Kyrou could give Team Canada big boost
As far as Sarnia Sting head coach Derian Hatcher is concerned, Jordan Kyrou is meeting his expectations. And Hatcher set that bar as high as possible.
“Going into the year we knew he would potentially be the best player in the league,” Hatcher said. “That’s what we feel about him and I think that as of now, he’s held up to that.
“I think that sums it up. We feel we have the best player in the league.”
The 19-year-old Kyrou leads the Ontario Hockey League with 29 assists and is tied for second with 18 goals. He leads the league with 47 points, seven more than Windsor’s Aaron Luchuk.
Kyrou had 94 points (30-64) in 66 games last season and is well on his way to surpassing that.
As captain and the focal point of Sarnia’s offence, Kyrou was a key part of the Sting’s recent 14-game win streak that helped them to an OHL-best record of 18-4-1.
His play this season — and as a participant at Hockey Canada’s Summer Showcase in August — has made him a likely candidate for selection to Canada’s world junior team next month.
“He’s a player that anywhere, any roster that he makes for the rest of his life he has the possibility to be an offensive guy,” said Joel Bouchard, Hockey Canada’s team lead for this year’s world junior squad.
Kyrou, who was selected in the second round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues, will be attending Canada’s world junior selection camp in St. Catharines, Ont., from Dec. 12-15.
The camp will include two exhibition games against an all-star team from Canadian universities on Dec. 13 and 14 and a pre-tournament matchup against Denmark on Dec. 15.
Bouchard has managed Kyrou before. He also worked with Hockey Canada in 2015-16 as manager of the country’s under-17 program.
“(Kyrou) is a guy that’s impressed because he keeps progressing in his style of play,” Bouchard said.