Lipon’s amazing rise to join world junior camp
JC Lipon wasn’t swarmed by the media on Monday. He also did not get whispered about or quizzed by curious onlookers as he searched for his bags and hockey sticks on the carousel at the Calgary International Airport.
No, there wasn’t much attention paid to the relatively unknown, undrafted 19-year-old Kamloops Blazers forward as he arrived with 35 other Canadian Hockey League players for the national world junior selection camp.
But that’s OK. Because everything about Lipon’s game this Western Hockey League season suggests he deserves to be in the mix and given a chance, just like everyone else.
“Hopefully, they like me,” Lipon said. “It’s all really cool. I’m super excited. I’m probably one of the only guys that isn’t drafted here. I kind of look up to a lot of these guys and hopefully I’ll learn a lot from them.
“And, you know, just see what happens.”
The camp, he’s heard, goes quickly. Only a pair of practices and a snippet of game ice time to prove he’s worthy among last names like Nugent-Hopkins, Huberdeau, Jenner, and Scheifele.
And, then, he’s either in — or out.
“You have to be somebody every day to get noticed,” said Lipon who has netted 22 goals and 35 assists in 34 games and spent the majority of the season as the WHL’s leading scorer. “To get your name in the back of those evaluators heads — that’s kind of what I’m planning to do.”
Mind you, it’s also something he’s done before. At one point, Lipon, who was undersized and undrafted out of bantam, barely thought he’d make the Blazers roster when he was coming out of midget at age 16.
You’d hardly know it though, fast-forwarding to this season which he’s been the two-time WHL player of the week and only fought with his linemate Colin Smith to keep the WHL scoring lead.
Upon his departure from the high-flying Blazers — who, coincidentally, are in town Tuesday night to face the Calgary Hitmen — Smith had passed him in the scoring race with 23 goals and 36 assists. Both played for Team WHL against Russia in the Subway Super Series.
Lipon had a lump in his throat when he discussed making the world junior team selection camp over his best bud.
“He lives and breathes hockey,” Lipon said, quietly. “It’s kind of one of those things that crushed him. But now he’s leading the league — he took me over. I handed over the torch.
“I’ve worked really hard. But I think my linemate has really helped me out — a big part of the reason for my success.”
As it always does in these situations, the show must go on. Smith, a seventhround selection of the Colorado Avalanche, will try pad his stats tonight at the Scotiabank Saddledome and forget about the Team Canada snub.
Meanwhile, across town at Calgary’s WinSport facilities, Lipon will make a bid for a bottom-six forward checking role on Team Canada’s roster to star in Russia on Dec. 26.
And, where he’s from, the only thing better than doing that would be to play for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
“ESPECIALLY being from Saskatchewan,” said the Regina native, grinning. “Everyone watches (the world junior championships) come Boxing Day in front of the fire. My family would probably be watching it. No, actually, they’d probably COME to Russia.
“It would be a dream come true.”
ICE CHIPS ... Lethbridge Hurricanes forward Jamien Yakubowski is the WHL player of the week for a second straight week. Nine points, six goals, three assists, and a plus-five rating over three games? Yep, that would do it ... Kamloops Blazers netminder and Calgarian Cole Cheveldave is the WHL’s nominee for CHL goalie of the week.