The last Toronto Marlies player given the honour of wearing the ‘C’ raised the Calder Cup in their last game.
Since Ben Smith departed for pastures new, there hasn’t been a Marlies Captain in the past two seasons.

The last man to lead the Toronto Marlies to a Calder Cup final was Ryan Hamilton, who was an excellent stalwart for the team in recent history.

Hamilton spent four and a half years with the Toronto organisation, captained the Marlies for two seasons and remains the franchise leader in career goals with 94 in 258 games.

The Oshawa native was passed over in the NHL Entry Draft but was signed as an Undrafted Free Agent by the Minnesota Wild in 2006 following a strong showing with the Barrie Colts(OHL).

Minnesota never gave the prospect an opportunity in the NHL and after having recorded 67 points in 163 games for the Houston Aeros, was traded to Toronto in exchange for Robbie Earl on January 21, 2009.

Hamilton failed to pull up any trees during his first half-season in Toronto but would be signed to a one year contract.

Consecutive sixteen goal seasons and a combined points total of 53 in 92 games wasn’t really a forewarning of what was to come in the 2011-12 season.

Being named Captain in early October of 2011 certainly proved a masterstroke by then Head Coach Dallas Eakins as Hamilton raised his game to go along with the extra responsibility.

Hamilton may have only tickled the twine once in the first nine games of that campaign but went on to acquire twenty-five goals and 51 points (first on the team for goals, power-play goals and second in points).
Toronto comprehensively won their division but it wasn’t due to a high octane offense as they set a new franchise record and a league-best defensive record by only allowing 175 goals.

Having been finally awarded a shot in the NHL, Hamilton made his debut with the Maple Leafs on March 23, 2012, in a 4-3 win against the New Jersey Devils, registering an assist.

The Marlies made it all the way to the Calder Cup final in 2012 but came up short against the powerhouse that was the Norfolk Admirals that year.
Shorn of their top offensive talent, Hamilton tried to carry much of the load but was also banged up as he recorded just a pair of goals and three assists through the playoffs.

A taste of what Ryan Hamilton was capable of in front of the net.

The 2012-13 campaign would be Hamilton’s last in Toronto but he finished on a personal high by netting thirty goals in a single season for the very first time.

His 48 points in 56 games helped the Marlies win the division once again and he featured in ten regular-season outings for the Maple Leafs, accruing a couple of assists and also featuring in two Stanley Cup playoff games in which he picked a solitary helper.

A game six loss to eventual champions Grand Rapids Griffins at Ricoh Coliseum in the second round ended the Oshawa native’s time in Toronto as he and the organisation parted ways in the summer.

On July 5, 2013, the Edmonton Oilers signed him to a two-year deal where Hamilton was reunited with former Toronto Marlies head coach Dallas Eakins.

Hamilton would only dress for eighteen more games in the NHL but eventually broke his duck by scoring a first NHL goal on February 10, 2015, against the New Jersey Devils.

Hamilton spent more time in the AHL with Oklahoma City Barons before Edmonton opted to move their affiliate to Bakersfield in 2015 as part of the newly formed Pacific Division which reshaped the American Hockey League.

Hamilton would Captain the Condors for all three seasons he spent in Bakersfield, netting 43 goals in 150 games before retiring in 2018, a few months after breaking two bones in his right leg.

After twelve years playing professionally, Hamilton swapped skates for a suit and a job as a pro scout for the San Jose Sharks.

This season Hamilton began the year as a scout but was also called upon to don the skates once more, taking on the role of a development coach in the minors with the San Jose Barracuda after much upheaval in the coaching ranks that included Barracuda head coach Roy Sommer, development coach Mike Ricci and goaltending coach Evgeni Nabokov being elevated to the San Jose Sharks coaching staff.

Ryan Hamilton was a well respected and liked member of the Toronto Marlies who finished with 197 goals and 376 points in a minor league career spanning 644 games.

Having retired relatively early, Hamilton is only now approaching his 35th birthday and it would be no surprise if he were to make an appearance behind a bench in the near future.