The Toronto Maple Leafs are bringing in reinforcements.
Defenseman Dakota Mermis has been called up from the AHL on an emergency basis. The announcement was made before their game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday.
The Maple Leafs recently played a game with only five defensemen. Jake McCabe and Oliver Ekman-Larsson are currently injured and unable to play. Salary cap limitations prevented the team from calling up a player until they played a game short-handed.
Despite being short-handed, Toronto managed to win against the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 in overtime.
Mermis, who is 31 years old, has played in one NHL game this season with the Utah Hockey Club. In that game, he received two penalty minutes and had a plus-minus of -2.
Throughout his NHL career, Mermis has played 75 games, scoring four goals and providing eight assists. He has played for Arizona, New Jersey, Minnesota, and Utah. This season, he has contributed seven assists in 32 games for the Toronto Marlies in the AHL.
The Maple Leafs will play against the Hurricanes on Sunday.
