The Maple Leafs' annual digital series focused on Chris Tanev's first season and NHL journey, team photographer Mark Blinch and getting Auston Matthews to smile.
The Toronto Maple Leafs' digital team dropped an early Christmas gift on Tuesday when they released the third episode of 'Blueprint', their annual docuseries about what goes on behind the scenes with the club.
The latest episode focused on newly acquired defenseman Chris Tanev and Maple Leafs photographer Mark Blinch.
Tanev, a Toronto native, signed a six-year, $27 million contract to play for the Maple Leafs last summer.
The episode follows the 35-year-old's entire hockey career from his childhood, to playing in college, to suiting up for the Vancouver Canucks in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.
Known for his ability to block shots, Tanev, who has been affectionately called the "biscuit eater," recalls an incident on Jan. 6, 2018, where he lost some teeth while with the Canucks blocking a shot from now-current Leafs teammate Morgan Rielly.
"Mo shot it and Mitch (Marner) tipped it; they knocked about six of my teeth out, I think," Tanev said. "It was not pleasant, and they have not apologized."
Rielly couldn't remember the specifics of the play.
'That comes up as well; he seems to remember it for obvious reasons a lot more than I do," Rielly said.
"Who is more at fault, me or Mitch? I probably have apologized."
Rielly then asks the interviewer, "Was Mitch passing the puck to me or something?"
After the interview explained that Rielly shot it and Marner tipped it, Rielly responded: "Mitch's fault. For sure."
The documentary also follows team photographer Mark Blinch and his entire staff as they explain the gear, positioning, and planning involved to get the perfect photos. Blinch is also the one who got Auston Matthews to smile for his media day headshot.
Blinch also goes into detail about having multiple camera people during a game. They show off a net camera for some iconic shots and explain the challenges of shooting Matthews, noting his specific goal celebrations that make shooting the star forward distinctive, particularly when they were capturing his first 60-goal season during the 2021-22 season.
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