OHL leader Jordan Kyrou ready to join Canada’s roster at world juniors
GUELPH, Ont. — 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,” he said. “That’s what we feel about him and I think that as of now, he’s held up to that.”
Kyrou, 19, 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.
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. Sarnia is No. 1 in the Canadian Hockey League’s rankings.
“I just try to play my game every night,” Kyrou said in a recent interview. “Just try to do the little things right, like winning my battles, getting on pucks quicker.
“Try to help my team win every game. That’s my mindset: just help my team win.”
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. 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.