TFC REPUBLIC

TFC 2 prospect Malik Henry one to watch for the future

John Molinaro -

If there's one member of TFC 2 that appears destined to make the jump to the first team in the immediate future, it's Malik Henry.

Henry, a 23-year-old from Hamilton, was selected in the second round (39th overall) of the 2024 MLS SuperDraft by CF Montreal. But rather than turn pro, he went back to the University of Akron for one more year before joining Montreal for pre-season camp this past January.

Things didn't work out with Montreal and he ended up signing with TFC 2 in March. Thus far, Henry has registered a team-high five assists in 18 appearances for the Young Reds during the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro season, winning praise from coach Gianni Cimini. Henry's solid form for TFC 2 also caught the attention of Robin Fraser as he was signed to a short-term loan and was subbed on against the New York Red Bulls on June 26 in his MLS debut. He made his second MLS appearance the following week when he was once again brought off the bench against New York City FC.

Under league rules, Montreal still retained Henry's MLS priority rights, even though he had signed with and played for TFC 2 in MLS NEXT Pro. So, Toronto had to acquire him in a trade for $75,000 in conditional general allocation money (GAM) and a third-round pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft pick. As part of the transaction, Montreal also retains a sell-on percentage of a future transfer.

It was a small price to pay by Toronto FC, in the grand scheme of things, for a former youth academy player that it rates highly.

"I think he's very, very determined. He's very hungry, and it shows in his play every day. So, we're he's someone that we have a very, very close eye on. ... He's done well [at TFC 2], and as we look to continuously elevate the players who do well there, he's a player who's certainly being considered for the future," Fraser told TFC Republic. 

In this one-on-one interview with TFC Republic, Henry discusses being drafted by CF Montreal, his time with TFC 2, making his first team debut in MLS, his ambitions for the future and much more.