Toronto Marlies sign 5 players including Marko Sikic to 1-year AHL contracts

During what’s been a busy offseason, the Toronto Marlies announced they have signed forwards Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, Ben King, Nick Rheaume and Marko Sikic, along with defenceman Ryan McCleary.

Sikic may be the headliner of the group, playing in four games with the Marlies during the 2024-25 campaign where he did not record a point. The 22-year-old right wing spent the majority of the year with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL where he posted nine goals and 18 points in 64 games. Sikic attended Maple Leafs’ training camp last fall but was cut during the early preseason in October.

Fontaine is coming off an outstanding campaign where he recorded 17 goals and 40 points in 40 games for Ohio State, after previously spending his first four NCAA seasons with Northwestern. The 24-year-old also spent games with the AHL’s Iowa Wild where he did not record a point.

King is a 23-year-old right-handed centre who has shown he can provide secondary scoring at the AHL level, recording 12 goals and 26 points for the Manitoba Moose in 2024-25. Standing at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, King possesses the size and physicality that head coach Craig Berube and general manager Brad Treliving covet on the Maple Leafs’ roster.

Rheaume recorded two goals and four points in 37 gamed for Northwestern last year. The 23-year-old left wing will need to show some greater scoring touch at the next stage of his career.

McClearly posted five goals and 12 points for Cincinnati in 69 ECHL games last season. The 21-year-old is a rising left-shot defenceman and though he’s several seasons away from the NHL, may have some sneaky upside down the line for the Maple Leafs.

It’s been a busy week for the Marlies, as they previously announced one-year contracts for goaltender Ken Appleby and forward Reese Johnson, while forward Marc Johnstone was signed to a two-year deal on Monday. We’ll certainly get another look at all of these players during training camp, as the Marlies continue to add solid depth through the summer.