Maple Leafs Recall Henry Thrun From Marlies on Emergency Basis

Oliver Ekman-Larsson's absence for a family milestone forced the Toronto Maple Leafs to act quickly, recalling defenseman Henry Thrun from the AHL's Toronto Marlies on an emergency basis ahead of their January 23 game against Minnesota. The team confirmed Ekman-Larsson "returned to Toronto for the birth of his child and will not be available for tonight's game vs. Minnesota."

The move marked Thrun's second recall of the season, though his NHL production has been limited. The 24-year-old had gone scoreless across four games with Toronto, averaging 14:52 of ice time per game. His last NHL appearance came December 18 against the Washington Capitals. With the Marlies, however, Thrun had been a reliable contributor, posting three goals and 14 points in 28 games with a -2 rating, good for second on the team in scoring among defensemen.

The emergency recall proved short-lived. On January 28, the Leafs reassigned both Thrun and Dakota Mermis to the Marlies and recalled defenseman Marshall Rifai ahead of a four-game road trip through the Pacific Division. The roster shuffle came with Toronto riding a five-game losing streak following a 7-4 defeat to the Buffalo Sabres, with the club set to open that road swing in Seattle against the Kraken.

Mermis, who had been placed on waivers January 27, finished with one goal in 11 NHL appearances this season while averaging 13:02 of ice time per game. His demotion was complicated by a long-term lower-body injury that had kept him out of action since early December.

Rifai, 27, stepped into the void for his second NHL stint of the season. The defenseman had begun the year on Toronto's long-term injured reserve recovering from a wrist injury, but built his case back through consistent AHL play: three goals and 17 points in 75 Marlies games since the 2024-25 campaign, carrying a +15 rating. In 12 games with the Marlies this season specifically, he recorded four assists. His career AHL totals span 201 games, nine goals, and 52 points. His NHL resume remains thin, two scoreless appearances with Toronto in 2023-24, but the Rifai recall reflected the organization's confidence in his development arc.

Thrun's background adds context to his role in the organization. Toronto acquired the Harvard product this past summer in a trade that sent Ryan Reaves to the San Jose Sharks. He is earning $1 million this season and is set to become a restricted free agent next summer, making this a developmental year in which NHL opportunities have arrived almost exclusively through injury.

Jonas Siegel of The Athletic reported that both Ekman-Larsson and Brandon Carlo were on the ice for practice around the time of the initial emergency recall, suggesting the team may have avoided longer-term defensive injuries and that Thrun's call-up was precautionary in nature. The ESPN transaction log for January 23 also shows the Leafs assigned goaltender Dennis Hildeby and defenseman Matt Benning to the Marlies on the same day Thrun was recalled, reflecting the full scope of roster management taking place simultaneously.

Rifai's stint with the NHL club was brief as well. The ESPN transaction log shows he was assigned back to the Marlies on February 6, completing a roster cycle that began with Ekman-Larsson's family leave and ended with the club stabilizing its defensive depth heading into the back half of the season.