The two Bricks: Inside Joseph Woll and Matthew Knies' new Maple Leafs friendship

Joseph Woll came to Matthew Knies with an idea that was almost too good not to put together.

The Toronto Maple Leafs annual Halloween party was approaching.

For players, a teams Halloween party is not an event to be taken lightly.

No masks from Scream atop normal clothes; players are expected to go all out with costumes.

Morgan Rielly said the makeup alone on his Beetlejuice costume took him at least an hour.

The multiple Swedish-born Leafs all dressed up in the outfits of different houses from the Harry Potter films.

Advertisement Thats why Woll knew that he and Knies had to ace their costumes.

Their cultural references had to land across the team.

With his penchant for creativity, Woll is a little more bookish and with his size and long locks, Knies looks every bit the quintessential jock you might see on screen.

And so it felt natural for Woll to dress up as Matt Saracen, the more reserved, backup quarterback from the television series Friday Night Lights, while Knies would easily pull off the heavier and more physically dominant character, fullback Tim Riggins.

The Leafs went all out for their Halloween party.

Which costume is your favourite? : IG/Ryan Reaves, IG/Tessa Virtue.

H/T: @hereincolour for the photo merge pic.twitter.com/2rcAORDGQm BarDown (@BarDown) October 31, 2024 Few around the team would be surprised by Knies and Woll having themed costumes together.

Theyre both very optimistic, very happy-go-lucky, Conor Timmins , who chipped in with his costume as coach Eric Taylor, said of Knies and Woll.

Because behind the scenes, Knies and Woll arent just integral pieces to the Leafs future.

Theyve also become close friends.

And that friendship is helping them each navigate the highs and lows that come with being under a constant spotlight in Toronto.

Were in similar situations, Woll said.

Theres not too many people who can relate to this.

At the end of Knies last season, his first full NHL campaign, he knew he needed a change.

Knies had spent the entire season living with John Tavares .

The then-Leafs captain helped explain the ins and outs of the league, and life as a Leaf, as best he could.

But some things need to be experienced first hand.

Knies chose to move out of the Tavares family home.

But that only means he has more time to forge relationships with people besides, say, Tavares three young children.

Advertisement Its new for me to live by myself, Knies said.

So having someone like (Woll) to hang out with outside the rink, it makes me more comfortable.

Yes, there is an age difference of over four years between Woll, 26, and Knies, 22.

And in the outside world, four years between people in their early-to-mid 20s can feel like a lot.

But things are measured differently in the NHL.

Age in the NHL is defined by how many seasons youve played in the league, Timmins pointed out.

Woll and Auston Matthews , for example, were both drafted in 2016.

But the eight full seasons of NHL experience Matthews has under his belt means hes far more likely to hang out with veterans like Rielly instead of players with less experience like Woll and Knies.

Neither Woll nor Knies attended a development camp together with the Leafs.

They would have only gotten to know each other in-depth late in the 2022-23 season.

Knies joined the Leafs after his University of Minnesota season ended and his second NHL game came during Wolls 10th career start for the Leafs.

Still, you can see how the two found each other as friends.

Theyre two of three American-born Leafs who wouldnt be considered veterans.

Both played in the USHL.

Both travelled far from home to play in the NCAA.

Both now sit across from each other on Leafs team flights.

Both generally look at the glass as half full.

And crucially, both young players are and will continue to be depended on by an organization that expects success immediately.

Their friendship matters because theres no guidebook to living as an NHL player.

Young players usually rely on each other to help navigate the ins and outs of a new league and a new lifestyle.

Its nice to have someone who is learning with me, learning the mistakes with me, Knies said.

Mistakes? Well...

Knies said, a mischievous grin.

Advertisement Lets just say that the pressures and expectations of being a young professional athlete in the social media age where your many moves outside your home can be documented in a city that is starved for a championship have presented unique challenges.

They are challenges that, say, Matthews and Rielly would have come to understand and work through as they grew in Toronto.

And so when the two hang out, they share advice on how to balance the pressures that come with living as a Leaf when the eyes of an entire city are fixed on them.

Without each other, the pressures they have might become more all-consuming.

But with each others help, theyre learning how to be professional hockey players in a city that often puts those players on a pedestal.

Thats something were figuring out how to navigate together: How to be a human, an athlete and how to have a personal life thats not constantly living up to an image, Woll said.

The two Leafs are carving their own path socially as well.

Theres no shortage of restaurants for players to dine at in Toronto, but the boisterous Italian-American joint Sugo has become a popular spot for Leafs.

And while its not uncommon to see posts on X about Knies and Woll dining there, Woll wants to make a distinction.

Ive never been to Sugo, he said, raising a finger to make a point.

We go to (the adjoining pizza-focused restaurant) Bar Sugo.

Great energy over there.

The two laugh as they recall how often the restaurant employees joke when Knies enters for dinner because they can spot his frame from Bloor St.

The two are together so often that around the Leafs dressing room, they share the same nickname: Brick.

Guys call me Brick because of the Brick Woll, Woll said, alluding to his position as a shot-stopping goalie.

But (Knies) is...just Brick, Woll added shaking his head.

Advertisement One way to read the nickname is because of Knies size: At 6-foot-3 and 227 pounds, calling the power forward thick as a brick can be taken as a compliment.

Another way to read it? (Knies) has got his moments off the ice, thats for sure, Tavares said.

When we were living together, sometimes hed be sitting there scrolling on his phone and just totally miss some of the conversations we were having.

We think hes listening but hes not always quite there.

I feel like I know (teammates) a little bit better, its easier to joke around with them and be the dumb rookie they think I am, Knies said, laughing.

Over dinner, and beyond, the pair with the same nickname are helping each other in different ways.

Knies fun-loving attitude undoubtedly brought some levity to Woll as the goalie struggled with an early-season injury.

Theyre both always having a good time and theres a naivete to them, Timmins said of Knies and Woll.

They balance each other really well.

And Wolls studious and imaginative approach might inspire Knies here and there, too.

(Woll) is always doing something other than scrolling through social media.

On (Leafs charter flights), hes making beats on his computer and mixing songs, Knies said.

Guys just scroll through their phones, looking bored.

Hes always doing something different.

The more the two can share their experiences and learn from each other, the more comfortable they become outside of hockey.

And when that happens, they should be able to perform better on the ice.

When you start in the NHL, you start to think, Okay, do I need to be here, or here, or here? Am I missing a meeting? Bobby McMann said of Knies and Woll learning the league.

Those decisions all add up to fatigue your mind and you focus less on hockey.

But you get in a rhythm of knowing what time things are, knowing when everything is, where the dressing room is, where the hotel is.

Advertisement Maintaining success will be paramount for both players throughout this season.

Woll should continue to get opportunities to prove his brief but strong playoff runs in 2023 and 2024 werent flukes, and that he can stay healthy enough to be the Leafs starter of the future.

And Knies has been one of the Leafs better forwards this season.

His physical, net-front dominance has allowed him to score seven goals in 14 games, second among all Leafs.

Knies will continue to be depended on in all on-ice situations.

If he can continue his breakout sophomore campaign? Knies could set himself up for a juicy second contract with the Leafs.

And whatever success and failure Knies and Woll will end up experiencing in a pivotal season in their careers, theyll be doing so together.

(Top photo: Mark LoMoglio / NHLI via Getty Images).

This article has been shared from the original article on theathleticuk, here is the link to the original article.