For the first time since their blockbuster trade in late September, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets will face one another at Nationwide Arena in Columbus.
It will mark the return of former Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko to the city that he wouldn’t commit to staying with, while it also gives Matthew Knies a chance to face his ex-teammates for the first time.
And according to Knies, Toronto players can expect to hear plenty from him on the ice when they face one another.
Former Toronto Maple Leafs Forward Matthew Knies Promises His Old Teammates Will Hear From Him On The Ice
On Tuesday, Matthew Knies will face his old Maple Leafs teammates for the first time. And as he put it, they can expect to hear plenty of chirping from him on the ice all game long.
“There’s honestly a lot of them (to chirp). When you spend three years with some guys, it’s pretty easy to come up with some material,” Knies said on Off The Roster earlier this week.
Knies also indicated that he did get a chance to bid goodbye to his teammates when he first got the news of his being moved.
“Almost all of them called to say their goodbyes, wish me well and say we’d keep in touch. My first call was Morgan Rielly,” Knies said. “I spent three years with him, and he was one of the veteran players who helped me when I was a young player. Johnny T, Auston and all those guys called right after. It was sad saying goodbye because of how close you get over three years.”
Matthew Knies Did Wish For A Different Ending In Toronto
Knies did admit recently that he wished that he’d have been able to spend more time in Toronto.
“I wish I could’ve experienced my time there a little bit longer,” Knies told TSN.
“In this summer it just came up over and over and just felt like it was something they needed to do,” he continued about the trade rumors he had been facing. “Yeah, I’m here now and that’s all I have to worry about.”
Matthew Knies Warns Ex-Maple Leafs Teammates Before Matchup