Star-studded world juniors amid pandemic.
Star-studded World Juniors set for Edmonton amid pandemic
A favourite holiday tradition of Canadian hockey fans is fast approaching and may have more attention - and scrutiny - than any year prior.
Team Canada is the favourite to defend its gold medal as the World Juniors is scheduled to kick off on December 25 in Edmonton. Canada will skate in Pool A alongside Finland, Switzerland, Slovakia, and Germany. Pool B consists of Sweden, Russia, USA, Czech Republic, and Austria.
While the event is usually top billing in Canada with junior hockey fans anyway, this year it won't have any competition as the OHL & WHL never began their seasons, and the QMJHL is on an extended Christmas break due to Covid19 restrictions in the four provinces in which it plays. But QMJHL fans will be able to cheer several of their players in International competition.
Four Q skaters will suit up for the home side with forwards Jakob Pelletier (Val-d'Or), Dawson Mercer (Chicoutimi) and defensemen Jordan Spence (Moncton) and Justin Barron (Halifax) wearing the maple leaf. Of the four, only Mercer is a returning player.
Thirteen Q players are slated to suit up for European squads, with Russia, Switzerland, Slovakia each holding three while two each skate for the Czech Republic and Austria. The list is as follows: Senna Peeters (Austria/Halifax/ forward), Fabian Hochegger (Austria/ Drummondville/forward), Jan Bednar (Czech/Bathurst/goaltender), Adam Raska (Czech/Rimouski/forward), Mikhail Abramov (Russia/Victoriaville/ forward), Artemi Kniazev (Russia/ Chicoutimi/defenseman), Vasily Ponomarev (Russia/Shawinigan/forward), Samuel Hlavaj (Slovakia/Sherbrooke/ goaltender), Oleksii Myklukha (Slovakia/Rouyn-Noranda/forward), Matej Kaslik (Slovakia/Chicoutimi/forward), Attilio Biasca (Switzerland/Halifax/ forward), and Lorenzo Canonica (Switzerland/Shawinigan/forward).
(Of those 13 players, only Abramov, Ponomarev, and Patneaude have played in the QMJHL this season- in Patenaude's case, he is a dual Canadian/Swiss citizen. Bednar, Kaslik, Biasca, and Canonica have yet to make their QMJHL debuts.)
Drummondville's Thimo Nickl will not be playing for Austria after a positive test for Covid-19 before his team left for Alberta. Switzerland and USA each released three players from camp for Covid reasons, and Germany and Sweden four each (in addition to Sweden losing their entire coaching staff). Sweden's Karl Henriksson is one of a number of second round NHL draft choices among the absentees.
(In addition to those not playing due to Covid, 2020 top NHL draft pick of Canada Alexis Lafreniere will miss the tournament getting ready for the upcoming NHL season - as will Finland's Kaapo Kakko, Germany's Moritz Seider, USA's Jack Hughes and Nicholas Robertson.)
Swedish forward Albin Grewe is one of the more controversial absences. The Red Wings prospect, who had COVID in the spring, tested negative eight of the nine times but the positive ruled him out of travelling.
Additionally, Sweden (two coaches) and Germany (eight players) registered positive tests after arriving in Alberta, forcing the IIHF to re-write its pretournament schedule. Those teams will not play any exhibition games due to an extended quarantine, and the other eight countries will play just once before Christmas.
Even a full-strength visitor would be in tough to beat a stacked Canadian club. Six players are returning from last year's gold medal roster, including #2 pick in the 2020 NHL draft Quinton Byfield (LA/Sudbury). Team Canada captain Kirby Dach wasn't in last year's WJCbecause he played the entire season with the Chicago Blackhawks after being the third pick in 2019. In total this Team Canada has an absurd twenty first round NHL draft choices on its roster.
While Finland should test Canada in the group stage, the biggest contenders for gold are on the other side of the bracket with Russia, the USA, and Sweden all containing at least five NHL first round choices. In a tournament dominated by 19-year-olds, the Americans will be led up front by a trio of 2019 NHL first rounders including Alex Turcotte (fifth overall by LA.)
Both USA and Russia will have no
issues in goal- Russia holding Nashville first rounder Yaroslav Askarov and the USA holding Florida first rounder Spencer Knight (along with CHL goaltender of the year Dustin Wolf). In addition to Askarov, in goal Russia will bring a deep offense that includes 2019 Canucks first round choice Vasily Podkolzin.
Despite the absences Sweden should contend as well with its own forward depth and a strong top defense pair. Names to watch are forward Lucas Ray
mond (fourth overall to Detroit in 2020) and defenseman Philip Broberg (eighth overall to Edmonton in 2020).
While the tournament is sure to deliver excitement, the biggest cheer may be if the tournament to go off without a hitch.