Robertson motivated ahead of Maple Leafs camp by brother's NHL success

TORONTO -- Nicholas Robertson only needed to look to his older brother to find the inspiration needed to put in the extra work to earn a full-time role with the Toronto Maple Leafs this season.

"It was definitely a big motivator seeing my brother go for the Calder," Robertson said of Jason Robertson, the Dallas Stars forward who was second in voting for the 2021 Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year. "That was motivating for myself, just wanting to be in the NHL let alone competing for that. He's been a great role model for me."
So 20-year-old Nicholas, selected by the Maple Leafs in the second round (No. 53) of the 2019 NHL Draft, turned to his brother this offseason, looking to gain any piece of advice 22-year-old Jason had to offer.
"We were doing off-ice training every day," Jason said. "Breakfast, we had this whole routine. We were on the ice every day together, trying to learn different things. Battle drills for example. I'm a bigger guy (6-foot-3, 210 pounds), so I'm trying to give him (5-9, 164) some good pressure, push him down, haul him down. But he's really taken a good stride.
"He's pushed me to do better too. I'd see him shooting pucks and I'd be like, 'I'm going to do that even better.' So there's always that little competition, encouraging each of us to do better. It's an advantage our family definitely has."
With forwards Zach Hyman, Nick Foligno,
Alex Galchenyuk
and Joe Thornton no longer with the Maple Leafs, Robertson will have an opportunity to secure an NHL spot. But after a frustrating 2020-21 that saw out for a month two different times because of injuries, rebuilding his confidence is his primary objective ahead of training camp, which starts Wednesday.
"When I'm confident I think I'm really effective," he said. "I'm just focusing on getting back that confidence. It's time to show what I can do and how good I can be."
After his offseason of work, the next step was at development camp, held Sept. 10-13, and the 2021 NHL Prospect Tournament in Traverse City, Michigan, which ended Monday.
"I'm trying to use it as an advantage … it's kind of a conditioning, getting back into game shape, getting into a rhythm and getting the rust out in scrimmages," he said. "Given what happened last year, this is really valuable. I wouldn't want to go into main camp cold."

Not afraid of putting in the extra work, Robertson's desire, focus and commitment is evident to the Maple Leafs.
"He's special in the sense of his intensity and his willingness to want to be perfect and great in every aspect of his life," Maple Leafs senior director of player development Hayley Wickenheiser said. "I think for Nick, one of the secrets for him might be to dial it back at times a little bit."
Wickenheiser said Robertson learned a lot last season despite his frustrations. He had one assist in six NHL games and scored 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 21 games with Toronto of the American Hockey League.
"His growth over the past season, he himself saw the hockey was a lot better than he anticipated," she said. "And some of the things he could do in junior he couldn't get away with at the next level. While he has a full package of skill, the next step for him will be to implement it in pressure situations and play within the game and having four other very good players on the ice with him. I talk a lot with him about easy speed, letting the game come to him, not forcing it."
Robertson said it's not the first time relaxing his intensity has been suggested to him.
"Instead of dialing it back, I dialed it up even more to give myself a great advantage and the confidence I need," he said. "I've implemented so many things into my recovery, my sleep, my nutrition. I've always got that motor going 100 percent all the time. Hayley has given me tremendous advice, especially last year going through adversity. But I've heard it my whole life, I need to dial it back. But I always say I'll dial it back once I know where I stand in my career. I can't tell you what a dialed back Nick Robertson looks like."