"It's nice. It doesn't always happen," Capitals General Manager Chris Patrick said of the attention on Washington's prospects. "It did feel like a bit of a throwback. I remember watching John Carlson [ at the 2010 tournament] and he scored a big OT winner goal in the gold medal game. He was the big news story from that tournament. It feels like it's almost come full circle again, where we've got a couple guys that everyone's like, 'Oh, I can't wait to see what he does next.'"
Leonard could be a Capital by April; his plan since he was drafted has been to spend two years at Boston College before turning pro. A power forward in the mold of T.J. Oshie with a dose of Tom Wilson or Brad Marchand mixed in, Leonard turned in standout performances at back-to-back world junior tournaments to make him one of the most anticipated prospects outside the NHL.
Cole Hutson, whom Washington selected in the second round in 2024, became the first defenseman to lead the tournament in scoring, with 11 points in seven games. Eriks Mateiko, a third-round selection in 2024, helped underdog Latvia post a dramatic upset of Canada and reach the quarterfinals while scoring five goals in five games, plus the shootout winner against the Canadians.
Petr Sikora, who won bronze with the Czech Republic, was a sixth-round pick in 2024 and became a villain to the fans in Ottawa when he was on the receiving end of a kneeing major penalty that resulted in an ejection during a quarterfinal upset of Canada. He, too, played a big role for his team, notching four goals and three assists in seven games.
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