'When Nobody's Watching, He's Still Working': How Marshall Rifai Turned an AHL Contract into a NHL Debut with the Maple Leafs

That, in part, helped the 25-year-old secure a two-year, two-way deal with the Maple Leafs this past summer.

Rifai admitted, in a one-on-one interview with The Hockey News, that when he signed the contract on July 1, 2023, he didn't see it as a defining moment in taking another step.

"The work you do every day kind of incrementally leads to something like that," he said. 

"If anything, it's just motivating you and gives you a taste, and makes you want to keep working."

After signing a two-year, two-way NHL deal, Rifai entered his sophomore season in the American Hockey League. It was another chance to showcase what hard work can lead to if you're consistent.

He was also able to prove that more experience can bring forth a more confident player. And that's what Rifai was. Wherever he was needed in the Marlies lineup on defense, Rifai was there.

He proved that to not only the coaching staff but to his teammates as well.

When Joseph Blandisi, one of the veteran players on the Marlies, was asked what comes to his mind first when hearing Rifai's name, he admitted it was the defenseman's work ethic and determination that stood out most.

"He's not going to take no for an answer," Blandisi added.

"For him, it's hard work. He does the right thing every day," added another veteran in Marlies captain Logan Shaw. 

"He's very determined to make sure he works on the little things in his game, and you never have to worry about him working hard, so that's what got him there and I'm sure that's what's going to make his career a long one."

In mid-January, the Marlies embarked on what some call "The Boat Show Road Trip," which is the team's longest slate of games away from home all season long. It was eight games, spanning from Jan. 20 to Feb. 3.

Due to an upper-body injury, Rifai missed the first three games of the road trip. However, he did play in the final five games, which were played in four different cities (Lehigh Valley, Hershey, Wilkes-Barre Scranton, and Utica).

Following the lengthy trip, there was an opportunity for a break. The AHL All-Star Classic, on Feb. 4 and 5, allowed players not participating a bit of a break from the regular season grind.

Rifai, instead of getting some time off the ice, decided to go a different route and remain in Toronto to work on his game.

"I just like being on the ice honestly," he said of the reasoning behind it. 

"I like working on my game, and you have great resources here, and they had ice, so I just thought it could be a good thing leading into the second half."

Doing that caught the eye of Blandisi.

"I think he's one of the guys, that, when nobody's watching, he's still working, he's still trying to get better at his game and he's very driven to get there," the veteran forward said.

But little did Rifai know that a few weeks later, all of the work would pay off.

A Maple Leafs defense core — that was already missing Morgan Rielly because of a five-game suspension — would get thinner as Toronto would be without Mark Giordano after the sudden passing of his father.

That opened the door for Toronto to make an emergency call-up, and Rifai was the first choice.

"Obviously, it's exciting," the defenseman said after his first practice with the Maple Leafs. "Try not to think too much, enjoy it."

When the Maple Leafs left for their four-game road trip, Rifai was unsure if he would play. There were a lot of players who missed the final practice before the trip, staying off the ice because of maintenance.

There was a possibility he could play, but there was also a chance he wouldn't.

But when warmups began inside Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri, it was just Rifai who stepped out onto the ice for the Maple Leafs as he got to take his NHL rookie lap.

An even-keeled Rifai couldn't help but burst into joy walking to the ice after Ryan Reaves yelled, "RAF, RELEASE US!"

He got two laps all by himself as fans, and some familiar faces to him, looked on. It was a moment that was carved by Rifai for countless years through hard work and determination. 

He admitted that, at the moment, there were no thoughts that he had made his dream a reality.

"Honestly you're so focused on just doing your job and keeping things simple that you don't really have time to think about that stuff," Rifai said.

It wasn't until after the game — when he saw his parents, who made the trip — that it really clicked that he played a game in the NHL.

"That was the coolest thing, honestly," Rifai added, "Seeing my parents after the game, that was the thing I'll remember the most probably." 

From day one of entering the organization, Rifai knew that hard work and consistency would get him to where he wanted to be. He's yet another example of if you put in the work, you can work your way from being undrafted to a player who's played in the NHL and has a bright future.

"It just shows you the work that gets put in and how it's able to pay off," Blandisi said. "We're very excited for him to get an opportunity and for him to showcase his stuff with the Leafs."

"It's wicked," added Shaw. "To be able to see him get a call-up, we're definitely excited for him."

A chance at the NHL level will also instill confidence in Rifai for the future.

"Confidence is a big thing in this game and anytime you can go up and play at that level, and do a good job and get some ice time, it's going to give you confidence," Marlies head coach John Gruden said. 

"He works extremely hard and it's going to help his development as well."

Rifai was loaned back to the Marlies on Friday, after playing two games with the Maple Leafs and averaging 11:39 of ice time. He joined AHL Toronto while the team was hosting their mentors, meaning his dad was able to attend that game too.

It was a whirlwind of a week for Rifai, who described the last stint of games as "exciting." However, it's also a moment in his young career that'll allow him to look back on all the hard work that he's put in.

"At this level, you gotta carve that identity out and be confident in who you are as a player, and I feel like I am now, and that's probably why I was up there."