CALGARY

Mark Hunter didn’t so much as rise out of his seat at the Markin MacPhail Centre on Monday night as Mitch Marner dazzled on the ice below.

The Maple Leafs’ director of player personnel knows Marner, the fourth pick overall by Toronto in the draft in June, better than just about anyone in the game.

From their days together with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, Hunter watched as Marner developed into the player who had fans buzzing during Canada’s exhibition game against Russia.

The mantra from the Leafs’ front office is that all prospects will go hand-in-hand with patience, and Marner, despite the potential, is no different.

“It’s slow and steady and there is nothing wrong with that,” Hunter said. “It’s what I keep saying: ‘Don’t push too far ahead.’ We have to get him stronger — and he will get stronger. He wants to work at it.”

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 160 pounds, Marner is the lightest player among the 39 participating in Canada’s summer development camp.

Marner was all over the ice against Russia in more ways than one. He lined up at right wing at even-strength on a line with centre Dylan Strome and left winger Lawson Crouse, played the point on the power play and took faceoffs on the penalty kill.

Marner levelled Russia defenceman Damir Sharipzyanov with a hit and, at times, his effort led to Russia turnovers, resulting in Canada scoring chances.

An assist on a Joe Hicketts goal was a highlight.

Later, goalie Mason McDonald summed up Marner’s overall performance with one word: “Wicked.”

Hicketts, one of five players in camp who helped Canada win world-junior gold last winter in Toronto, didn’t need any convincing that Marner will be on the club that will represent the country at the 2016 world junior in Finland. Really, there’s no reason why Marner won’t be one of Canada’s offensive catalysts.

“He’s skilled and we saw it on the penalty kill, the power play, whenever he had the puck,” Hicketts said. “Those types of players are nice to have on your team.”

The hit on Sharipzyanov is not the kind of play Marner is known for, but Hunter made a good point.

“Do you really want him hitting too much?” Hunter said. “No, because he has the puck most of the time. It’s why you don’t see him hit.

“He just doesn’t play offence either. I think sometimes he does not get the credit due when he plays 200 feet. We need that for us to win. He knows that part of the ice already.”

Do any former Knights come to mind when Hunter watches Marner?

“He is his own player, but he can make quick moves like bringing the puck up the ice, his side-to-side is unbelievable,” Hunter said. “The last guy I saw that way was Pat Kane (of the Chicago Blackhawks). I’m not saying Mitch is Pat Kane, but he has that ability to go side-to-side and it is hard for defenders to read which way he is going.”

Marner, signed to an entry-level contract by the Leafs last week, has said he will try to make it difficult for coach Mike Babcock to cut him during training camp.

The alternative, of course, would not be bad.

“We’ll see what he can do in camp, but if (Marner is cut), he will go back to London and have a good season, play for Canada (at the 2016 world junior in Finland),” Hunter said, “and after his season as an 18-year-old, he would be ready to play in the NHL, hopefully.”

CAMPS OVER FOR McCANN, PERLINI

The development camp ended prematurely for forwards Jared McCann and Brendan Perlini.

McCann was rocked on an open-ice hit against Russia on Monday and Perlini had a minor injury flare up during practice. Hockey Canada ruled both out of further action for precautionary reasons.

“It’s never good when a guy gets injured, especially at a camp like this,” Hockey Canada director of player personnel Ryan Jankowski said. “I feel bad for the boys that they don’t get a chance to prove themselves at this level.”

McCann is day-to-day, Jankowski said, as is Perlini.

“It’s not worth it to play an injured player through this,” Jankowski said.

Both players were first-round picks in 2014. Perlini, who plays for the Niagara IceDogs of the Ontario Hockey League, was chosen 12th overall by the Arizona Coyotes. McCann, who plays for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, went 24th to the Vancouver Canucks.

terry.koshan@sunmedia.ca

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