Update: The Leafs sent Trevor Moore back down to the AHL on Monday, December 24. He can be called right back up for the next game against Columbus on December 28. In the meantime, at the end of this video he invites you to the Marlies game on Boxing Day at the SBA. Puck drop is 3 p.m.:

Today, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced they have called up Trevor Moore on an emergency basis.

Since this is an emergency recall, the Leafs don’t have to make IR decisions right now. They can also, if they wish, return Moore to the Marlies after the game tonight, assuming it ends before midnight.

The Marlies play Boxing Day in the SBA, and the Leafs don’t play again until December 28, which is after this freeze business is over.

Trevor Moore has 17 goals and 24 points on the Marlies so far this year after a season last year that saw him notch 12 goals and 21 assists over 33 games. He was also red hot in the Calder Cup playoffs last season, earning six goals and 11 assists and the cup to top it off.

Kevin profiled Moore the last time he was called up:

Leafs recall Trevor Moore from the Toronto Marlies

Moore did not play on that stint on the Leafs, but he pretty much has to tonight, with both Zach Hyman and Tyler Ennis out for extended periods with ankle injuries:

Tyler Ennis out with a broken ankle
Zach Hyman to miss at least 3 weeks

Moore is 23, shoots left and is an undrafted free agent signing out of the University of Denver. He played some centre there, but has been exclusively a winger, mostly a left wing, on the Marlies.

He has a lot of similarities to Ennis. He is small, decently fast, tough as the hardest nails you can imagine, and he can play the energy/checking line or the top line without missing much of a beat.

He’s not going to score like Andreas Johnsson, but the Marlies-trained style of drive the net, and have no fear is very similar between the two players.

Oh, and in before the broadcast tonight: Moore is from California, so expect to hear that over and over.

His last two seasons on the Marlies show his two types of usage, and his good results with both:

He’s riding a high shooting percentage (17.5%) right now to get all those goals this season, but he’s also shooting at a legitimately high rate. He should be able to fit in on the Leafs fourth line without missing a beat, and playing with Frederik Gauthier will be just like going back to last year on the Marlies for him. They’ll be no surprises.

Once the Christmas break is over the Leafs will need a forward on the roster at least until Zach Hyman returns, if not longer. They might want two. The door is open for some of the AHL players, all they have to do is seize the day.

Toronto Marlies