Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Even though his career didn’t begin with the Toronto Maple Leafs, forward Michael Bunting was a candidate for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s best rookie in the 2021-22 season.

Bunting, who was originally selected with the 117th overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft by the Arizona Coyotes, landed with the Maple Leafs in July 2021 when he agreed to a two-year, $1.9 million contract.

With 23 goals and 40 assists in 79 games played in his first full NHL season, Bunting’s potential was up front and obvious. He followed that up with 23 goals and 26 assists in 82 games the following season, during which the Maple Leafs advanced past the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2004.

Bunting has played for several teams since then, but harkens back to the passion shown by fans of the Maple Leafs.

Michael Bunting Gets Real About The Passion Of Toronto Maple Leafs Fans

While making a guest appearance on Leafs Morning Take with Nick Alberga and David Pagnotta, Bunting, who is back home in Ontario, said that he welcomed the pressure that came with playing for the Maple Leafs and that even though he’s not played for the team in years, he still gets recognized while out and about in the area.

“Yeah, like – obviously I grew up with it, I’ve always been around it since I was a kid,” Bunting said about the pressure of playing in a market like Toronto. “So, that part was fun for me. You know, the media cares, the fans care a lot. So, that makes you care a lot more about every single game, and putting on that sweater. I think, obviously, the media says a lot of things, but I don’t think it goes into the room. When I was there, it didn’t really go into the room and guys weren’t worried about it. Me personally, I wasn’t worried about it. I was just kind of going out every single game and playing my game, and enjoying it, because obviously like I said, people care here.”

The hockey crazed fans of Toronto still recognize Bunting, which he believes is a testament to the passion of the fans.

“I still get recognized here, it’s crazy,” he said. “Three years later, and people say, ‘Oh you were great on the Leafs!’ It shows the fan base of how much they love this team and how much they care about it.”

Michael Bunting Began His Career With The Coyotes

Bunting, who began his NHL career with the Arizona Coyotes and later was a Calder Trophy finalist with the Maple Leafs, signed a free-agent contract with the Carolina Hurricanes but would be traded months later in a multi-player deal to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Jake Guentzel trade.

Bunting has also played for the Nashville Predators before being traded once again at this spring’s NHL Trade Deadline to the Dallas Stars, who were eliminated in the Western Conference Quarterfinal.

So far in his NHL career, Bunting has appeared in 418 games, and has scored 109 goals with 143 assists.