In a sea of blue and white at the MasterCard Centre, Frankie Corrado — now dressed in Penguins black and gold — stands out.

Corrado has joined the informal off-season workouts with players who were once his Maple Leaf and Marlies teammates.

“You see over the summer that guys skate wherever they can get ice,” said Corrado. “It’s nice to see some guys again.”

Corrado was a Leaf for almost two seasons, acquired as a waiver pick up on the eve of the 2015-16 season, and moved near the 2016-17 trade deadline to Pittsburgh for veteran Eric Fehr.

But he was more famous, oddly, as a healthy scratch than as a player, never quite able to earn the trust of coach Mike Babcock. Fans who wanted to see him play rallied on social media with #FreeFrankie as a hashtag, but Babcock had other ideas.

“It was frustrating, and the narrative is so old on that, but I’m glad it’s over,” said Corrado. “Things maybe could have been different. The Leafs didn’t have many injuries, which is tough when you’re the seventh or eighth guy. “It was a good life experience. It was an honour to wear the Maple Leaf and play at home. It was still a dream come true and something I’ll hold with me the rest of of my life.”

As things turned out, played regularly with Pittsburgh’s top farm team in Wilkes-Barre, Penn. Corrado didn’t play, but was up for the playoffs with the Penguins, and got to be around a team that won the Stanley Cup.

“It was cool to be a part of that playoffs, watching those guys, the way they worked, the preparation they had,” said Corrado. “It’s a really good group of guys to watch play. Everything about them is impressive. They are back-to-back champions. In this day and age, that doesn’t really happen.”

But of course, he wants to play.

“This year for me is a year to play, wherever that may be,” said Corrado. “Pittsburgh. Wilkes-Barre. Play in the system, and learn the way they want to play, and be a part of the Penguins. I want to play. Get back to being myself.”