Hockey Canada announced a 35-player selection camp roster for the 2022 world juniors on Wednesday. Due to COVID protocols, camp will be shortened to allow for the final roster to move into quarantine before transitioning to the Edmonton bubble for the duration of the tournament. There will be two days of practice and two games against a USports team from Dec. 9-12 before final decisions are made on the 25-man roster.
NHL Content Four players on this roster have already played NHL games in Cole Perfetti, Jake Neigbours, Hendrix Lapierre and Mason McTavish, the last three of whom have already scored their first NHL goals.
No. 1 in 2022 Kingston’s Shane Wright, the projected first overall pick in the 2022 NHL draft, will get his second crack at making the team after a disappointing camp last year where he simply couldn’t find his stride. Wright lead Canada to gold at the U18 worlds and is up over a point per game for the OHL’s Frontenacs, despite being fourth in team scoring.
No. 1 in 2023? Connor Bedard will attempt to become one of a handful of 16-year-olds in history to make Team Canada’s WJC squad and join a list that includes Wayne Gretzky, Eric Lindros and Connor McDavid. Bedard has 17 points in 21 games for a Regina team that has endured a coaching change. Canada’s Director of Player Personnel, Alan Millar, knows the player well. With Millar having worked previously as GM for the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors, he not only got to see plenty of Bedard in the Regina bubble last season, but was quick to point out that Bedard produced 10 of his team-leading 14 points when it counted most for Canada in the medal round of the 2021 U18 worlds.
3-8-14 Canada will employ a roster composition of three goalies, eight defencemen, and 14 forwards. Typically, IIHF rules allow for 22-man rosters, but COVID protocols have made a concession for an additional three players. This was also the case last year.
Three Back There are three returnees from last year’s silver medal-winning Canadian team in Perfetti, defenceman Kaiden Guhle and goaltender Dylan Garand. Guhle was traded from Prince Albert to Edmonton on Wednesday.
Injuries Quinton Byfield of the L.A. Kings remains on the sidelines with an injury, as do Flyers prospects Tyson Foerster and Zayde Wisdom.
Stay in the Show In terms of WJC eligible players still in the NHL, Jamie Drysdale is playing over 20 minutes per game for Anaheim. Columbus’ Cole Sillinger, who has nine points in 20 games, is centreing Columbus’ second line. And Carolina’s Seth Jarvis has seen time on the Canes’ top line while putting up seven points in 14 games played.
Maize and Blue in the Red and White University of Michigan’s Owen Power, the first overall pick by Buffalo in the 2021 NHL draft, will participate. Due to the time he would’ve missed last year to come to the WJC, he along with Michigan head coach Mel Pearson, decided it would be best to stay the course in his freshman season and not miss the 51 days it would have required to participate (including quarantine). Power currently sits tied for second in NCAA play with 23 points in 16 games. He won a World Championship gold with Canada last summer and now looks to become the first player ever to win a men’s senior world and a world junior gold before competing in an NHL game.
Power’s Michigan teammate, and Columbus first-rounder Kent Johnson, also earned an invite to Canada’s camp. He’s tied with Power at 23 points on the season.
Who Dat? The two biggest surprises in Canada’s camp have to be Ryan Tverberg of UConn and Eliot Desnoyers of QMJHL Halifax. Tverberg is a seventh-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ from 2020 and leads the Huskies in scoring. Desnoyers is an Arizona fifth-rounder, also from 2020. As of Wednesday, he was fifth in league scoring with 34 points, only eight of which have come on the power play.
Three’s Company The only competition in goal will be for the starter’s job as all three names to camp will be on the final team. Garand is the returnee and will be joined by Detroit first-rounder Sebastian Cossa and former Junior C netminder Brett Brochu, currently with the London Knights.
Out(ch) A few surprising omissions include WHL leading scorer Matthew Savoie, Anaheim first-rounder Jacob Perreault, Blainville-Boisbriand defenceman Miguel Tourigny, who leads all CHL defencemen with 16 goals, Barrie defenceman Brandt Clarke (who leads the OHL in defencemen scoring) and Sudbury centre Chase Stillman, who played a role Canada head coach Dave Cameron would admire with Canada’s U18 gold medal team.
Revenge Cameron last coached Canada at the world juniors in Buffalo in 2011. Canada led the gold medal game 3-0 going into the third period that year before dropping a 5-3 decision to Russia.
Boydy Boy Nobody knows Cameron like James Boyd. The two spent years together working in Toronto and Mississauga and it’s clear the management team had a vision in coming up with the 35-player list. “This is not an All-star team, hard skill over soft skill, details, being able to overcome challenges and adversity,” were small bits of the messaging from Wednesday’s presser. The point was stressed that this team will be composed to handle playing in a variety of ways and to face a number of challenges and adversity. The final roster will be constructed as such.
Home Ice Canada last won on home ice when the tournament was hosted jointly by Montreal and Toronto in 2015.
In the Pool Canada, Finland, Germany, Czech Republic and Austria compose Group A. Reigning gold medalists USA will play in a pool with Russia, Sweden, Slovakia and Switzerland.
Quotable “We’re not building a team for Boxing Day, we’re building a team for January 5th,” said Director of Player Personnel Alan Millar.
First-rounders USA, the reigning gold medalists, feature six first-round NHL draft picks and will participate in camp in Plymouth, Mich., from December 13-15.
Back-to-back The US has never won back-to-back tournaments, but has three gold medals in the past nine years.
Maize and Blue in the Red, White and Blue The Wolverines feature four players on USA’s roster in Luke Hughes (New Jersey pick), Jacob Truscott (Vancouver), Thomas Bordeleau (San Jose) and Mackie Samoskevich (Florida).
Back Again They US returns three defencemen in L.A. Kings prospect Brock Faber and Ottawa draft picks Ty Kleven and Jake Sanderson. Up front, Seattle’s first ever draft pick, Matty Beniers, is one of three returnees. Chicago’s Landon Slaggert and Ranger pick Brett Berard are the others.
The Americans have called upon just two first-year draft eligibles, goalie Dylan Silverstein and winger Logan Cooley.
Wolves and COVID With 12 positive test results for COVID-19, the Sudbury Wolves were forced to cease operations for at least 10 days. Team officials spent Wednesday delivering workout gear to billet homes. Players, if feeling up to it, will participate in daily workouts.
While in isolation, players will also be subject to personal meetings with coaches, team building and individual video sessions over Zoom.
Unfortunately, some of the billet families have been forced to self-isolate as well.
As of Wednesday afternoon, all who tested positive were either asymptomatic or experiencing mild symptoms.
One player of particular note is defenceman Jack Thompson. The Tampa Bay prospect was selected to participate in Hockey Canada’s U20 selection camp. Thompson is working with the Wolves, the Lightning and Hockey Canada to make sure he’s able to participate in camp, which begins Dec. 9. It is unknown as to whether or not Thompson is one of the 12 players who tested positive, but even with the mandatory 10-day waiting period, Thompson would be eligible to participate in the full camp.
Team members will re-test after seven days and if results are negative, will be able to get back to business after the mandatory 10 days.
By all accounts, local health authorities and league officials have been extremely supportive in Sudbury’s time of need.
Capital City Challenge Gold Game This tournament, featuring three U17 teams and the women’s national team, concluded Wednesday. In a back and forth affair for the gold medal game, Riley Heidt of Prince George put Team Red ahead 5-4 with 29 seconds left only to have Team Black tie it with a goal from Winnipeg’s Zach Benson at 19:59. Oshawa’s Calum Ritchie won it for Team Black at the 9:19 mark of overtime, his 11th point of the tourney.
Team Black was led by Benson, who put up 12 points over five games, while Team Red received seven-point performances from Victoria Grizzlies (BCHL) Matthew Wood and Moose Jaw’s (WHL) Brayden Yager.
Bronze Team White defeated the National Women’s team 6-1 to capture the bronze medal.
The Women’s National team was lead by Marie-Philip Poulin with four points in three games. Seven players accumulated two points apiece .
Team White was lead by Ethan Gauthier of Sherbrooke, who put up nine points in five games, including an assist on Ty Peddle’s game-winner.
Leading scorers Team Black was led by Winnipeg’s Zach Benson, who finished the tournament with 11 points in four games. Oshawa’s Calum Ritchie finished second with nine points.
My good pal, and Flames radio analyst Peter Loubardias couldn’t stop raving about Yager, whom many have already compared to Nathan MacKinnon.
Petes New Coach In case you haven’t seen this, it’s unreal. Peterborough Petes head coach Rob Wilson is currently with the U17s in Ottawa for the tournament that just wrapped. His Petes hosted Ottawa on Sunday, and so a new coach took the reins while Wilson was away.
Speaking of the Petes, when the third overall pick from the 2021 draft, Mason McTavish, was sent back to Peterborough, it was in the hopes he would participate in the world juniors and give the Petes a big lift. He had a hat trick in his first game back, a 5-3 win versus North Bay, and opened the scoring in aforementioned Cal Wilson’s coaching debut.
Teddy Time It’s Teddy Bear toss season in the CHL. If you feel comfortable enough to attend a game, be sure to check your local team’s schedule and try to attend on Teddy Bear toss night. It’s a blast and it will go a long way in making a child’s holidays.
Gone Way too Soon Deepest condolences to the Swaby family. Former Tri-City Americans and Edmonton Oil Kings defenceman Matt Swaby left us way too soon. He leaves behind wife Carla and three kids. A GoFundMe page has been set up for Carla and the children.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
