According to EliteProspects.com, this is the youngest Team Canada ever at the World Juniors with an average age of 18.61 years.
“Everyone here deserves to be here,” Hockey Canada management group leader Mark Hunter said. “That’s what we looked at, who can play the best, and we evaluated from summertime to here. We put (age) aside, we picked who has the most talent and who can help the team win.”
The World Juniors have long been viewed as a 19-year-old event and Canada’s deep talent pool usually makes it tough for under-agers to crack the roster, but this year, Canada actually has four first-year, draft-eligible players. On the eve of the tournament, Hunter offered TSN a scouting report on his youngest players starting with returnee Alexis Lafrenière.
Lafrenière was benched during last year’s World Juniors and ended up only playing a depth role in Vancouver. This year, the Rimouski left winger is on the top line and top power play unit.
“He’s grown up,” Hunter observed of the reigning CHL player of the year. “He plays a real good two-way game now, he understands what needs to be done to win hockey games, how to win games … he sees he’s got to play both ends of the ice.”
Lafreniere on Canada’s outlook: We’re going to keep building and getting better
Following Canada’s final pre-competition game against Finland, Alexis Lafreniere spoke about how good he felt on his line, explained how much of a weapon Nolan Foote’s shot and offensive game is and discussed how his team feels overall with the tournament right around the corner.
Quinton Byfield is challenging Lafreniere atop this year’s draft class and will also start in a top-six role. A natural centre, the six-foot-four Byfield has been skating on the left wing on a line with Arizona’s Barrett Hayton and Lethbridge’s Dylan Cozens.
“He’s looked good,” said Hunter. “He’s a young man that’s really taken all this stuff in and we hope for good things for him in this tournament, but only time’s going to tell.”
“It’s hard to believe he’s that young,” Hayton said. “Obviously, he looks like a man out there the way he shields the puck, protects the puck and the way he can take over a game is impressive. His hockey sense is something that’s not really talked out, but he has a great feel for the game.”
Jamie Drysdale is a rare 17-year-old to make Canada on defence (only the seventh since 1991) and while he started each pre-tournament game as the seventh defenceman, the Erie Otter looked at ease at this level and has potential to carve out a bigger role.
“His skating does wonders for him,” Hunter noted. “I think he plays like a Victor Mete, who just skates and does things and keeps pucks out of our zone. His gaps are excellent so he’s really done a great job to present himself here and just continue to get better and better.”
‘He’s a genius’: Drysdale poised to crack Canada’s D at age 17
If the Islanders don’t loan Noah Dobson to Team Canada, then Jamie Drysdale will officially make the cut becoming just the seventh 17-year-old to crack Canada’s blue line since 1991 joining Aaron Ekblad, Ryan Ellis, Jay Boumeester, Chris Phillips, Wade Redden and Scott Niedermayer. “He’s a genius out there,” gushed assistant coach André Tourigny. “Seriously, he’s so smart … everything you teach him he does it right away.”
Drummondville forward Dawson Mercer wasn’t invited to the World Junior Showcase in the summer, but used to a strong performance in the QMJHL Russia series games to catapult himself into the conversation. On the bubble until the final cut, Mercer scored in Canada’s first pre-tournament game against the Swiss.
“I like his intelligence,” Hunter said. “He makes intelligent plays. I feel like he plays two ways, which we wanted and he’s continued to get better since Day 1 of camp and hopefully he can continue to do that and win some big games for us.”
While the NHL is getting younger and younger, Hunter doesn’t necessarily believe this is the start of a new trend for Hockey Canada at the World Juniors.
“It just depends on the years,” he said. “You know what, every year is different so we’ll see next year what age it is. We have a lot of 18-year-olds playing this year and there’s going to be a lot … playing as 19-year-olds in Edmonton (next year) so that can happen, we’ll have to see. The bottom line is we picked these players based on who’s the best, did a lot of evaluation on them and that’s the conclusion we came up with.”
Canada brings youngest ever team to WJC: ‘We put who has the most talent’ on the team
According to EliteProspects.com, at an average age of 18.6 years old, this is not only the youngest Team Canada ever, but the first to average under 19 in the 44-year history of the official tournament. “Everyone’s here that deserves to be here,” said management group leader Mark Hunter, “and that’s what we looked at, who can play the best.” The group features four draft-eligible players, who are capable of stealing the spotlight.
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Before turning in each night, Team Canada’s players turn in their phones to the team staff.
“The players understand they need to get to sleep, but do their friends? Do their families?” asked Hockey Canada director of men’s national teams Shawn Bullock. “Does everyone back home understand there is that major time change? We started explaining that in the summer, why we do those things and how important it’s going to be over here to get that quality of sleep, no disruptions with phones buzzing or anything of that nature.”
Defenceman Kevin Bahl is grateful for the policy, especially since his NHL rights were traded in a deal that broke around 11 pm in Vienna where Team Canada was training.
“If I had my phone I would’ve been up to 3 am so it’s good,” he said, “in my eyes at least.”
But, not everyone is a fan.
“My girlfriend doesn’t like it too much,” said goalie Nico Daws with a laugh. “But, no, it’s good. Sleep’s very important. Anything to get an upper hand in this tournament and it definitely helps.”
“It’s critical for these guys to get their rest so they can perform at an elite level,” Bullock concluded. “This tournament happens real fast and at an elite level and we need to be fresh.”
‘My girlfriend doesn’t like it’: Canadian players give up their phones at night
While overseas at the World Juniors, Team Canada players must turn in their phones before turning in for the night. “The players understand they need to get to sleep,” noted Hockey Canada director of men’s national teams Shawn Bullock, “but do their friends? Do their families?” Kevin Bahl appreciated the move estimating he would’ve been up to 3 AM on the night he was traded if he had his cell.
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Canada’s goaltending situation is coming into focus. Dale Hunter has confirmed that Moncton’s Olivier Rodrigue, who was scratched in both pre-tournament games, will start as the third goalie.
The coach wasn’t ready to name a starter after Monday’s game, but Daws appears to have a leg up. He didn’t allow a goal in regulation or overtime in his two exhibition appearances and owns a .939 save percentage with Guelph this season.
“I felt really good, really confident,” said Daws after the win over Finland. “They have a good team over there, the Finns move the puck well and I thought I did a good job in the half I played. My mindset’s pretty strong, still the same as when I came, play my game and have fun with it and I’m having a lot of fun out there and the results are showing.”
After splitting a shutout with Daws in the first pre-tournament game, Portland’s Joel Hofer allowed three goals against the Finns, two in regulation and one in overtime.
“I’ve laid it all out on the line,” he said. “You can’t save them all so it’s not the end of the world. I’ll learn from it and move on.”
Daws had never played for Team Canada before this camp and a Boxing Day showdown against the Americans would undoubtedly be the biggest moment in his career.
“You try not to think about it too much,” Daws said. “I mean, obviously the whole country is watching and more and there’s a lot of stress in those games and a lot of pressure but, once again, I’m just here to have fun and play hockey.”
Daws on performance against Finland: ‘I felt really good, really confident’
Goalie Nico Daws was perfect in his last tune-up game before the tournament begins on December 26th, stopping every shot he faced in the 30 minutes he played. The decision on who starts in net for Canada has not been finalized yet, but Daws likes his mindset right now, feeling really good and confident.
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Cole Caufield scored 14 goals in six games at the under-18 World Championship earlier this year, tying Alexander Ovechkin for the tournament record. Does that MVP performance give him confidence heading into his first World Juniors?
“That’s in the past now, I think there’s a lot of things I need to prove in this tournament too,” the Montreal Canadiens first-rounder said. “I just want to prove that I’m one of the guys that can lead the team in different ways than just scoring.”
But scoring is what Caufield does the best and he appears to be riding a wave of momentum heading into the World Juniors having potted four goals in a final tune-up game against the Germans on Monday.
“When a goal scorer’s scoring that’s a good thing,” USA coach Scott Sandelin said. “He loves to do that and it was a good game for him to have for confidence. It’s going to get tougher, but he finds ways. He has that smile on his face and hopefully we can keep that on there with him scoring in the tournament for us.”
Caufield always finds a way despite standing just 5-foot-7, 163 pounds. He has produced 12 goals in 18 games as a freshman with the University of Wisconsin this season. Last year, he set a new single-season USA National Development Program record with 72 goals.
“He just finds those soft areas,” Sandelin observed, “just knowing where pucks are going and being in the right spot or getting there at the right time is a real key to his success around the net.”
“The pucks find him,” noted goalie Spencer Knight, “and he finishes up close, he can finish from back far, he can take one-timers off the rush, he also can make passes too.”
Caufield has a swagger about him. Asked about Daws, he says he doesn’t know anything about the goalie, who burst onto the scene this season after getting passed over in the NHL draft. And Caufield doesn’t plan on doing any extra scouting.
“It’s all about instincts,” he insisted. “I mean, if the goalie can’t see it, he’s not going to be able to stop it.”
Caufield says the Boxing Day showdown with Canada will be the biggest game he’s ever played in.
“I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time,” he said.
What stands out about the rivalry with Canada?
“Just the history of everything, just the US-Canada bloodbath, even in the summer when played them it was kind of getting chippy, it’s never not intense.”
Caufield: ‘There’s a lot of things I need to prove’; anticipates Boxing Day ‘bloodbath’
Cole Caufield made a big statement ahead of the World Juniors scoring four goals in Team USA’s final tune-up game. But the American sniper is far from satisfied. ‘There’s a lot of things I need to prove in this tournament,’ the Canadiens first rounder said. ‘I just want to prove that I’m one of the guys that can lead the team in different ways than just scoring.’
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Sandelin lists Caufield and Nick Robertson as the best performers in his team’s shootout work so far. It was Robertson, Toronto’s top pick in June’s draft, who won the internal competition at Tuesday’s practice.
“Unbelievable,” Caufield said of Robertson. “He pulls off some crazy moves. I think it just comes natural to him. He’s done some things in practice and the pre-tournament games that have just been eye-opening to me. He’s so skilled and so smart, it’s incredible.”
“I like shootouts,” Robertson said. “I have go-to moves and luckily it worked out.”
How many go-to moves does he have?
“More than one, that’s for sure,” Robertson said with a grin. “You got to read the goalie and hopefully it works.”
Sandelin says Team USA has worked on shootouts “two or three times” and will do it at least once more.
Leafs prospect Robertson dazzles in USA shootout drill; ‘It just comes natural to him’
Nick Robertson will play a ‘key role’ for Team USA at the World Juniors, according to coach coach Scott Sandelin, who likely call upon the diminutive Leafs prospect should there be a shootout. ‘He’s done some things in practice and the pre-tournament games that have just been eye-opening to me,’ said teammate Cole Caufield. ‘He’s so skilled and so smart, it’s incredible.’
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Team Canada is scheduled to hold a practice at 2:30 pm (8:30 am ET) on Christmas Day.
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Whitecaps will begin their post-season campaign with a play-in game against the Timbers in Portland on Wednesday.
The ‘Caps (13-13-8) ended the regular season with a 2-1 loss to Real Salt Lake on Saturday and finished eighth in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference standings.
The eighth and ninth spots from each conference meet in a play-in game this week, with the winner going on to face the No. 1 seed in the first round of the playoffs.
Each eighth-place team was set to host the play-in game, but Vancouver announced Friday that its home stadium, B.C. Place, is not available, so the club will cede home-field advantage to Portland (12-11-11), the ninth-place team.
The ‘Caps and Timbers split their three-game series during regular-season play, with each side taking a win, a loss and a draw.
The first round of the MLS playoffs is set to begin next weekend.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 19, 2024.
SANDY, Utah (AP) — Diego Luna scored a tying goal in the 73rd minute and Real Salt Lake added another on an own goal for a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday night to set a single-season club record for points.
Real Salt Lake (16-7-11) secured the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference and will face Minnesota in the first round of the Major League Soccer playoffs. RSL reached 59 points this season, topping the 2012 team with 57.
Vancouver (13-13-8) will play the Portland Timbers on Wednesday in a wild-card game for a chance to play top-seeded LAFC.
Luna settled a long cross from Braian Ojeda before taking four touches to slot home a shot inside the far post for his eighth goal of the season.
RSL went ahead in the 83rd when Vancouver goalkeeper Isaac Boehmer misplayed a lofted ball that rolled into the back of the net.
Vancouver midfielder Ryan Gauld opened the scoring in the 58th to become the first player in club history to produce multiple seasons with at least 10 goals and 10 assists.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Juan Soto’s arrival last winter was supposed to be that move that pushed the New York Yankees back to the top.
They’re one step away.
Soto hit a three-run homer with two outs in the 10th inning and the Yankees advanced to their 41st World Series — and first in 15 years — by beating the Cleveland Guardians 5-2 in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series on Saturday night.
Baseball’s biggest brand is going back to October’s main stage.
Soto, who was acquired in a seven-player trade from San Diego in December, pushed the Bronx Bombers into position with one big swing.
This was why he came, for this moment and for so many more.
“We’re right where we belong,” said Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, who pulled off the deal for Soto.
The Yankees will try to win their 28th title against either the New York Mets or Los Angeles Dodgers. Game 6 of the NL Championship Series is on Sunday at Dodger Stadium.
In the third consecutive tight game in three nights at Progressive Field, Austin Wells walked with one out in the 10th and Alex Verdugo followed with a grounder to Guardians second baseman Andrés Giménez, whose soft toss to the bag was dropped by rookie shortstop Brayan Rocchio for an error.
Hunter Gaddis struck out Gleyber Torres and had Soto in a 1-2 count before New York’s stylish outfielder sent a shot over the wall in center. Soto danced down the first-base line and paused to celebrate with his teammates before circling the bases.
“I was just saying to myself, `You’re all over that guy. You’re all over that guy. He ain’t got anything,’” said Soto, who moved alongside his manager, Aaron Boone, as the only New York players to homer in an extra-inning, series-clinching win.
Luke Weaver got the final three outs with Lane Thomas flying out for the last one, which was caught by Soto.
“We get to play for a world championship,” Boone said. “That’s pretty sweet.”
The 25-year-old Soto is eligible for free agency this winter, and Yankees fans chanted “Re-sign Soto!” during the postgame festivities. He’s expected to get a contract upwards of $600 million, and his heroics in Game 5 may have raised his price.
Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run homer and was named ALCS MVP as the Yankees took care of the Guardians in five games. It wasn’t easy.
New York won the first two at Yankee Stadium without much fanfare or any major drama. However, it was a different story in Cleveland as all three games at Progressive Field were nail-biters.
The Guardians rallied to win Game 3 on two, two-run homers in their last two at-bats, and the Yankees held on to win Game 4 after blowing a four-run lead.
“This was a rollercoaster and we were able to just keep punching back,” Stanton said. “We know there’s much more work to do and it’s only uphill from here and we got to get it done.”
Cleveland just didn’t have enough and a surprising season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt ended just short of a World Series. The franchise remains without a title since 1948, baseball’s current longest drought.
“There’s only one team that gets to win the last game of the year, and unfortunately it’s not going to be us,” Vogt said. “But we accomplished a lot as a group. We got better. We worked extremely hard. I couldn’t be more proud of this group. We just didn’t get quite as far as we wanted to.”
The Yankees are back in the World Series, back where their fans expect them to be every year.
The club’s 82-80, fourth-place finish in the AL East last season led to some “soul searching as an organization” during the winter, according to Boone, who has been widely criticized but is one of just three managers to take New York to playoffs in six of his first seven seasons.
While the team’s core stayed mostly intact, getting Soto in a blockbuster trade on Dec. 7 — New York sent five players to San Diego for the three-time All-Star — accelerated the team returning to title contender.
“That was a good day,” Boone said with a laugh before the game.
Stanton’s 446-foot rocket into the left-field bleachers tied it at 2 in the sixth and chased Tanner Bibee, who had struck out New York’s dangerous DH in his first two at-bats and held the Yankees scoreless for the first five innings.
It was Stanton’s fourth homer in this series — his third in three days — and his 16th in the postseason, moving him into fourth place on the club’s career list behind Bernie Williams (22), Derek Jeter (20) and Mickey Mantle (18).
Before the game, Boone was asked what makes Stanton so good.
“He can hit it harder than anyone, first of all,” Boone said. “So there’s the physical nature of what he does that’s different than just about everyone in the world.”
But Boone went on to compliment Stanton’s discipline at the plate, “his approach, his process, how he studies guys.”
“There’s something that he does when he gets familiarity with people on top of being very physically gifted,” Boone said.
The Guardians took a 2-0 lead in the fifth off Carlos Rodón on Steven Kwan’s RBI single with two outs. But Cleveland missed a big chance for more, leaving the bases loaded when Lane Thomas grounded out on the first pitch to him from Mark Leiter Jr.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: LHP Nestor Cortes (elbow strain) had another successful live batting practice session. The reliever remains on track to join the Yankees on their World Series roster. Boone said Cortes would throw again early next week. Cortes went 9-10 with a 3.77 ERA in 30 starts.
