Fresh Canadian crew focused on recapturing world junior gold

KAMLOOPS, B.C. — Alex Formenton and Maxime Comtois know what it takes to capture world junior hockey gold.

Now, they’re sharing their wisdom with a whole new squad.

Both of the young forwards were part of the Canadian team that captured the championship in Buffalo, N.Y., 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,” Comtois said Monday in Kamloops, B.C., where he’s on the Canadian roster at this summer’s world junior showcase.

Canada has 39 players at the event, a group that will eventually be whittled down to the team playing in the annual world junior tournament in Vancouver and Victoria this winter.

Comtois and Formenton are the only ones at the showcase who were also 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 National Hockey League game at the start of last season.

The young men playing for Team Canada at the showcase hail from across the country, from South Surrey, B.C., to Summerside, P.E.I.

But many have played together previously, in development camps, junior hockey clubs and university teams.

Whoever makes the team will have big skates to fill. Canada has won gold 17 times in the 42-year history of the world men’s under-20 championship.

Centre Morgan Frost said everyone at the summer showcase plans to add to that legacy.

“I think every guy in that room that will make the team will expect to win gold,” he said.