Stuart Percy is a prospect who promised much early in his career.
The defenceman was ultimately mishandled by the Toronto organisation but also struggled for continuity in his development due to injuries including concussion.
Then Assistant General Manager for the Maple Leafs and Toronto Marlies GM Kyle Dubas had this to say after Percy’s second season.
“I thought we rushed him up and he played real well and as soon as he started to struggle, we didn’t really protect him up here with his usage, so on and so forth for a 21-year-old. Then we struggled and put him right down. I don’t have anybody to blame but myself. I take the brunt of that.”
You would be excused for thinking Stuart Percy had retired, either through injury or age, but after a period of struggles, the former Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors captain is still lacing up his skates.
A devout Toronto Maple Leafs fan growing up, Percy was selected 25th overall by his boyhood team in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
It was somewhat of an inauspicious start to his life as a Leafs’ prospect as Percy suffered injuries in his season following the draft, including a concussion.
The Oakville native turned professional in 2013 and made an excellent impression as a rookie. Through a 71-game regular season and fourteen playoff encounters, Percy positively turned heads.
He was a strong candidate heading into training camp the following summer to push for a roster spot. Injuries on the Leafs’ blue line opened up a space and Percy made his NHL debut in October 2014.
Percy played seven straight games before featuring once in the next seven outings and was eventually reassigned to the AHL.
Further injuries and another concussion restricted Percy to 43 games with the Toronto Marlies.
It was the same story during the defenceman’s final campaign in Toronto. Limited to just three NHL appearances, not even some solid play in the American League would save Percy’s career in Toronto.
Management decided not to qualify the restricted free agent in the summer of 2016 and the Pittsburgh Penguins opted to sign the Canadian blue-liner to a one-year deal.
Percy saw no time in the NHL with Pittsburgh and was limited to 37 AHL appearances for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He would again suffer from injury and be forced into surgery that cut short the defenceman’s 2016-17 campaign.
Once more a free agent, Percy bided his time before Rochester signed him to a PTO due to a lack of bodies on their blue line.
Able to stay injury-free, Percy excelled with the Americans, quickly earning himself an AHL deal. He posted a career-high 34 points (7G/27A) and on route recorded his 100th professional point.
Surprisingly Rochester opted not to re-sign Percy for the 2018-19 campaign, but the defencemen remained in the North Division, signing with the Belleville Senators.
Despite putting up nineteen points (2G/17A) in forty-one games, Belleville traded Percy to the Providence Bruins in exchange for Austin Fyten.
Again a free agent, Percy put pen to paper with Belleville for a second time.
An elbow injury restricted him to five games, his last in North America.
Opportunity knocked in Europe, albeit with a caveat built in.
Percy signed a one-year deal with Vassan Sport of Liiga, though there was a two-month probation period built-in presumably because of injury concerns.
Percy has spent the last two seasons in Czechia with HC Motor České Budějovice, finishing tenth and fourth respectively in team scoring.
The thirty-year-old has signed up for another season in Czechia, moving to a team located in the east of the country. Percy has penned what is reportedly a multi-year contract with HC Vitkovice.
He will have a first opportunity to compete in the Champions Hockey League to test himself against the best Europe has to offer.
Toronto Marlies Career
177 Games (24th/8th amongst defencemen)
10 Goals
54 Assists (7th amongst defencemen)
64 Points (60th/10th amongst defencemen)
If you have enjoyed this article and would like to support my work please consider donating https://ko-fi.com/markukleaf or PayPal.me/markukleaf
No donation is too small, even if it’s just the cost of a coffee. It would be much appreciated.
Alternatively, if you feel inclined to support me longer term please consider becoming a patron https://www.patreon.com/markukleaf
Thank you for considering the above, reading this article and for your continued support.
UK Hockey Blog 
Great article on Stuart Percy! It’s impressive to see how he has continued to push through injuries and setbacks to keep playing professionally, now in Czechia. Out of curiosity, do you think his career could have turned out differently if he had been given more time and patience in Toronto?