Easton Cowan (born May 20, 2005) is a Canadian junior ice hockey player for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) as a prospect for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). Cowan was drafted by the Maple Leafs in the first round, 28th overall, of the 2023 NHL entry draft.
| Easton Cowan | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
May 20, 2005 Strathroy, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) | ||
| Position | Right wing | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team (P) Cur. team |
Toronto Maple Leafs London Knights (OHL) | ||
| NHL draft |
28th overall, 2023 Toronto Maple Leafs | ||
Early life
editCowan was born in Strathroy, Ontario but moved to his grandparents' farm in the nearby town of Mount Brydges at age 13. His father, Chris, claims that he was named partially after the Easton hockey stick brand. Former NHL player Darren McCarty is his cousin.[1]
Playing career
editCowan played with his local Strathroy minor ice hockey association before playing AAA with the local Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs until his midget year. He then played junior "B" ice hockey with the Komoka Kings of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL) before making his major junior debut with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in the 2021–22 season.
In his first full season in the OHL in 2022–23, Cowan showed offensive potential by posting 20 goals and 33 assists for 53 points through 68 regular season games. He increased his scoring pace in the postseason, notching 21 points in 20 appearances to help the Knights reach the J. Ross Robertson Cup finals against the Peterborough Petes. Following defeat by the Petes, Cowan earned recognition for his debut season in earning selection to the Second All-Rookie Team.[2]
In his first season of eligibility, Cowan was selected in the first round, 28th overall, by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2023 NHL entry draft. He was later signed in the off-season to a three-year, entry-level contract by the Maple Leafs on August 10, 2023.[3][4]
In the 2023–24 OHL season, Cowan scored a total 96 points in 54 games, including 68 points in 36 straight games to end the season, setting a Knights franchise record for the longest active point streak.[5] This was also the longest point streak in the OHL since 1995. In recognition of his achievements, Cowan received the Red Tilson Trophy as the most valuable player (MVP) of the regular season and was named to the OHL First All-Star Team,[6][7] and was subsequently voted onto the CHL First All-Star Team.[8] He later led the league in playoff scoring with 34 points over 18 games, leading the Knights to a championship following a four-game sweep of the Oshawa Generals. He was additionally given the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as playoff MVP.[9] As OHL champions, the Knights played in the 2024 Memorial Cup, where they reached the championship game but were defeated 4–3 by the host Saginaw Spirit, in a rematch of the teams' semifinal series during the OHL playoffs.[10] Cowan led the tournament in scoring with eight points, as a result winning the Ed Chynoweth Trophy, and was also named to the Memorial Cup All-Star Team.[11]
Personal life
editCowan grew up cheering for the Toronto Maple Leafs and was particularly fond of star winger Mitch Marner, while Nazem Kadri was his favourite player.[12]
Career statistics
editBold indicates led league
Regular season and playoffs
edit| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2021–22 | Komoka Kings | GOJHL | 24 | 11 | 23 | 34 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | London Knights | OHL | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | London Knights | OHL | 68 | 20 | 33 | 53 | 47 | 20 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 16 | ||
| 2023–24 | London Knights | OHL | 54 | 34 | 62 | 96 | 64 | 18 | 10 | 24 | 34 | 18 | ||
| OHL totals | 129 | 55 | 96 | 151 | 113 | 43 | 19 | 38 | 57 | 34 | ||||
International
edit| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Canada | WJC | 5th | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| Junior totals | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||||
Awards and honours
edit| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| CHL | ||
| First All-Star Team | 2024 | [8] |
| Ed Chynoweth Trophy | 2024 | [11] |
| Memorial Cup All-Star Team | 2024 | [11] |
| OHL | ||
| Second All-Rookie Team | 2023 | [2] |
| J. Ross Robertson Cup champion | 2024 | [9] |
| Red Tilson Trophy | 2024 | [6] |
| Wayne Gretzky 99 Award | 2024 | [9] |
| First All-Star Team | 2024 | [7] |
References
edit- ^ "How Easton Cowan worked his way from Maple Leafs fan to first-round pick". thestar.ca. June 29, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
- ^ a b "Seven Knights named to OHL All-Star and All-Rookie teams". chl.ca. June 5, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
- ^ "Maple Leafs Sign First-round Pick Easton Cowan To Entry-level Contract". NHL.com. August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
- ^ "Maple Leafs sign first-round pick Easton Cowan to entry-level contract". Sportsnet.ca. August 10, 2023. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
- ^ "Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan ends OHL season on 36-game point streak". Sportsnet.ca. March 24, 2024. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
- ^ a b Sweetland, Josh (May 2, 2024). "Knights' Cowan awarded Red Tilson Trophy as OHL's Most Outstanding Player". Canadian Hockey League. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
- ^ a b Sweetland, Josh (May 28, 2024). "OHL Announces 2023-24 All-Star and All-Rookie Teams". Canadian Hockey League. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
- ^ a b Séguin, Christopher (June 2, 2024). "CHL Announces 2023-24 All-Star and All-Rookie Teams presented by CCM". Canadian Hockey League. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
- ^ a b c Sweetland, Josh (May 15, 2024). "London Knights crowned 2024 OHL Champions". Canadian Hockey League. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
- ^ Alter, David (June 3, 2024). "Maple Leafs Prospect Easton Cowan and London Knights Fall Short in Heartbreaking Memorial Cup Final to Saginaw Spirit". The Hockey News. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
- ^ a b c Séguin, Christopher (June 3, 2023). "Spirit win their first-ever CHL championship title by defeating the Knights 4-3 in the final of the 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Dow". Canadian Hockey League. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
- ^ Pankiw, Colton (June 29, 2023). "Leafs 2023 NHL Draft pick Easton Cowan grew up a fan of Mitch Marner". dailyhive.com. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
External links
edit- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database