CANADIAN HOPEFULS UNVEILED
Lazar remains possibility for jr. team
While Connor McDavid will be the star, he will likely share the 2015 world junior championship spotlight with goaltender Zach Fucale.
Fucale will not only be one of the local boys, he is also a Montreal Canadiens draft pick and will have a huge cheering section when Canada opens the tournament Dec. 26 at the Bell Centre against Slovakia.
“There’s pressure everywhere, whether it’s in junior or anywhere you step on the ice,” the Halifax Mooseheads goalie said Monday as Hockey Canada released a list of 29 players invited to the team selection camp that opens Dec. 11 in Toronto.
“We’re living the moment and we don’t really have time to think about it. We just try to get ready for the games.”
Canada finds itself in a five-year gold medal drought — and two years without any medal at all — at the event officially called the IIHF Under-20 World Championship. It hopes to end that by icing a team of mostly 19-year-old players, at least seven of whom are returning from last year’s tournament in Malmo, Sweden.
They include Fucale, defencemen Chris Bigras of the Owen Sound Attack and Josh Morrissey of the Prince Albert Raiders, plus forwards McDavid of the Erie Otters, Frederik Gauthier of the Rimouski Oceanic, Nic Petan of the Portland Winterhawks and Sam Reinhart of the Kootenay ice.
All are 19 except McDavid, the 17-year-old phenom who is expected to go first overall in the NHL draft in June. The Newmarket, Ont., native broke a bone in his right hand in a fight Nov. 12.
While McDavid, who was leading the Ontario Hockey League in scoring with 51 points in 18 games when he got hurt, has not returned to action, there was no concern about inviting him to the selection camp. He is expected to skate with the team in camp and be ready for the tournament. “It’s a no-brainer to select him,” said Scott Salmond, Hockey Canada’s vice-president for national teams. “Even with one hand, he still might be one of the best players in the world.
“We’ve had good conversations with Connor and his family and we feel he’s going to be 100 per cent ready to go. He’s getting another evaluation (on Dec. 9) and hopefully gets clearance at that time. We’ll ease him back into the process, but we expect that on Dec. 26, he’ll be a huge part of our team.”
Still unclear is whether some 19-year-olds playing in the NHL will be loaned to Team Canada. The clubs have until the Dec. 19 NHL roster freeze to decide.
Hockey Canada has already been told that Florida defenceman Aaron Ekblad will remain with the Panthers, but there is a chance to have Jonathan Drouin of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Curtis Lazar of the Senators or Bo Horvat of the Vancouver Canucks, who played at last year’s world juniors, or New York Rangers forward Anthony Duclair.
The team, coached by Benoit Groulx, will be pared to 22 players for the tournament. The 29 invitees include 10 defencemen, 17 forwards and only two goalies: Fucale and Eric Comrie of the TriCity Americans.
Seven will be cut after camp to leave two goalies, likely seven rearguards and 13 up front.
It is a second year in a row Canada has chosen its goalies in advance. Director of player personnel Ryan Jankowski said Fucale and Comrie have been the country’s most consistent junior puck-stoppers over the last two years. A third goalie can be added during the tournament if needed.
“It gives them longer to prepare mentally for the challenge ahead of them,” said Jankowski.