Luke Haymes ’26 signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs after the 2025-2026 season. At Dartmouth, he was a member of the men’s ice hockey team where he led the team with 36 points during his sophomore year. Despite starting his junior season off with an injury, he had five multi-point games and scored the game winning point on two occasions.
Since leaving Dartmouth, Haymes has played for the Toronto Marlies, the Leafs affiliate of the American Hockey League. In the 2025-2026 season with the Marlies, Haymes appeared in 65 games, scored 17 goals and picked up 15 assists. Following his stellar performance, Haymes was called up by the Leafs and made his National Hockey League debut on April 9 against the New York Islanders where he picked up an assist. Haymes has played four games with the Leafs so far, where he has spent a total of 54 minutes on the ice.
The Dartmouth sat down with Haymes to learn more about his experience playing professional hockey.
When did you know you were called up to the Leafs, and what was your reaction?
LH: I knew the night before the first game, so it was a pretty quick turnaround. I was super excited and grateful for the opportunity. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a little kid and my brothers were also huge in hockey, so to be able to do that for all three of us was really cool as well as my parents. And, you know, countless other people who’ve helped me get there.
What was going on when you got the call?
LH: I was at the rink. It was after practice, and then I went into the general manager’s office and he broke the news to me. He was super pumped for me, and basically just said, “you earned this, you’ve been playing really well all year, we loved your game.”
What is it like playing and training with the Leafs?
LH: I see a lot of bigger names, which could be a little intimidating at first. They’re all amazing guys. The leadership up there is great to make you feel super welcome and you build respect with how well you play. I think I did a good job of that. It was a really cool experience to be around big names that I grew up watching and kind of idolized in the past and have them be my teammates now.
What’s different about professional hockey compared to D1 hockey?
LH: It’s a faster game and the guys are a lot stronger. In college, you’re playing against 18 to 24 year olds, whereas in the NHL, you’re playing against grown men who have families and need to put food on the table. There’s a different level of intensity and the season’s a lot longer. College hockey prepares you really well, but it takes time to adjust to the professional schedule because you play 72 games in the AHL or 82 games in the NHL, which is double and a little bit more than a college season. There’s a lot to learn, but it’s been a really good experience.
What are your goals for the rest of the season and moving forward?
LH: I’m back with the Marlies since the Leafs didn’t make the playoffs. We’re playing this weekend for third place in our division. Then, we look to go on a really good playoff run. We have a really, really good team here and we’re super excited to see how far we can go in the playoffs and hopefully win our Calder Cup.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
