Semi-fresh start for Canada’s Mahura
One of Josh Mahura’s top priorities after Canada’s junior team wrapped up practice Thursday was to find a laundromat.
The Regina Pats defenceman was cut from Canada’s world junior championship roster Friday and returned to Saskatchewan, but was then recalled back to southern Ontario on Sunday to sub in for the injured Dante Fabbro. Zipping back and forth across Canada meant Mahura didn’t even get a chance to unpack, let alone do laundry.
“I got back into Regina and played that night and then after the game my head coach and GM told me they wanted me to come back up,” said Mahura after Canada’s 9-0 rout Wednesday of the Czech Republic in an exhibition game.
“Then I spoke with (Hockey Canada executives) Shawn Bullock and Joel Bouchard and they explained the situation to me and I was obviously pretty happy to come back.”
The 19-year-old Mahura was selected in the third round of the 2016 NHL draft by the Anaheim Ducks. With 11 goals and 18 assists in 28 games this season for the Western Hockey League’s Pats, Mahura was attractive to Anaheim because of his ability with the puck. But his team-best plus-15 rating in that span shows how capable he is defensively.
His well-rounded skill set is what earned him an invite to Canada’s selection camp, but defence is the hardest position to crack on Canada’s junior team. Fabbro, Jake Bean and Cale Klague returned from last year’s silver-medal squad and the Montreal Canadiens loaned Victor Mete out for the tournament.
But Fabbro’s ongoing issues with a lower-body contusion have kept him out of the lineup and opened the door for Mahura.
“Who knows what can happen? We need to prepare for everything,” said head coach Dominique Ducharme.
Fabbro played in an exhibition Dec. 15 against Denmark, but left the 5-2 win early as a precautionary measure. Ducharme says Fabbro is day to day.