Toronto Maple Leafs: Cowan and Minten Should Play for Team Canada

The Toronto Maple Leafs could be represented by two prospects on Team Canada during the upcoming IIHF World Junior Championship. Both Easton Cowan and Fraser Minten have been invited to Team Canada’s selection camp.

The Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t have any players on the Team Canada roster last year, so hopefully, both Minten and Cowan will make it onto the final roster. This year’s tournament is being held in Gothenburg, Sweden. Team Canada’s first game will be played on December 26th, 2023, against Team Finland.

The 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship will be held from December 26th, 2023, to January 5th, 2024. Team Canada’s preliminary round will consist of playing Finland on December 26th, Latvia on December 27th, Sweden on December 29th, and Germany on December 31st. The quarter-finals will begin on January 2nd. The Bronze Medal game and Gold Medal game will be on January 5th to close out the tournament.

With the season both Cowan (OHL) and Minten (WHL) are having, it’s easy to see why Team Canada selected them to join the selection camp. From the outside looking in, I would say Cowan has a better chance of being selected, but I hope both do.

Toronto Maple Leafs Prospects for Team Canada

Easton Cowan

18-year-old Easton Cowan registered 20 goals and 33 assists for 53 points in 68 games for the London Knights last season before the Leafs drafted him in the first round of the 2023 NHL draft with the 28th overall pick. (Stats from eliteprospects.com)

This season, Cowan is off to a flying start with 12 goals and 27 assists for 39 points in 23 games. He is on pace for 32 goals and 73 assists for 105 points in 62 games. Being in the IIHF World Junior Championship will be a great experience for Cowan.

Fraser Minten

The Leafs drafted Minten in the second round of the 2022 NHL draft with the 38th overall pick. During his draft year, he registered 20 goals and 35 assists for 55 points in 67 games. Last season, he recorded 31 goals and 36 assists for 67 points in 57 games.

After playing in four games with the Toronto Maple Leafs to start the season, Minten returned to the Kamloops Blazers in the WHL, where he registered three goals and seven assists for ten points in seven games. Minten then was traded to the Saskatoon Blades, where he has two goals and three assists for five points in six games.

For those keeping track, that’s 15 points in 11 games, which puts him on pace for 19 goals and 38 assists for 57 points in 50 games.