The Toronto Maple Leafs are back in action on Saturday when they host the Ottawa Senators, but not before one of Canada’s most beloved tournaments kicks off. The annual World Junior Championships will begin on Boxing Day from Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, and a pair of Leafs prospects are set to make their debuts at the tournament.
Defenceman Ben Danford, who the Leafs selected with the 31st pick of the first round in the 2024 NHL Draft, is set to suit up for Team Canada. Meanwhile, 2024 fourth-round pick Victor Johansson will represent Team Sweden as both teams look to compete for a medal. Team Canada is looking to rebound after two disappointing showings at the tournament back-to-back in 2024 and 2025, going without a medal two years in a row for the first time since 2013/2014, meanwhile Team Sweden find themselves in a similar spot after finishing fourth last season.
Danford, 19, likely won’t find the scoresheet each night and may not even be in the lineup for each game given the abundance that Canada has of right-handed defenceman. When he is in the lineup, however, he’s going to be used in a role that coaches rely on heavily. He’ll be eating minutes on the penalty kill and will provide a safe, stay-at-home presence for whoever his defensive partner ends up being. At practice on Christmas Day, he was skating with New York Islanders first-round pick Kashawn Aitcheson, who has 19 goals and 32 points in 27 games for the OHL’s Barrie Colts this season. Danford on the end has actually taken a step forward offensively since being traded to the Brantford Bulldogs, with 12 points in 15 games since the trade.
Johansson, on the other hand, was an unknown prospect when the Leafs selected him due to the lack of eyes on Sweden’s junior league. He took a big step forward offensively last season, putting up 39 points in 47 games compared to only eight points the year before, and he parlayed that into a spot with Oskarshamn IK of the SHL, Sweden’s top pro league. He has five points in 13 games in his rookie SHL season so far. While it’s unknown who he will play with at this time, he’s projected to be used on both sides of the puck and has commented in the past about wanting to add more physicality to his game.
Johansson and Sweden will kick off their tournament at 1:00 pm EST with a tilt against Slovakia before Danford and the Canadians open things up at 8:30 pm EST against bronze-winning Czechia.
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