Former Maple Leafs prospect Max Ellis is headed to Finland.
The 24-year-old signed a one-year deal with the Liiga side Jukurit on Thursday morning, just over two years after he signed his first NHL contract with the Maple Leafs.
Ellis appeared in 87 AHL games with the Toronto Marlies during his time in the organization. He scored 14 goals and 20 assists throughout those two seasons with the club.
The Plymouth, Michigan native signed a two-year, entry-level contract with Toronto in April 2022 after a strong third season at the University of Notre Dame where the forward scored 28 points (16 goals, 12 assists) in 39 games.
After a strong rookie season in the AHL, Ellis entered this past year with heightened expectations. However, after a strong start to the year, the forward often found himself out of the lineup, only appearing in 36 of Toronto's 72 games.
"I'm super excited to be playing for Jukurit this season," Ellis said in a video posted to the team's X account. "I'm a forward who likes to play with a lot of speed and skill and I chose to come to Jukurit because of the great team they have, the great city, and the coaching staff.
"I'm super excited to get to Mikkelin and I can't wait to get going."
The Maple Leafs traded Ellis and their 2026 seventh-round pick on June 29 in exchange for Chris Tanev's signing rights. Toronto inked Tanev to a six-year, $27 million contract three days later on July 1.
