Ostapchuk a jack of all trades for Canada
'No-nonsense' Giants captain likely to move up and down lineup
Barclay Parneta isn't sure what role Zack Ostapchuk will have with Team Canada at the world junior hockey championship. He's certain that Ostapchuk isn't worrying about it one iota.
“He's the lowest maintenance guy I've ever met,” Vancouver Giants general manager Parneta said of his team's captain and forward who is part of the 22-player Canadian roster currently preparing in St. Stephen, N.B., for the upcoming holiday season tournament in Halifax and Moncton.
“He'll do whatever is asked of him. He's not one of these firstline guys who says that he can be a checker if need be, knowing full well he'll never be asked to play that role,” said Parneta.
“He's a no-nonsense team guy. He does things the right way. He does everything the right way. Those are the guys you win with. You never have to explain things to him. He just gets it.”
The 19-year-old Ostapchuk, in his fourth season with Vancouver, had 10 goals and 29 points in 21 games when he left for Team Canada's selection camp. The 2021 Ottawa Senators second-round draft pick is on Vancouver's top line, but he's also one of their main penalty killers and someone coach Michael Dyck routinely has on the ice late in games with a one-goal lead.
Ostapchuk has the wheels to keep up with the high-end talent types on his squad and has shown he can finish around the net. He's got the chip on his shoulder and the six-foot-three, 198-pound frame to make things difficult for the best players on the opposing team, too.
At one point at Team Canada's selection camp, Ostapchuk was on the No. 1 line, playing alongside Regina Pats standout Connor Bedard and Shane Wright, who's on loan from the NHL's Seattle Kraken. At Wednesday's first practice since the roster was finalized, Ostapchuk was on an energy line, teaming up with fellow Western Hockey Leaguers Caedan Bankier of the Kamloops Blazers and Reid Schaefer of the Seattle Thunderbirds.
It won't be surprising to see him move up and down the lines once the tournament gets going on Boxing Day. Team Canada opens versus Czechia in Halifax.
Team Canada head coach Dennis Williams knows Ostapchuk well, since Williams' day job is guiding the WHL's Everett Silvertips. Ostapchuk's best hockey with the Giants came in last year's opening round of the playoffs, when he helped No. 8-seeded Vancouver upset No. 1 Everett in six games.
Ostapchuk, who had three goals and 16 points in the six games, was even more dominating than those numbers suggest.
He went on to play for Team Canada at the resurrected world juniors last August in Edmonton and had one goal and three points in seven games. He's one of eight returning players from that team with the squad currently getting ready.
“I know he's going to come back from this experience and evolve even more,” Parneta said.
Giants rookie winger Samuel Honzek, 18, is also leaving today to begin preparations for the world juniors with his Slovakian teammates. They're on the other side of the draw from Canada, so wouldn't meet unit the playoff rounds at the earliest.
That thought has crossed Honzek's mind at least once, it would seem.
“When he left I wished him luck and told him, `We'll see you on the blue lines,'” Honzek said of Ostapchuk.
Honzek, who's in his first year of NHL draft eligibility due to his November 2004 birthdate, went to the world juniors last summer and had no points in four games.
He had 16 goals and 41 points in 30 games with Vancouver heading into Wednesday night's game in Victoria against the Royals.
“I haven't seen my Slovakian friends in a long time. I'm glad that I can be a part of that team,” said Honzek, who comes in at six foot three and 181 pounds. “I got to experience some of world juniors last summer. I hope that I can bring my best and how I play here (with Vancouver) is how I play there.”
He said he feels his game has improved dramatically in this first year in the WHL.
“We are focusing on the little details, whether it's offensive zone, defensive zone or neutral zone. Coaches and the players are helping me,” he said.