Bracco: Youth movement providing inspiration for Leafs prospects (TSN1050)
Windsor Spitfires forward and Maple Leafs draft pick Jeremy Bracco joined Leafs Lunch after winning the Memorial Cup with Windsor to discuss his play in the tournament, preparation for Leafs training camp next year and looking to the Leafs current crop of rookies as inspiration.
[Warren Rychel] definitely yells at me to shoot a lot more and play like he did. Get in on the forecheck, get on the body. I go, “Warren, I don’t think you and I played the same way.” He’s a great guy. His family is fantastic, and ever since I got here, they welcomed me. He’s really taught me a lot. He’s won Cups, he’s won Memorial Cups; he’s pretty much won everything. To be around what Mike Babcock calls “a serial winner” kind of rubs off.
Obviously, you see what the young guys are doing in Toronto now — I know those guys; I’ve played with them or played against them, I’ve beat them or lost to them — and it’s pretty cool to see. Maybe in years to come I can come up and have an impact like them. Just to see those guys who I’m friends with do so well is great to see, especially for the city of Toronto.