As assistant captain for the Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) this past season, Parsons, 21, registered six goals and eleven assists in 68 games. The Cremona, Alberta native scored 52 points (17 goals, 35 assists) in 219 games during his four seasons with Medicine Hat.
Parsons may spend time with the Cincinnati Cyclones this season as he prepares to make his professional debut. Parsons is a strong, shutdown defenseman who doesn't back down from laying the body and makes it difficult for opponents to get space in front of his net.
A key development program for the Toronto Maple Leafs is the Toronto Marlies. Eighty-two players, including Timothy Liljegren, Bobby McMann, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly, Marshall Rifai, Nicholas Robertson, Alex Steeves, and Joseph Woll, have worn the Maple Leafs uniform since 2005, the year of their first appearance as Marlies.