Maple Leafs shuffle lineup, recalling defenceman Henry Thrun

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There was a lot going on at Wednesday’s practice as a result of injuries, Bobby McMann’s one-game suspension and line changes.

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Published Dec 10, 2025 • Last updated 1 hour ago • 3 minute read

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Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Henry Thrun at practice in Toronto earlier this year. Jack Boland/Toronto SunArticle content

Craig Berube and the Maple Leafs find themselves down two players after Monday night’s series of misdeeds.

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Bobby McMann came out of it with a one-game suspension, which was one game too many in the coach’s opinion, but losing defenceman Dakota Mermis for a month from the injury that sparked the fracas hurts more.

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After a few moments to think of a non-inflammatory comment on the NHL department of player safety’s decision, Berube said: “I have to be honest with you, I don’t really know. We lose a guy for probably a month at least … there’s nothing that I’ve heard (about that).”

After Gage Goncalves took a run at Mermis into the boards, a knee-on-knee hit that saw the Tampa Bay Lightning forward kicked out of the game, both teams scrummed at centre.

During the exchanges, which included a fight between Toronto’s Dakota Joshua the Bolts’ Max Crozier, McMann and Oliver Bjorkstrand were menacing each other when the Leaf brought his stick down one-handed on the defenceman’s neck and head, getting a match penalty.

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“I thought it was more of (McMann) kind of getting bumped and his stick kind of … I know you have to be in control of your stick, but I don’t think it’s worth a suspension,” Berube said on Wednesday.

General manager Brad Treliving was in the dressing room talking to McMann on Wednesday after he was the last Leaf to finish practice. There had been a DoPS phone hearing on Monday in which the team can participate.

‘You don’t want to see your teammates go down,” Joshua said. “That was kind of a tough sequence. I don’t think Bobby’s intentions were how it came off, but that’s the way the league saw it.

“So, not much to do there, we’re just going to have to battle for him and pick it up for a game.”

McMann, who had not been suspended in his 169 previous NHL games, will miss Thursday at home against the San Jose Sharks with Nick Robertson coming in after one game in the stands.

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Goncalves, who was eligible to play Tuesday in Montreal, was a healthy scratch for the Lightning.

Mermis had been flipping every few games with Philippe Myers as both filled the blue-line gaps created by long-term injuries to Chris Tanev and Brandon Carlo.

Mermis was a free agent signed during the summer who had been in 89 games with five different NHL clubs, so any lengthy absence will make it harder on the 31-year-old to get back to the Leafs.

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Maple Leafs winger Bobby McMann suspended one game for high-sticking

Henry Thrun, who had been on the Marlies with Mermis, got the call to play Thursday against a Sharks team that drafted him and where he played 119 games before coming to Toronto in a trade for Ryan Reaves.

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Thrun, a 6-foot-1 fourth-round pick of the Sharks in 2019, had nine points in 19 games with the Marlies.

He must have seen the San Jose game coming up the Leafs’ schedule.

“I was trying to help the Marlies and who the Leafs are playing is kind of luck of the draw,” Thrun said. “It’s exciting to play your old team and obviously there’s a bit of chip on the shoulder. You want to play well any night, but especially against your old teammates.”

Thrun is a left-shot defenceman playing the right side, a switch which began with the Marlies as the Leafs lack righties, so he’s ready to work with left-shooting Simon Benoit on Thursday.

Toronto will attempt to extend its season-high to a sixth game with at least a point, though it’s not moved the needle much in the Atlantic Division, where they remain fifth.

However, that’s just three points out of first place as of Wednesday afternoon.

lhornby@postmedia.com

X: @sunhornby

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Maple Leafs shuffle lineup, recalling defenceman Henry Thrun

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