Toronto Maple Leafs Top Prospect Shines as the No. 1 Center for His Country at the World Juniors
There is a big opportunity for a Toronto Maple Leafs prospect to take center stage for his team at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Prospect analyst Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff in a recent article outlining prospect notes projects Toronto Maple Leafs prospect center Miroslav Holinka to be a first line center for Czechia at the tournament.
Ellis contributes Holinka's successful season so far for the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League, as well his reliability as a player.
Holinka was a fifth round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, 151st overall.
Holinka had 20 goals and 41 points in 29 games in the Czech U20 league with Ocleari Trinec in 2023-24, as well as a goal and three points in 19 games for the main club in the Czech Extraliga.
Holinka currently has 10 goals and 21 points in 23 games for the Oil Kings in the WHL this season.
Holinka is one of two prospects of the Toronto Maple Leafs in their teams for the World Juniors selection camp this year, along with Canadian Easton Cowan who like Holinka is almost certain to be a lock for Canada's roster.
Cowan has 15 goals and 28 points in 20 games played in the Ontario Hockey League with the London Knights this season, and had two points for Canada in the 2024 World Juniors tournament.
Both still have to officially make their teams, but all indications are that both will easily gain a spot on the roster if healthy. Both Holinka and Cowan could find themselves on the first line for their respective sides, if not at the very least in the top-six.
Cowan will not participate in selection camp due to injury, but will still likely make the team regardless.
Czechia's preliminary roster has multiple drafted NHLers, including first rounders Adam Jiricek and Eduard Sale, as well as Utah goalie prospect Michael Hrabal.
Also included on the Czech roster is potential 2026 first round pick Adam Novotny and 2025 draft eligible Vojtech Cihar, the only two players at camp who haven't been draft eligible in the past, not that the Czechs have a lack of promising talents in this year's draft including defenseman Radim Mrtka, who recently moved to the WHL with the Seattle Kraken, finalizing a long rumored deal.
Also not called to the roster was 2024 2nd round pick Dominik Badinka. According to the Czech head coach, this move, which came as a surprise, was the result of Badinka's refusal to play in other tournaments for the Czechs recently.
The 2025 World Juniors, taking place in Ottawa, will run from December 26th, 2024 to January 5th, 2025. Canada and the United States will have their famous New Year's Eve rivalry match at 7:30p.m. local.
| POLL | ||
Who will have the better World Juniors tournament? | ||
| Miroslav Holinka | 227 | 23.4 % |
| Easton Cowan | 743 | 76.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
