Toronto Maple Leafs: Every Current Player's World Junior History

While not every single member of the Toronto Maple Leafs has played in this prestigious tournament, most of them have.

And it's always fun year after year watching your favorite Toronto Maple Leafs prospects represent their country in the World Juniors.

This year will be especially great because Fraser Minten and Easton Cowan have both made Team Canada.

With that being said, let's take a trip down memory lane and look at these past WJC performances.

Let's start with the forwards.

 Every Current Toronto Maple Leafs Player's World Junior History

All stats via nhl.com  and eliteprospects.

Forwards

Auston Matthews

Before becoming an NHL superstar, Auston Matthews represented Team USA twice at the WJC, in 2015 and 2016.

In 2015 as a 17-year-old, Matthews recorded 1 goal and 2 assists in 5 games as Team USA bowed out in the quarterfinals. However, in 2016, Matthews showed why he deserved to go #1 overall the following June.

In the 2016 tournament, Auston Matthews recorded 7 goals and 4 assists in 7 games, being named to the tournament all-star team and helping Team USA win a bronze medal. The Leafs forward was also eligible to play in the 2017 tournament but was too busy during his Calder-winning NHL season to participate.

John Tavares

Perhaps one of the most famous World Junior players in Canadian history, John Tavares finished his WJC career with 2 gold medals, a top forward award, and an MVP.

In his 2008 debut, he recorded 4 goals and an assist en route to a gold-medal victory over Team Sweden. But in 2009, however, he had a tournament for the ages.

Tavares had 8 goals and 15 points in just 6 games, leading Team Canada to a record-setting 5th gold medal in a row, and winning the aforementioned MVP award.