life.” Knies told media with a grin.

The Maple Leafs will return home to face the Red Wings on Thursday before paying a visit to their divisional rivals on Saturday to wrap up preseason.