Little Mitch, at the time, was playing peewee against boys a year older. At the time Michael Dal Colle, a longtime minor-hockey teammate of Marner?s who went on to be taken fifth overall by the New York Islanders in the 2014 NHL draft, was about 13 years old, standing five-foot-eight and 160 pounds, Paul Marner said. Mitch, at the same time, was four-foot-seven and about 85 pounds. Body-checking was permitted.
?Every coach we played against was sending guys out to kill him. So his whole life, Mitch has dealt with that,? Paul Marner said. ?And right now, even though there?s some huge guys in the NHL, I think he?s at the least size disadvantage he?s probably ever had his whole life.?
[...]
While Mitch weighed in at about 160 pounds when the Leafs drafted him fourth overall in 2015, he has since put on weight. Exactly how much weight? Well, Mitch can be coy about this subject.
?It?s whatever it says on the sheet. 170? That?s what it says on the sheet,? he said.
Toronto?s No. 16, in contrast, is downright forceful about his height.
?I?m six feet,? he recently said in a declaration that drew guffaws around the dressing room. ?Nobody believes that.?
[...]
?He tells me he?s still growing all the time,? Martin said, rolling his eyes. ?Good luck with that one. He thinks he?s going to be 6-3. I know he?s young. But he?s not that young.?
Id hate to go into the operating room with that diagnosis.
???