TORONTO ? The kid from Binghamton, New York was 19 at the time, shoulders puffed out wide, confidence brimming, strut on lock.
"I came in too high and mighty on the horse," he said, looking back. "Just trying to think my [expletive] didn't stink and felt like I could be making the team my first year. And I think that was a big problem going into it, definitely as a rookie."
Jerry D'Amigo has done a lot of growing up since his first training camp with the Leafs in the fall of 2010. Hype was booming for the sixth-round pick back then. A standout performance with Team USA at the World Juniors the previous winter had made him a popular sleeper selection for the Leafs opening day roster. All that sizzle quieted down in a hurry though, and by February, not only was D'Amigo not a Leaf but no longer a Marlie either, assigned to play with Kitchener in the Ontario Hockey League.
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