Toronto Maple Leafs top prospect Easton Cowan will attend Canada’s World Juniors selection camp, but will not participate due to precautionary reasons, Hockey Canada announced Monday.
Cowan suffered an injury during Saturday’s game against the London Knights, after taking a hit in the open ice from Oshawa Generals defenceman Zack Sandhu. Here is a video of the play:“They told me it was shoulder to the chest and their heads hit,” Knights captain Denver Barkey said.
“In my opinion, the guy (Sandhu) could have laid off the hit. It’s blindside and dirty. That’s the MVP, the Red Tilson winner and the MVP of the playoffs, and that doesn’t go unnoticed,” Knights captain Denver Barkey said to Ryan Pyette of The London Free Press on Saturday.
In a corresponding move, Beckett Sennecke has been added to Canada’s selection camp roster. Sennecke stars for Oshawa, and was selected third overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2024 NHL Draft. He has recorded 21 goals and 44 points in 26 games with Oshawa this season.
Cowan is expected to be one of the key contributors for Team Canada, after recording a goal and two points in five games at last year’s tournament. He has recorded 15 goals and 28 points in 20 games with the Knights and is one of the OHL’s best players. Cowan was provided with plenty of opportunities to make the Maple Leafs roster out of training camp, and he could be a fixture on the NHL roster by next season.
The 19-year-old broke the OHL’s unofficial record for most consecutive games with a point, when he scored against Oshawa on Saturday. Cowan recorded a point in his 56th consecutive game with the Knights, but since this has occurred over the span of the two seasons, the league doesn’t officially recognize the accomplishment. Cowan passed Doug Gilmour, who recorded a point in 55 consecutive games with the now-defunct Cornwall Royals, and the Maple Leafs legend congratulated Cowan on the accomplishment.
