Marlies, Penguins begin AHL’s Eastern final on Wednesday

Kyle Dubas, Jason Spezza in charge of Pittsburgh prospects

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Published May 26, 2026  •  Last updated 5 minutes ago  •  4 minute read

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas. Photo by Bruce Bennett /Getty Images

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The Maple Leafs have already endured razzing about the rival Montreal Canadiens going three rounds towards the Stanley Cup and Mitch Marner being in the Conn Smythe Trophy conversation for Vegas.

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Now, former Toronto general manager Kyle Dubas and his right-hand man, former Leafs forward Jason Spezza, could be getting more bragging rights, unless the Toronto Marlies do something about it.

Short of a Leafs-Pittsburgh playoff series, yet to happen since Dubas was dumped in 2023, this American Hockey League best-of-seven Eastern Conference final between the Marlies and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins must suffice.

REVIEWING TORONTO-PITTSBURGH CONNECTIONS

Spezza, who serves as WBS’s GM, will miss the start of this series as he is part of Team Canada’s management team at the world men’s hockey championship in Switzerland as the medal round gets underway Thursday.

This is the closest the Marlies have been to the Calder Cup final since 2019 against Charlotte in the East final and the year before, winning it under Leafs assistant GM Dubas. That entailed defeating the Utica Comets in five, sweeps of the Syracuse Crunch and Lehigh Valley Phantoms in best-of-sevens, and taking out the Western champion Texas Stars. That last series went the distance and ended at then-Ricoh Coliseum, with Dubas and coach Sheldon Keefe raising the Cup.

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But duplicating it at the NHL level eluded the duo; Dubas eventually dismissed by his one-time backer Brendan Shanahan, Keefe fired a year later for consistent failure in getting the Leafs beyond the second round, ending up coaching New Jersey.

Dubas’s Penguins, with an unconventional roster that leaned on aging stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang, made the playoffs, while Toronto didn’t. Unlike his time with the Leafs, who began mortgaging their future, Dubas has 34 draft picks the next four years, 20 in the first three rounds.

Toronto Marlies goaltender Artur Akhtyamov Photo by Thomas Skrlj /Toronto Marlies

WHAT MAKES MARLIES TICK

These Marlies, under coach John Gruden, aren’t exactly packed with prospects, but have resiliency with two come-from-behind wins to capture series on the road against Laval and Cleveland, where deciding games are decidedly not the parent team’s strength.

Those drafted by now-departed GM Brad Treliving include 2023 and 2024 first-rounders Easton Cowan, Ben Danford, 2023’s Noah Chadwick (185th overall) and three 2020 Dubas drafts, goalie Artur Akhtyamov, defenceman William Villeneuve, and forward Ryan Tverberg. This will be the third straight spring in which creative winger Cowan has played close to or past June 1, counting two Memorial Cup runs with the London Knights.

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Akhtyamov’s continuation in the No. 1 role, ahead of Dennis Hildeby is a showcase for both the Leafs and NHL teams seeking crease depth with Toronto already strong at the position.

Young free agent centre Jacob Quillan played 24 games with the Leafs the past two seasons, likewise winger Luke Haymes debuted late in the schedule.

The veterans who have played the larger role in carrying the offence and defence are keeping their names prominent for incoming GM John Chayka. Vinni Lettieri, who didn’t get a call-up to the Leafs last season, leads all AHL playoff scorers with 13 points, as left wing on the top line with captain Logan Shaw and Cedric Pare. The last Marlie to front the AHL in playoff points was Andreas Johnson in that 2018 title run with 24 points.

Bo Groulx has moved to centre with Cowan and Tverberg, while Quillan and Haymes team with Alex Nylander, a former WBS farm hand. The Marlies also have Michael Pezzetta on an effective crash line, an AHL post-season high 48 penalty minutes. Kris Newbury was the last Marlie in that position with 73 in the 2007 playdowns.

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HOW THE SERIES SHAPES UP

Neither the Marlies nor Penguins were division leaders this season, though the latter finished 19 points higher and take a 1.77 goals-against average through nine Atlantic Division games into the series. Their two-game regular season was a split, but with lineups vastly different to this week’s arms build-up.

The Pens have a mix of players drafted in-house, such as Tristan Broz, who leads the team in playoff scoring. and top picks by other clubs, such as Winnipeg’s first-rounder Rutger McGroarty, both forwards. They have a big defence and bring their own Russian goalie to counter Akhtyamov. Sergei Murashov is a fourth-rounder from 2022 who brings in a .919 save percentage, and five games of NHL experience.

If there is such a thing as video coach rivalries, Nick Biamonte of the Marlies used to control the remote for the Pens, while Troy Paquette switched screens to work for Pittsburgh.

Game 1 at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza, just northeast of Wilkes-Barre, Penn., is Wednesday.

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