Canada icing ‘different team’ this winter
KAMLOOPS, B.C. Alex Formenton and Maxime Comtois know what it takes to capture world junior hockey gold and now they ’re sharing their wisdom with a new squad.
The young forwards were part of the Canadian team that captured the championship in Buffalo last January. They each keep the championship rings they earned next to their beds, a hefty memento to provide daily motivation.
“Every time I wake up, I just want to be better than I was the day before,” said Comtois, who is on the Canadian roster at this summer’s world junior showcase.
Canada has 39 players at the event, a group that will be whittled down to the team playing in the annual world junior tournament, this winter being held in Vancouver and Victoria.
Comtois and Formenton are the only ones at the showcase who were part of last year’s gold medal-winning group. St. Louis Blues prospect Robert Thomas was invited, but is reportedly recovering from an ankle injury.
Being a veteran means taking on a leadership role, Formenton said.
“I’m not a very vocal guy, but I want to lead by example out on the ice and help out my teammates as much as I can,” said the 18-year-old Ottawa Senators prospect, who got into one NHL game last season.
Formenton said experience taught him the play is faster than what most young guys are used to.
“You’re playing against top guys of every country,” he said.
The new team will have to put in major work to win, said Comtois, who was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in 2017.
For the returnees, that work will include taking their experience and using it to help the new guys.
“It’s going to be our job to build the chemistry of the team,” said the 19-year-old.
Coming together as a group will be key to winning, said Tim Hunter, head coach of the junior national team.
“We’re going to be a different team than the past two years where we won silver and gold and had a lot of success,” he said.