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Maple Leafs Prospect Roundup: Danford and Team Canada come up short, Holinka keeps scoring
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Photo credit: (Steven Ellis/The Nation Network)
Nick Richard
Jan 6, 2026, 10:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 6, 2026, 09:27 EST
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Ben Danford and the rest of Canada’s World Junior squad earned the country’s first medal since 2023, but it wasn’t the medal they were after. They entered the medal round as the top seed from their group, but for the third straight year, Canada’s pursuit of gold was snuffed out by Czechia – this time in a semifinal matchup.
To say that the semifinal contest between Canada and Czechia was a back-and-forth game would be an understatement. The two teams traded goals through the first 40 minutes, with the Czechs taking a 3-2 lead into the final frame. Canada tied it up early in the third period, but couldn’t hold it down as the Czechs continued to pressure them with their speed and a relentless forecheck. The teams would trade goals once again to make it 4-4 with less than five minutes remaining, but Canada got themselves into penalty trouble in the final minutes and were unable to answer after another fortuitous bounce saw Czechia take a 5-4 lead with less than two minutes left on the clock.
After a promising start to the tournament, all of the good work the Canadian roster had put in was wiped out by the Czechs once again. Nothing short of a gold medal constitutes success for Canada at this tournament, and while no one player can win or lose a game, Danford was one of several players who struggled in that semifinal matchup. He and his partner, Kashawn Aitcheson, had difficulty retrieving pucks and exiting their zone cleanly, and they were on the ice for two goals against in the contest. Despite his pairing’s struggles throughout the game, Danford was still trusted by head coach Dale Hunter to help kill off a crucial 4v3 Czech power play with the game knotted up late in the third.
Canada took care of business against Finland to come away with the bronze medal, but that was little consolation for a team that had their eyes on gold. Danford finished the tournament with one assist and a +1 rating through seven games while serving as one half of Canada’s defacto shutdown pair, but his play did leave something to be desired. He was never expected to lead the offensive charge from the back end, but he didn’t assert himself physically the way he has in the OHL, and his puck touches weren’t always as clean as they could have been. He and Aitcheson just never really seemed to develop much chemistry, and it proved costly on a couple of occasions.
Even with a disappointing finish for the team, suiting up for Canada against the best players in his age group should be a positive thing for Danford’s development. He will now head back to one of the OHL’s top teams in Brantford, with a shot at a deep playoff run. He has already competed in two OHL championship series with his former team in Oshawa, and with the Bulldogs loading up, he could have another chance to win it all before beginning his pro career next fall.

Notes from the rest of the prospect pool:

  • 2024 fourth-rounder Victor Johansson was a part of Sweden’s gold medal-winning squad, but he didn’t see much action throughout the tournament. He didn’t play at all in the medal round and totalled less than 14 minutes of ice time in the tournament. Sweden was the top team from start to finish, so it was a tough lineup to crack, but Johansson didn’t do enough to steal a spot. He’ll be back to playing big minutes as he returns to IK Oskarshamn in the Allsvenskan, where he has a goal and four assists in 13 games.
  • Dennis Hildeby has been thrown into some difficult situations this season, and the Toronto Maple Leafs have had to rely on him far more than they had planned on, but he has continuously risen to the occasion. He did so once again against the Winnipeg Jets last Thursday, coming into the game in relief midway through the second period after Joseph Woll gave up four goals. Hildeby was spectacular after entering the game, making 22 saves on 23 shots to allow the Leafs to come back from a 4-1 deficit to secure a 6-5 victory, including a highlight reel stop on Mark Scheifele right before the final buzzer. It was just his third win in 15 appearances this season, but that doesn’t illustrate how good Hildeby has been for the Leafs this season. He now owns a 2.90 GAA to go along with a .914 SV%, and he has made a case for more playing time, even with Woll putting together a solid season of his own. With a heavy schedule ahead of the Olympic break, expect the Leafs to lean on Hildeby even more in the coming weeks.
  • As Hildeby has stepped up for the Leafs, so too has Artur Akhtyamov for the Marlies. He gave up four goals on 35 shots in a 6-4 win against Rochester on Saturday, but he allowed just two goals on a combined 56 shots in his previous two starts, earning the win in both. All of that equates to a .934 SV% in his last three appearances, elevating his save percentage on the season to .901 in 26 games.
  • Tyler Hopkins made his debut with Guelph last week after being acquired in a trade with the Kingston Frontenacs, and registered his first point with his new club with an assist against his former team. He added his first goal with the Storm in a 6-4 win over Brantford this past Friday, and now has 27 points in 33 games between Guelph and Kingston.
  • Miroslav Holinka can’t be contained by WHL defences this season. He extended his current point streak to eight games on Sunday, notching two goals and adding a pair of assists in a 5-3 win over Seattle. Over the course of his current streak, Holinka has potted nine goals and seven assists, bringing him up to 54 points in just 34 games with Edmonton this season – good enough for fourth in league scoring.
  • Tinus Luc Koblar continues to impress at Sweden’s top level, and he has heated up as of late. Koblar scored a goal and added an assist in just over 14 minutes of ice time in a 5-4 victory over HV71, and now has four points in his last four games. He has played centre in a middle-six role for most of the season, and has totalled four goals to go along with five assists in 29 games as one of the SHL’s youngest players.
  • William Villeneuve missed nearly a month due to injury, but returned to the Marlies lineup just before Christmas. It took seven games before he found his name on the scoresheet again, but he scored his third goal of the season in Saturday’s 6-4 win over Rochester. For the season, Villeneuve has registered 13 points in 28 games. His injury came at a really unfortunate time, as the Leafs’ backend has been riddled with injuries, but he could still put himself into the conversation as a potential recall option down the stretch.
  • Borya Valis got off to a hot start in his first full season of pro hockey with the Marlies, but he has been quiet in recent weeks. He had a strong showing against Rochester, however, scoring his seventh goal of the season and adding an assist to help lead the Marlies to victory. So far this season, Valis has 12 points in 32 games.
Statistics from EliteProspects.com

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