Young Mooseheads ready to show they belong
HALIFAX — Nathan MacKinnon and his teammate, Jonathan Drouin, would be the last to say their age would be a hindrance in making Team Canada.
“I’m confident I can play with those guys,” said MacKinnon, a forward with the Halifax Mooseheads. “For me they know I can score. They want to see me be reliable. They want to see me be good defensively and have a mature game and be patient. That’s what I’m going to bring to camp to try to crack the roster.”
At 17, the gifted linemates were the youngest of 37 players invited to Hockey Canada’s junior team tryout camp on Monday, which begins Dec. 10 in Calgary.
For MacKinnon, he’s embracing the challenge of competing with a plethora of NHL-calibre players like Jonathan Huberdeau and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in hopes of cracking the first or second line.
“Those guys are already on the team pretty much, and there are a lot of people battling,” he said. “I’m going to make the most of it. I’m going to try to bring my speed on both sides of the puck and make smart decisions.”
Team Canada head coach Steve Spott says, for him, age is irrelevant.
At no time did we talk about birth years,” Spott said during a press conference Monday in Calgary. “Both have shown that they are elite players in the Canadian Hockey League and that’s why they are attending this camp.”
Right after Drouin got the call from Hockey Canada on Sunday night he gave his dad a phone call to share the good news.
But, like his teammate, he says there’s no doubt in his mind that he belongs.
“I’m in a great mood and I want to keep that going,” said Drouin. “It’s a great boost. It would be a better boost if I make the team, but I just have to prove I can.”