Fan Favourite Maple Leaf Makes It Clear: He Wants to Stay in Toronto for Good
Photo credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
For Toronto Maple Leafs forward Steven Lorentz, playing in Toronto was always a dream come true and made it known to everyone he wants to finish his career here.
Last year when the Toronto Maple Leafs signed Steven Lorentz to a PTO then eventually a one-year deal, not much was thought of it beyond him adding some extra physicality and grit.
However he was much more than that, bringing the offense as well as laying in some punishing hits and giving Toronto someone who didn't care how much he played or where he was in the lineup; he was happy to be there.
Steven Lorentz Wants To Stay Put: "I Take A Lot Of Pride"
So it's not much of a shock then to see that Lorentz re-upped on a three-year deal, and giving him a firm spot in the bottom-six as the spark plug of the fourth line.
But he's so excited and happy to be here in fact, that he let everyone know that there's nowhere else he wants to go, even for the rest of his career:
I've got 3 more years here, and hopefully more after that. Like I said, I'd love to play here my whole career. But, it's definitely something I take a lot of pride in every single time, whether it's a practice jersey or a game jersey, pulling on that Maple Leaf and the blue and white.
Lorentz's interview was also a neat behind the scenes look at the Leafs roster, part of a new initiative to show the fans the more human elements of these athletes which started with the hiring of Ryan Leslie earlier in the offseason.
Why Steven Lorentz's Dedication Matters To Toronto
It also is telling that for all the supposed media pressure and bright spotlight in Toronto, players not only want to come, but stay.
We saw John Tavares and Matthew Knies both signing extensions, Michael Pezzetta's love for the team, and the fact that we could see Connor McDavid as well; it's been a huge turnaround for the Leafs.
Plus last season you could tell just how excited Lorentz was to sign too:
Lorentz is going to be pulling his weight again on that fourth line, and if he can replicate the type of performance he had last year (8 goals, 19 points, 199 hits, 9 PIM) then he's absolutely worth every penny.
Not too shabby for a player drafted 186th overall in 2015, having made his way through both the ECHL and AHL before slowly carving out an NHL career and leading him to where he is now.
The coaches love him, the fans love him, and certainly his teammates do too.
But the love is equally reciprocated from Lorentz, who couldn't be happier.
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