When Scott Laughton got traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, it was an opportunity to return close to home.
But the Oakville native is still searching for an actual home to live in.
The 30-year-old forward, who, before the trade, had spent his entire NHL career with the Philadelphia Flyers after being drafted by them in 2012, is currently living in a downtown Toronto hotel, as per Sportsnet’s Luke Fox.
And before facing off against his former team for the first time on Tuesday, Laughton told reporters that he’s actually located quite close to his former head coach, John Tortorella.
“I said, ‘Stay in your room. I’ll stay in mine. I don’t even want to see you,'” Tortorella joked before last night’s matchup.
Tortorella might’ve wished he had stayed in his hotel room a little bit longer, however, with Toronto coming away from the contest with a 7-2 win Tuesday night.
Laughton and his wife, Chloe, welcomed a son late last year, and despite the trade to Toronto, his family is likely to spend plenty of time in Pennsylvania. With only one year left on his deal after this one with Toronto, Laughton still plans to keep Philadelphia as a big piece of his heart.
“I grew up in Philly. Had our baby there. It’s always going to be part of us and part of our home. Probably keep our place there and go back there throughout our adult life. So, I think it’s always going to be home for me. And, yeah, it’s emotional when you go through a big change like that,” Laughton added.
Laughton has gotten off to a bit of a rough start in his first season in Toronto, going pointless in his first nine games with the Leafs. Perhaps things will sort themselves out in due time, particularly if he ends up finding a more permanent home.
Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
