Two Canucks prospects to play for their countries at the World Juniors
Despite hopes from the organization that they'd have at least four faces at the 2021 World Junior Hockey Championship — which starts later this month in Edmonton — only two Vancouver Canucks prospects will suit up for their national U-20 squads.
Winger Vasili Podkolzin was confirmed as part of Russia's 25-player team — he's also expected to be named the captain — while centre Arvid Costmar will represent Sweden.
Both were selected in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft — Podkolzin in the first round, Costmar in the seventh.
The Canucks had two 2020 picks in consideration for their national teams: defenceman Viktor Persson, this year's seventh rounder, was one of five final cuts by the Swedish team, while centre Dmitri Zlodeyev, picked in the sixth round this fall, was injured last month and wasn't invited to the final Russian selection camp. He played for the Russian team in the Karjala Cup and would have been in consideration had he been healthy.
Both Podkolzin and Costmar represented their countries at the 2020 world juniors.
THE OTHERS
Since some have asked: Nils Hoglander may have been drafted in 2019 but because he was born in December 2000 he is ineligible for this year's world junior tourney.
Goalie Arturs Silovs would have been a lock to play for Latvia in Division 1A of the world junior tournament, but the International Ice Hockey Federation cancelled all but the top division of the
WJCs this season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Silovs, who played last year for the Barrie Colts of the OHL, has been playing on loan in his homeland this season, first with HS Riga and since mid-November HK Mogo. He also played two games for the Latvian national team — the senior squad — at the Deutschland Cup, posting a .932 save percent
age and backstopping the Nats to a win and a tie.
Joni Jurmo, the Canucks' fourthround pick, is a bit of a surprise to have not been selected by Finland. But scouts and the player himself, have noted that he needs a lot of work in his defensive game and struggles reading the game.