Pats’ Mahura awaiting final word from Team Canada
Josh Mahura has already experienced a roller-coaster of emotions — and he has no idea when the ride will end.
It began on Dec. 6 when the 19-year-old defenceman was one of 32 players named to Canada’s world junior selection camp in St. Catharines, Ont.
After a four-day tryout, Mahura thought his time had run out when he was among the final cuts. He returned to Regina the next day and took his usual place in the Pats’ lineup for a WHL game against the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Shortly after his team’s 6-2 loss, Mahura was informed by Pats head coach/GM John Paddock that Hockey Canada wanted to bring him back as an insurance policy for defenceman Dante Fabbro, who has been dealing with an injury.
Needless to say, it was an eventful 24 hours.
“It’s such a mix of emotions,” Mahura said on Wednesday after helping Canada post a 9-0 pretournament victory over the Czech Republic in London, Ont.
“(Cut-down day) was a really tough night for me. Then you get back to Regina and play that night. All of a sudden after the game, John told me they wanted me to come back up, just in case.”
The highs and lows of his situation are enough to churn the strongest stomach, but Mahura is quite content to buckle in and enjoy the ride. He’s part of the team until he’s told otherwise, something that could happen this weekend when Hockey Canada submits its final roster to the International Ice Hockey Federation.
Until then, he and Fabbro are in limbo.
“You just kind of take it day by day,” said Mahura, a third-round draft choice of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks. “With everything that’s going on right now, you try not to think about it. Whatever happens, happens. I’m just really happy to be here right now.”
Fabbro, who’s reportedly in a walking boot, hasn’t skated with the team since an exhibition game against Denmark on the final day of Canada’s selection camp. The Nashville Predators’ first-rounder was pulled in the middle of that contest after aggravating an injury he had been nursing throughout camp.
As a returning player from last year’s silver medal-winning squad, Fabbro is being given every opportunity to get healthy. He didn’t dress in Wednesday’s pre-tournament opener and isn’t expected to play Friday night versus Switzerland.
The real games begin on Boxing Day in Buffalo, N.Y., when Canada opens the world junior championship against Finland.
“Who knows what can happen? We need to prepare for everything,” head coach Dominique Ducharme told reporters in London. “We said it before, Josh is a great kid, a great player. We had a lot of depth at camp on defence. It’s good to have him back with us. We’ll have to see what happens in the next few days.”