RED DEER, ALTA. - Last fall, Dale Hunter was worried about the London Knights’ depth up the middle.
So he moved Mitch Marner from right wing to centre.
It didn’t stick, largely because the Knights coach realized he was sacrificing one of the greatest weapons in junior hockey — the incredible chemistry between Marner and Christian Dvorak.
The co-captains reunited on the same line alongside Matthew Tkachuk and have led London to Sunday’s Memorial Cup final against the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. On Saturday, Marner was named the Canadian Hockey League’s player of the year.
“Dale wanted me to play centre,” the Maple Leafs prospect said, “but he saw I fit perfectly with those two guys and it turned out pretty well.