Maple Leafs' Top Pick in 2024 Being Granted an Opportunity to Make Team Canada

It's been a few years since Canada tasted World Junior Championship gold with their rivals in the United States having won in both 2024 and 2025. In fact, Canada was ousted in the Quarter-Finals in both years to the Czech Republic.

Last year's rendition was heavily criticized because the roster make-up was lacking some offensive talent. They left a lot of amazing young players at home for the sake of building a "balanced" team, and paid for it with another 5th place finish.

This year, it's expected to be very different, especially from a talent perspective with prospects like Gavin McKenna, Porter Martone, and Matthew Schaefer participating.

While Easton Cowan has run his course in the U20 circuit after appearing in the last 2 tournaments, there will be at least one Toronto Maple Leafs prospect in the running to join the club in defenseman Ben Danford. The former 2024 first round pick was one of 44 players invited to the WJC Summer Showcase.

The Summer Showcase will run between the 27th of July and the 2nd of August and it will include team practices and intrasquad games, as well as games against Finland on the 30th of July, Sweden on the 1st of August, and the United States on the following day.

Danford is in for some tough competition as he will be joined on the back end by Kashawn Aitcheson, Harrison Brunicke, Sam Dickinson, Charlie Elic, Spencer Gill, Henry Mews, Zayne Parekh, Owen Protz, Cameron Reid, Matthew Schaefer, and Tarin Smith.

The Oshawa Generals captain didn't explode offensively in his D+1 season with 25 points in 61 games, but he provided solid defensive acumen, physicality and leadership qualities, which should help him be in the running as a shutdown defender for Team Canada.

This year's World Junior Championship will run through the 26th of December to the 5th of January and it will be held in Minnesota. Canada will be in Group B alongside Finland, Czechia, Latvia, and Denmark.