The Toronto Maple Leafs have had a number of players represent their respective countries in the past at the World Junior Hockey Championship. John Tavares, Morgan Rielly, Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies, William Nylander, Jake McCabe and more have competed in that tournament for World Junior supremacy.
Last year, only Easton Cowan and Fraser Minten represented the Maple Leafs at the 2024 tournament. With representation, being low in the past, the number of players possibly playing this year will be low once again. However, there are still impactful players that can make their mark on their respective teams. One of which, would definitely love to get retribution after a quater-final exit last year.
Here are three prospect hopefuls that are looking to crack the roster and represent the Maple Leafs at the World Junior Championship.
Easton Cowan – Canada
Cowan’s spot on the roster is pretty much a lock, as he is one of many returning players from last year’s team. It’s also safe to say, that Cowan would want to have another crack at a gold medal after an early quarter-final exit, losing in the dying seconds of the third period.
Related: Guide to the 2025 World Junior Championship
Drafted 28th overall by the Maple Leafs in 2023, Cowan has continued where he left off last season with his scoring dominance by extending his regular season point streak to 54 games. During that span he has tallied 91 points which is an impressive feat. Cowan has 25 points in 18 games this season and with the World Junior Championship on the horizon, it’s likely he’s going to be relied on in a bigger role with the red and white compared to last year.
The Hockey Writers is already projecting Cowan to potentially be in a top-six role. He’s a player that can be a factor in any situation. He can dominate at five-on-five, the man advantage or on the penalty kill. That alone makes him an all-situations type player for this team in an elevated role this time around. Cowan’s work ethic, motor and drive instantly takes over a game which can turn the momentum. He’s always pressuring players to force a mistake and then he pounces on those opportunities and makes the opposition pay. That’s the kind of player Canada needs and he fits that description.
Given Cowan’s experience from last year and how he would like some revenge after a disappointing finish, he’s going to be putting his best foot forward. With a potential stacked forward unit, Cowan is going to be a key player for Canada.
Noah Chadwick – Canada
With Cowan being a lock for the team, the Maple Leafs’ sixth-round pick in 2023, Noah Chadwick, might be in tough as he hopes to carve a role on Canada’s blue line. The good news is, he was already on Hockey Canada’s radar as he was selected to their Summer Showcase roster.
With that, there must’ve been something they liked in order to invite Chadwick and his play as of late proved that. The Lethbridge Hurricanes captain took a massive step with his development last season as he had 12 goals and 56 points. This season, he has 20 points in 22 games and is on pace to surpass his point totals from the previous season. His steady two-way game is something that can benefit any team. He can confidently lead an attack and find the open spaces easily. On the defensive side, he can close gaps quickly, display an active stick with timely breakups and does a great job to keep opponents to the outside.
Depending on how Canada wants their defense to be formed, Chadwick could potentially be a big factor. There have been instances where offensive-minded defensemen were over looked for players that can provide a more complete style and be role players. Well, Chadwick can do just that as he can easily form a shut-down defensive pair or compliment an offensive player.
Could Chadwick be that left-shot defender as a third-pair and balance the play of a Carter Yakemchuk? It’s definitely possible, but he needs to have a standout camp as rosters spots on the blue line are limited. He’s prepared for the opportunity and his confidence shows it.
Miroslav Holinka – Czechia
After standing out at the U20 level in Czechia where he had 41 points in 29 games with HC Oceláři Třinec last season, Miroslav Holinka made his way to North America to continue his development with the Edmonton Oil Kings in the Western Hockey League. So far, he’s adjusting well as he has 21 points in 23 games, good for fifth in team scoring.
Holinka’s game revolves around his shot and his intelligence on both sides of the puck. That was what instantly drew him to the Maple Leafs. He has a knack for finding the open spaces very well and will always take advantage of those shooting opportunities. Even without the puck, he has good reads and tendencies in order to be successful on the backcheck. He has great hands to manoeuvre it tight spaces and does a great job to fend off attacking players.
With some of Czechia’s forwards like Jiri Kulich and Matyas Sapovaliv graduating from this level, they still have a group of veteran players– like Eduard Sale– but could get some help from a new group of forwards as well. Adam Benak is a top prospect to keep an eye on and Holinka could definitely be on Czechia’s radar as a depth player. He’s got the size and hands to get by and evade defenders and his release was definitely something that got a lot of attention.
Related: Maple Leafs Prospect Miroslav Holinka Impressive During WHL Debut
While Holinka could be a bubble player, if Czechia is looking for more offense and a well-rounded style of play, he could be a good addition.
The Maple Leafs may not have a large quantity of players heading to the annual junior hockey tournament, but they do have quality players that could make a big impact for the respective teams. Either way, it’s a great opportunity to show their worth and potentially have strong results.
