Second game against U Sports all-stars is this afternoon

You can be sure that no matter who says what about his chances, Mercer himself won’t lose his even keel — in either direction — or have his confidence shaken.

It was also that way when he was left off the list for the world junior team’s summer development camp.

“No, really, I didn’t let it affect me at all,” Mercer told The Telegram. “Of course, it would have been a nice experience to go to (the development camp), but I still knew where I stood and what I could do.

“I felt like I still had a good chance to get my name on the list (for this week’s selection camp) as long I made sure I played consistently and showed

FROM A9: MERCER

that I was versatile.”

That he did, topping things off with a standout performance as part of a QMJHL allstar team that played a Russian touring side for two games in last month’s CIBC Canada-russia series.

Newhook and Mercer are among 17 forwards and 31 players who were invited to this week’s camp. Those numbers don’t include forward Joseph Veleno, Mercer’s former teammate in Drummondville, who has been playing in the AHL for the Detroit Red Wings’ fam team in Grand Rapids. Veleno was released for the world juniors by the Wings, but isn’t participating in the selection camp.

Hunter and the rest of the team’s coaching and management group will have to pare down to a 23-player roster for the upcoming world championship in the Czech Republic, where Canada will open its preliminary schedule on Boxing Day against the United States.

A few roster choices — Veleno’s inclusion, for example — have almost certainly been made already, but the majority of the decisions won’t be come until the juniors complete a two-game exhibition series in Oakville against a team of university all-stars, including St. John’s native and UNB centre Tyler Boland.

The first exhibition game was Wednesday night, with the second this afternoon.