Fraser Minten named Team Canada’s captain for the 2024 World Junior Championship
4 months ago
The 2024 World Junior Championship is going to be exciting for Leaf fans.
It was announced on Sunday evening that Leaf prospect Fraser Minten will captain Team Canada as they look for their third consecutive gold medal at the tournament.
Team Canada played three pre-tournament games, with Minten scoring three goals and an assist, with one being taken away from him in the final tune up game against Team United States.
In Canada’s most recent game, Minten played on the top line alongside Conor Geekie and Jordan Dumais. However, he spent two of the three games on the second line alongside projected first overall pick, Macklin Celebrini. It’s to be seen who his linemates will be when the tournament officially starts, but I’d expect him to be in the top six given his age and the fact he’s the captain.
Minten is having a successful season in the Western Hockey League, scoring five goals and 15 points in 13 games with the Kamloops Blazers and the Saskatoon Blades. The 19-year-old also played four games for the Toronto Maple Leafs as he was held pointless. Thankfully, Minten still has three seasons remaining on his Entry Level Contract, and could be a useful piece for the Leafs in the upcoming seasons.
There’s only one other Leaf prospect in the tournament, Easton Cowan. While Cowan only scored once in the pre-tournament games, the 18-year-old was buzzing around the ice and creating loads of chances. The surprise first-round pick has 12 goals and 39 points in 23 games with the London Knights in 2023-24. In three pre-tournament games, he’s played on the fourth, third, and second lines.
Team Canada officially kicks off their tournament on December 26 against Team Finland at 8:30 AM ET. They are in the tougher group, as they’ll have to face the likes of Finald, Team Sweden, as well as the rising Team Germany, and Team Latvia.
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