Scott Pooley is 23, a right wing and has just finished four years at Church of the Holy Cross playing in Division I NCAA hockey. He is listed at 6’2” and 200 lbs and is American, but his father is not.

Paul Pooley, from Exeter Ontario, attended college in America and then had a short pro career in the mid eighties where he played 15 NHL games for the Winnipeg Jets. Since then he’s been a head coach or an assistant or associate coach in the NCAA. He’s currently with Notre Dame, but he spent a long time as coach of Providence College. That just happens to be the place Lou Lamoriello had his first career as coach and director of player personnel. They didn’t overlap at Providence, but Lamoriello is still very connected to his old school.

There’s another Leafs connection too. Before Scott Pooley went to college, he played for the Chicago Mission U18 team. He was the captain in fact, and the Leafs love former captains. But the year he was wearing the C, the Chicago Mission Bantam team was lighting the world on fire, led by William Nylander.

Scott Pooley via Elite Prospects

SeasonTeamLeagueGPGATPPIMPlayoffsGPGATPPIM
2010-2011Chicago Mission U18T1EHL U18130110
2011-2012Chicago Mission U18HPHL U182420216
2012-2013Fort McMurray Oil BaronsAJHL5311112238Playoffs53039
2013-2014Muskegon LumberjacksUSHL5716112745
2014-2015College of the Holy CrossNCAA3510102022
2015-2016College of the Holy CrossNCAA361492312
2016-2017College of the Holy CrossNCAA329122118
2017-2018College of the Holy CrossNCAA3618163429
Toronto MarliesAHL-----

Pooley doesn’t have the most impressive scoring history ever, and his team rarely makes the playoffs. This season has been his best, however, and he made the long list for the Hobey Baker award. He is consistently near the top of the scoring chart on his team and is the driver of the offence.

Pooley Drives Holy Cross Offense

The big 6-foot-2 winger is able to drive the net and be a force in the high quality scoring areas. Now with 41 career goals, Pooley has always had a knack for lighting the lamp, but he’s become an even more effective player by heeding the advice of his coaching staff and honing in on the dirty areas near the goalmouth.

“They’ve showed me where my goals are. It’s easy to want to be perimeter, but they’ve preached getting to the tough areas around the net, especially in my case. Showing me how I need to play and how I’m capable of playing,” explained Pooley.

Pooley is an above average skater and has a good shot, but a lot of his goals come from finding soft spots in opposing defenses, and being in the right place at the right time. Thanks to growing up around rinks and being a student of the game, his hockey sense is an asset in those areas.

He is a right-shooting right wing, which is not something the Leafs organization lacks, but with Kasperi Kapanen in the big leagues and Andreas Johnsson promoted as well, the winger supply is a little lighter than usual on the Marlies.

Welcome to Toronto, Scott Pooley. Josh Kestner scored in his first game, and Derian Plouffe looked good in the two he’s played, so no pressure.

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