Toronto Maple Leafs sign Ty Voit to Entry-Level Contract

The Toronto Maple Leafs have officially signed 2021 fifth round draft selection Ty Voit to a three-year entry-level contract.

While there is a cloud of uncertainty over the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ current schedule, with their next game not due until December 28th, they have moved to secure the future of prospect forward Ty Voit.

The Leafs announced on Sunday that 18-year-old Voit has put pen to paper on his entry-level contract after showing clear progression in his major juniors career this season.

Voit, who was taken in the fifth round (153rd overall) of the 2021 Draft, currently plies his trade with the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League.

He had the option of taking his talents to either the Sting or the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the USHL after they selected him ninth overall in the 2019 USHL Futures Draft, but he decided the best course for his career was to head north of the border.

The decision seems to be paying off, as he was drafted by the Leafs despite missing an entire year of development due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.

In his rookie season in the OHL, the 5-foot-10, 165lbs versatile forward earned himself eight goals and 28 total points in 49 regular season games before the pandemic ended the season early.

After being unable to play a single game in the 2020/21 campaign, the return of hockey has seen the Pittsburgh, native average more than a point a game – with eight goals and 29 total points through just 24 games so far.

Voit’s progress since being drafted may not come as a surprise for many, with the diminutive forward earning rankings much higher than his eventual draft position – with many viewing the pick as a typical Kyle Dubas pick due to his size and creative style of offensive play.

Landing value later in the draft appears to be something the Leafs have worked hard on in recent seasons, with Ryan Tverberg (2020, 213th) participating in Team Canada’s WJC selection camp, Axel Rindell (2020, 177th) continuing to play regularly in the Finnish SM-Liiga and Nick Abruzzese (2019, 124th) captaining the Harvard Crimson with 15 points in 11 games this year.

The Leafs’ 2021 fifth rounder has already shown the ability to take the next steps in his development path, and the Toronto Maple Leafs will be keeping a close eye on how he continues to perform in the OHL over the next two seasons.

With Voit only turning 19 next June, and having been drafted out of Canadian major juniors, he is ineligible to play in the American Hockey League until the 2023/24 season – meaning he will have to continue his development in Sarnia until that time.