 Maple Leafs defencemen Mike Komisarek (left to right) Mike Kostka and Mike Mottau skate sprints during training camp at the MasterCard Centre in Toronto, Ont., Jan. 13, 2013. (FRED THORNHILL/Reuters) |
TORONTO - Every NHL training camp has a lineup surprise and new Toronto Maple Leafs general manager David Nonis didn’t disappoint on Sunday.
New defenceman Mike Mottau was on the ice at the MasterCard Centre after signing a two-way deal. A 313-game NHL veteran, Mottau was most recently with Florida’s AHL farm team in San Antonio, which visited Toronto a couple of weeks ago when the Rampage lost to the Marlies.
“We’ve been talking about players with NHL experience who might come in here and help us,” Nonis said.
Mottau makes for 11 defencemen on the camp roster counting the injured Jake Gardiner. Six were Toronto regulars in 2011-12, leaving Mottau, Marlies’ Mark Fraser, Mike Kostka and Korbinian Holzer and junior Morgan Rielly.
Among the 34-year-old Mottau’s previous stops, were his home state Boston Bruins and the rare triple of all three New York City-area clubs. He has seven goals and 58 points in his NHL career.
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