Dach, Byram, Cozens to lead Canada onto ice
EDMONTON — Kirby Dach has been named captain of Canada’s team for the upcoming world junior hockey championship.
The Chicago Blackhawks forward heads a leadership group that also includes alternates Bowen Byram and Dylan Cozens, Hockey Canada announced Friday.
“These three players are all leaders in their own right who have the respect of their teammates. Kirby has set a standard for himself through his commitment and determination, which is a great example for the others on our team,” said head coach André Tourigny (Nicolet, Que./Ottawa, OHL).
“He has a strong desire to represent his country. Bowen and Dylan are veterans who know what it takes to win at this tournament, and their voices will be important in our leadership group.”
Dach, who was loaned to the national program for the under-20 tournament by his NHL club with the 2020-21 season still yet to begin, will make his world junior debut when the event gets going next week in Edmonton.
The Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., native was expected to be part of the Canadian contingent that won gold in the Czech Republic last year, but he instead remained with the Blackhawks.
Dach had eight goals and 23 points in 64 games with Chicago in 2019-20 before the COVID-19 pandemic forced a suspension of the schedule in March. The No. 3 pick at the 2019 NHL draft scored once and added five assists in nine contests during the league’s summer restart.
Byram and Cozens are among six returning players from Canada’s 2020 roster.
Cozens, who has been skating between Dach and Jack Quinn on the top line, had two goals and nine points in seven games at last year’s tournament, while Byram chipped in with two assists as part of the country’s defence corps.
A product of Cranbrook, B.C., Byram had 14 goals and 52 points in 50 games with the Western Hockey League’s Vancouver Giants in 2019-20 after being selected fourth overall by the Colorado Avalanche.
Cozens, who’s from Whitehorse, registered 38 goals and 85 points in 51 games with the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes last season. He was picked seventh overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2019.
This year’s edition of the world juniors is
set to open Dec. 25, with Canada scheduled to open on Boxing Day against Germany.
The tournament will be played in a bubble without fans at Edmonton’s Rogers Place in hopes of keeping the coronavirus out, but the International Ice Hockey Federation announced earlier Friday that eight players on the German team and two members of Sweden’s staff had tested positive.
IIHF SAYS 8 GERMANS, 2 SWEDES TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 INSIDE BUBBLE
EDMONTON — The International Ice Hockey Federation says eight players from Germany’s team at the world junior hockey championship have tested positive for COVID-19 inside the Edmonton bubble.
The IIHF says the Germans will all remain in quarantine until Thursday. The country is scheduled to open its tournament against Finland the following afternoon — Dec. 25 — before facing Canada on Boxing Day.
The quarantine means Germany, with a roster that includes Ottawa Senators prospect and 2020 No. 3 overall draft pick Tim Stuetzle, will miss exhibition games against Austria and the Czech Republic ahead of the annual under-20 event.
The IIHF also announced two members of Sweden’s team staff have tested positive. The Swedes will stay in quarantine until Monday, with the exception of those exempt from serving longer periods based on previous positive tests that "provide a personal immunity and no threat of infection to others."
Sweden is scheduled to face Canada in an exhibition game Monday.
The IIHF says over 2,000 tests have been conducted on players, staff and game officials since entering the Edmonton bubble Sunday.
Teams without positive tests were eligible to begin training Friday.
The tournament is scheduled to begin Christmas Day — including that meeting between the Germans and Finns — at Rogers Place. The first exhibition games are slated for Sunday.
The NHL implemented similar bubbles, which are tightly controlled and include strict health and safety measures in hopes of keeping the coronavirus at bay, for the restart of its pandemic-delayed 2019-20 season this summer.
The league said it had zero positive results over more than two months.