Leafs sign Brandon Buhr to one-year entry-level contract
The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to claim their share of this year’s crop of college free agents.
On Wednesday, the Leafs announced that they have signed forward Brandon Buhr to a one-year contract which will kick in next season. Buhr just finished a three-year career at Union College in Schenectady, New York.
🖊️ We’ve signed forward Brandon Buhr to a one-year contract beginning in the 2026-27 season. He will join the @TorontoMarlies for the remainder of the 2025-26 season on an amateur tryout Details » shorturl.at/CUeq4
Buhr, 23, will immediately join the AHL’s Toronto Marlies on an amateur tryout, where he will play alongside former Union teammate John Prokop for the remainder of this season.
The Fort St. John, B.C. native had 19 goals and 17 assists for 36 points in 35 games for Union this season.
Before making the jump to college hockey, Buhr played in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), primarily for the Alberni Valley Bulldogs. As a 19-year-old in the 2021-22 season for Alberni Valley, he put up 22 goals and 25 assists for 47 points in 46 games.
In the 2022-23 campaign, he went scoreless in nine games for Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, before returning to Alberni Valley to notch 12 goals and six assists for 18 points in 21 games. He also contributed eight goals and 16 assists for 24 points in 19 postseason games for the Bulldogs that season.
Buhr joined Union College for the 2023-24 season, when he potted 11 goals and added 13 assists for 24 points in 35 games. Last season, he registered 19 goals and nine assists for 28 points in 36 games.
This signing marks the second college free agent Toronto has snagged this season. On Tuesday, the team signed Northeastern University defenseman Vincent Borgesi, who was a nominee for the Hobey Baker award this year.
With just 70 points in 69 games, the Leafs are well out of playoff contention in the Eastern Conference. Especially now that captain Auston Matthews is out for the remainder of the season, Toronto is merely playing out the string and getting a look at some younger players in their system.