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“I’d get something in the mail from the Bud’s Club, which was pretty much all I was getting in the mail at that point, so it was pretty exciting,” Wilson said. “You’d get a program and a little stuffed (bear). I was a hockey nut, just looking at the program and studying it. I knew a lot about the players, Mats Sundin, Bryan McCabe and, obviously, Tie Domi.”

The latter’s No. 28 was on Wilson’s helmet when he began this summer’s informal skates.

“That was a bit random. A lot of the jerseys here are retired, so I didn’t know what numbers were available. But (equipment manager Brian Papineau) asked if 28 was good for me and I’d worn it in Florida.”

Performance is what the 6-foot-2 left-handed shot will be ultimately judged upon.

“I had a good summer and gained a lot of experience last year being up in Pittsburgh and being around those world-class players. They have a high standard there and it starts with Sidney Crosby. It’s fun to go to the rink and watch that guy, day in and day out, see how he works off the ice. It definitely rubs off on you.”

Wilson was acquainted with Toronto general manager Kyle Dubas from his days as a player agent when the one-year $725,000 US deal was offered for 2019-20.

“Kyle’s a stand-up guy, this is a first-class organization and, looking at the roster, they’re doing things the right way to try and get over that hump. It would be an honour to be part of that,” Wilson said. “I know a lot of the Marlies here from when I was with (Pittsburgh’s farm team) Wilkes-Barre. The Marlies were always stacked up and we had a pretty good team at Wilkes. We’d (rarely) play in Toronto, but all my friends and family would come. This will be a little different, close to home and back in Canada.”