"Montreal Canadiens prospect Michael Hage and top 2026 NHL Draft prospect Gavin McKenna finished the game with four points apiece and helped Canada pull away after the game was 3-2 for them following the first period. Los Angeles Kings prospect Carter George impressed in his return to the net after a couple of rough games early in the tournament, stopping 27 of 30 Finnish shots in the win."
"Danford finished the tournament with one assist in seven games and delivered essentially the exact performance people were expecting from the Maple Leafs' 2024 first round pick. He's not an overly offensive defenceman and was always projected to be used in a defensive-heavy role, eating minutes on the penalty kill and defending leads in the final minutes of games, and that's exactly what he did."
Canada beat Finland 6-3 to capture the World Junior bronze medal after a crushing semi-final defeat to Czechia. Michael Hage and Gavin McKenna each finished with four points and helped Canada pull away after a 3-2 first-period score. Carter George returned to the net, stopping 27 of 30 Finnish shots and steadying the team after earlier rough goaltending. Ben Danford recorded one assist in seven games while fulfilling a defensive-heavy role on the penalty kill and defending late leads. Danford, who turns 20 in February, will return to the Brantford Bulldogs, where he has 12 points in 15 games since being traded from Oshawa. He will pursue a job with the Toronto Marlies after the season and could reach the NHL following strong early play and promising 2025-26 preseason action.
Read at TheLeafsNation
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]