Chris Lowrey
TORONTO March 8, 2018
Shawville-born hockey player Darien Plouffe has signed an Amateur Tryout deal with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL – the affiliate team of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Amateur tryouts are short-term but renewable deals that give teams a chance to see at what a player would look like in their lineup.
Plouffe just finished his fourth season with the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) Niagara University Purple Eagles, who missed the playoffs.
During his time at Niagara, Plouffe served as the team captain and posted career highs with an impressive 17 goals and 18 assists for 35 points in as many games.
Plouffe was also nominated for the most prestigious award in U.S. college hockey – the Hobey Baker Award – which is given out to players that excel on the ice, in the classroom and in their community.

Plouffe finished as one of the top 20 finalists for the award.
Plouffe’s story has garnered a lot of attention over the last couple of years.
After being struck in the head with a puck that was launched from a teammates stick in practice, Plouffe’s entire dream of playing hockey was thrown into jeopardy.
A CT scan revealed Plouffe had a fractured skull and was bleeding from the brain. After spending some time in the ICU in Buffalo, Plouffe returned home to Ottawa with his parents.
While in town, he visited with Ottawa Senators team doctor Don Chow who told Plouffe that he could resume his career, but he’d have to be patient.
Plouffe was finally cleared to skate in February of 2017 and was fully cleared to play by May.
It’s unclear when Plouffe will get his first start with his new team.
The Toronto Marlies have been putting up points at a torrid pace this season, posting a 41-16-1 record which is good enough for first in their division and second place in the eastern conference.