Watching the IIHF World Junior Championship is one of the most exciting non-Stanley Cup Playoff hockey moments of every season. If you are unfamiliar with the WJC, it is a 10-country/team tournament for hockey players under 20 years old. It starts on Dec. 26 and wraps up around Jan. 5 every year. This year the World Juniors will feature two Seattle Kraken prospects.
Here is background on these Kraken prospects along with other key players to watch and a few local connections in this year’s tournament.
Seattle Kraken prospects
Matty Beniers – USA – University of Michigan
This will be the second World Junior Championship for Matty Beniers, the No. 2 overall pick of the Kraken at the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, after winning gold last year. At the 2021 tournament (this upcoming tournament is called the 2022 WJC, since it ends after the calendar turns), he played more of a depth defensive role while Trevor Zegras and Alex Turcotte drove the scoring. This year, Beniers will help drive the offense for USA and therefore will be getting top-line minutes.
Beniers is considered an excellent two-way forward, so look for him to get matched up against other teams’ top lines. As usual, the Americans have one of the stronger teams in the tournament, and a medal is expected. Beniers will get a lot of ice time and play a critical role in the outcome for Team USA.
Beniers had a beautiful assist on Brett Berard’s goal against Finland in a pre-tournament game on Thursday.
Ville Ottavainen – Finland – JYP (Liiga)
Ville Ottavainen was selected in the fourth round by the Kraken at the 2021 draft. He has been playing full-time on JYP in Liiga, the highest pro hockey league in Finland. He has nine points in 30 games this season and at 6-foot-4, he is the tallest defenseman on the Finnish roster. Finland is a strong team, but their weak spot is their defense. For Finland to have a chance at gold, Ottavainen will have to have a strong tournament.
Ottavainen scored the tying goal against USA in Finland’s pre-tournament game on Thursday.
Zellweger was a second-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and is expected to get top-pair minutes partnering with Owen Power for Team Canada. He had an excellent U18 World Championship last spring and has not looked back, averaging 1.2 points per game for Everett this year. Zellweger is a fun player to watch and is not afraid to join the rush to contribute offensively.
Ronan Seeley – Canada – Everett Silvertips
Seeley looks like a steal as a seventh-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes from the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. He has improved quite a bit since July and could probably be drafted in the third or fourth round in a hypothetical re-draft. His development has been great, but he is still a depth defenseman on this stacked Canadian team. Making the team was a huge accomplishment, but his ice time might be limited unless he gets paired up with Zellweger to get some of that Silvertip magic going.
Michal Gut – Czechia – Everett Silvertips
Gut was undrafted last summer but some analysts forecast that he could be selected in his second year of eligibility as a 19-year-old. The World Juniors stage will provide a forum for scouts to evaluate what they might have missed last season. Gut is an excellent puck handler and distributor with 25 assists in 23 games for Everett this year.
Samuel Knazko – Slovakia – Seattle Thunderbirds
Knazko recently joined the Thunderbirds after playing much of this season in a top Finnish junior league. He has only played five games for the Thunderbirds but already has three points to show for it. This will be one of Slovakia’s stronger teams to date and could be a sleeper to knock off one of the powerhouses in the crossover games. If that happens, Knazko will be one of the primary contributors.
2022 draft eligible players
Logan Cooley – USA – Notre Dame
Cooley is projected to be a top-10 draft pick in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft. He was a late addition to training camp where he would eventually land a spot with the team.
Joakim Kemell – Finland – JYP (Liiga)
Kemell is having an outstanding season playing pro hockey in Finland. He has 12 goals in 21 games for JYP which is good enough for top 10 in the league despite missing some games due to injury. He continues to move up analysts’ draft boards and a good World Junior performance could move him to become a top-five draft pick.
Marco Kasper – Austria – Rogle BK (SHL)
Austria is projected to have a rough tournament, but a bright spot is Marco Kasper. Kasper has been playing pro hockey in Sweden and is having a decent season. He is projected to be a first-round draft pick in July, so it will be interesting to see how he performs against more players his own age.
Shane Wright – Canada – Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)
Wright was the projected No. 1 draft pick for the 2022 NHL Entry Draft going into the season, but a slow start has some draft analysts questioning if his first overall projection is a sure thing. A strong World Junior Tournament could quiet the criticism that is out there.
Other top-end players
Owen Power – Canada – University of Michigan
Owen Power was drafted first overall in 2021 and has continued living up to the hype in his sophomore year so far at Michigan. Power could easily be the best player in this tournament and will be fun to watch.
William Eklund – Sweden – Djurgardens IF (SHL)
Eklund played nine games with the San Jose Sharks before being loaned to Djurgardens IF of the Swedish Hockey League. He will be slotted on the top line for Sweden and is expected to put up big offensive numbers. Kraken fans should expect to see Eklund coming back to play in the NHL Pacific Division as early as next year.
The tournament kicks off this Sunday, Dec. 26, with four games nicely staggered throughout the day starting at 11 a.m. All games will air on NHL Network.
When Kraken general manager Ron Francis announced that Matty Beniers would be the team’s first-ever selection in the NHL Entry Draft, Seattle fans rejoiced. The spanking new franchise had selected a future cornerstone for the organization, a young man with skill, tenacity, and an innate ability to lead his teammates.
Among seasoned hockey fans, Beniers became a household name in the leadup to the 2021 draft and was well deserving of his No. 2 overall selection. Not only was he a central figure on an outstanding University of Michigan team, he also played a key role for Team USA at the 2021 World Junior Championship, where the Americans won gold for just the fifth time in the 44-year history of the tournament.
Aside from third-string goalie Logan Stein, Beniers was the only player on the American roster that still had draft eligibility during last year’s tournament and was the youngest player on the roster. He scored a goal and two assists in seven games and averaged 17:05 of ice time as the team’s second-line center.
In May, Beniers took a step up to the IIHF World Championship, where he played with bona fide NHL players and notched a goal and an assist in six games, helping USA to a bronze medal. He was again the youngest and only draft eligible player on that roster.
Now, in his final year of eligibility, he’s back at Team USA’s World Junior Championship training camp with eyes on a massive role for the 2022 tournament.
“I’m excited,” Beniers said Monday on a Zoom call with members of the media. “I think after last tournament— it was awesome winning gold, but you know, I think I expected a little more out of myself to contribute, and I wasn’t able to do that in the point standings. I think this year it’s the same expectation that I’m going to be kind of that guy… Hopefully I can do that for the team.”
Beniers and the Americans accomplished something truly remarkable in 2021, taking down Team Canada to bring home gold. Although much of the roster has turned over, he’s hoping the players that were part of last year’s win can build off of the experience.
“I think we did something very special last year and it was really great, awesome,” he said. “But the next thing is here, and we’re kind of starting to turn the page and not forgetting about it. But remembering what worked and what didn’t work and try to implement that into the team this year, try to do the same thing, and try to do it even better.”
Teammates follow the lead of Matty Beniers
Though captains have not been named yet, Beniers will almost certainly factor into the leadership group for Team USA as one of six players currently in camp who participated in the tournament last year. He already serves as alternate captain at Michigan in just his sophomore season, and his teammates on Team USA confirm that they look to him to pave the way.
Another player returning from last year’s gold-medal winning group is University of North Dakota defenseman Jake Sanderson, who was selected No. 5 overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. When Sanderson was asked Monday who he viewed as the leaders on the team, he didn’t hesitate in placing Beniers at the top of his list. “He’s not the most vocal guy, but when he is, guys listen. Just how he goes about his day, he’s a leader by example just by how hard he works, and he does all the right things.”
The Wolverines team on which Beniers plays his college hockey is special. There are seven first-round draft picks on the roster—an NCAA record—including four of the top five selections in 2021. The No. 4 overall pick was Luke Hughes, who is expected to make his first appearance at the WJC with Team USA later this month. We asked Hughes about Beniers on Monday, and he said, “He’s been a great resource for me and he’s a really good leader on our team at Michigan. I think he’s going to be a really good leader here too.”
Kraken keeping an eye on Beniers’ development
After Beniers was picked by the Kraken, there was some debate as to whether he would join Seattle right away or go back to Michigan for a second season. It wasn’t a surprise, though, to see Beniers and his cohort of collegiate superstars return to Ann Arbor.
Last season was wonky on a lot of levels, from having no fans in the stands at famed Yost Arena to the Wolverines getting disqualified from the NCAA Tournament at the last second due to positive COVID tests. After posting a point per game in 2020-21, Beniers is continuing to play well at the college level as a sophomore, notching 11 goals and 11 assists in 20 games. He is tied for the lead on his star-studded team in goals and is just one point off the team lead for scoring.
He is continuing to develop as a player, and Seattle is continuing to keep tabs from afar. Beniers says Troy Bodie, director of hockey and business operations for the Kraken’s future Palm Springs AHL affiliate, has been checking in with him regularly. “He’s kind of their development guy,” he says of Bodie. “He’s been to games and just mentions little things I can work on, but nothing too crazy.”
It’s a delicate balance for NHL teams to allow their drafted players to go through the process with their current teams and avoid interfering too much. “I think they understand we’ve got great coaches at Michigan where I’m playing, and [those coaches are] there every night, they’re there to help, and they kind of trust those guys that they’re going to help developing me and get me better. Once they kind of pass the torch, I’ll start to get more insight from the Kraken and what they think.”
So what does Beniers need to do to prepare himself for the jump to the NHL? “I think it’s just continue to get bigger, stronger, faster. The NHL, it’s a really fast-paced game. Everyone’s bigger and stronger and they’re all fighting to keep their job… I think that’s the biggest focus right now, and it’s always tough during the season to do that.”
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at Sound Of Hockey and the host, producer, and editor of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is an inconsistent beer league goalie who believes that five players have to make a mistake before the puck gets to him. Follow him on Twitter @DarrenFunBrown or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
When it comes to hockey rivalries, Canada and Russia is one of the best. The two countries have played epic games on the international stage and will write the next chapter Thursday night in Texas when they play for the gold medal of the IIHF U18 World Championships.
The U18 tournament features many top 2021 NHL Draft prospects as well as some unbelievably talented players who will be featured in the 2022 and 2023 Drafts.
Canada has breezed through the tournament so far, unbeaten and outscoring its opponents by an absurd 46 to 9 margin. It’s a deep squad loaded with future NHL talent and one of the deepest teams the Canadians have brought to the U18s.
We’ve heard this before, though.
At the 2021 World Juniors, Canada looked invincible, with a roster of first-round NHL picks. Surely nobody would stop them. That was the narrative heading into the gold medal game and yet the U.S. ended up skating away with the prize.
This time it’s the Russians who will try to upset the seemingly unbeatable Canadians. Will they do so? They have talent but will have to play a near perfect game Thursday night. The game starts at 6 PM Pacific time and will be broadcast on the NHL Network.
Canada versus Russia for U18 gold
After ripping through the preliminary rounds, Canada advanced to the gold medal game with a pair of seven-goal wins. They beat the Czech Republic 10-3 and Sweden 8-1. The game against Sweden was closer than the score appeared as Canada led 2-1 through 40 minutes. With the way Canada has played, that’s what constitutes a close game in this tournament.
The Russians tied Finland in points during the preliminary rounds but lost out on the top seed due to a head-to-head shootout loss. They had a taste of revenge by beating Finland in a thrilling 6-5 semi-final contest. Prior to that, they had taken care of Belarus, 5-2. Russia has played exciting games during this tournament and won’t be a pushover here. They’ve already erased a 5-1 deficit against the United States to hand the Americans a heartbreaking loss early in the tournament.
Canada-Russia by the numbers
It should be no surprise that the two teams fighting for the gold medal have some impressive numbers. Despite Canada routing all of its opponents, Russia boasts the best shooting percentage as a team at 18 percent, but Canada is right behind them at 17. Both squads are far and away the best shooting clubs in the tournament which could lead to some explosives Thursday night.
Special teams are always a factor in gold medal games and Russia and Canada feature the top two power-play units in the tournament. Russia’s is clicking at 43 percent while Canada is just a tick below at 42. Russia will need to be disciplined in this game as their penalty kill was not as good (75%) as Canada’s (85%) and too many kills could lose the gold medal.
The top two scorers in the tournament are both Russians. Captain Nikita Chibrikov has 13 points and is tied with teammate Matvei Michkov – 11 of his points are off goals. Canada’s Connor Bedard (12 points) and Shane Wright (11 points) are third and fourth in scoring, respectively.
Players to watch
It would be easy to list the entire Canadian roster here as their chances to grab U18 gold against Russia lay in the hands of a talented roster that has depth through all four lines.
For Kraken fans, forward Dylan Guenther, Brandt Clarke, and Mason McTavish are just three players who are projected as first-round picks in the range of when Seattle will pick in its first Draft. In particular, Clark — who normally plays with the OHL’s Barrie Colts but played in Slovakia this year due to the OHL season being canceled — has had a strong tournament and could see his stock on the rise.
Canada’s Dylan Guenther will be a top NHL Draft pick in July. (Photo by Andy Devine/Edmonton Oil Kings)
Local fans will want to keep an eye on Seattle Thunderbirds forward Connor Roulette, who has six points in six games, and Everett Silvertips defenseman Olen Zellweger, who has seven.
Russia also has NHL talent on its roster, most notably its two leading scorers.
Chibrikov is a speedy two-way and fluid center projected to land in the first round. Another first-round prospect is Fyodor Svechkov who has checked in with 10 points for the Russians. Svechkov is another fantastic two-way center who will have his hands full against Canada in the gold medal game.
The future of the future
Both Canada and Russia have younger players who will not be eligible for the NHL Draft this year but in the coming years. These guys have been electric and have put on a show during the tournament in Texas.
It’s a U18 tournament which means that 15-year-old Bedard could be and was invited for Canada. The Regina Pats phenom is the first player ever to be granted exceptional status in the WHL and after leading the league in scoring there, he’s come to Texas and has led Canada. He’s as dynamic a player as you’ll see in this game and turned in a hat trick during Canada’s semi-final win against Finland. Bedard is eligible for the 2023 NHL Draft and is already being talked about as the top pick.
Not to be outdone, Canada’s Wright, 16, has been equally impressive. He’ll be eligible for the 2022 Draft and already looks like the No. 1 guy. Wright was named Canada’s captain for this tournament, which is exceptional by itself, but then you watch the guy play and he does it all. He can score, play in his own end, he’s on the Canadian power play, and he kills penalties.
Russia also has a 2023 eligible player in Michkov. At 15 years old, he’s exploded on the scene during the U18s, leading the way with 11 goals. He’s got size for a guy his age and could give Bedard a push for that top Draft spot in two years.
Gold medal goalie matchup for Canada and Russia
Obviously, it took good goaltending for Canada and Russia to reach the U18 gold medal game and both clubs have it. Russia’s Sergei Ivanov will get the call in net Thursday and will bring with him a 2.36 goals-against and a .920 save percentage.
On the Canadian side, Seattle Thunderbirds goalie Thomas Milic started two games in the preliminary rounds – only allowing one goal – but will serve as the backup goalie for Canada in the gold medal game. Instead, Canada will go with Benjamin Gaudreau, who started both playoff games. Gaudreau has only allowed eight goals in six games with a save percentage of .922. Playing for the OHL’s Sarnia Sting, Gaudreau had not played in a game all year, making his U18 performance that much more impressive.
It could be a game for the ages. Or, the Americans could get blown out of the water. Either way, it’s going to be a party for somebody. Let’s hope for the former, as Team USA faces the overwhelming tournament favorite, Team Canada, in Tuesday’s World Junior Championship (WJC) gold medal game.
Monday’s semifinals were a tale of two contests. In the early game, Russia—which opened the WJC with an impressive win over Team USA—was spanked 5-0 by the Canadians. That game even made the world’s best under-20 goaltender, Yaroslav Askarov (Nashville Predators prospect), look downright beatable. Team Canada coasted through the third period and never looked under duress.
In the late game, USA ultimately came out victorious over Finland in an intense contest that went down to the wire. After the US allowed the tying goal at 16:17 of the third period, Arthur Kaliyev (LAK) rifled the game winner with just over one minute remaining. It was an emotional game that took every American player giving just about everything to get past the pesky Finns, who nearly overcame their second consecutive two-goal deficit of the knockout stage.
Both teams will need to quickly reset as we turn our attention to the gold medal game, which will be played Tuesday between David Team USA and Goliath Team Canada at 6:30PM Pacific on NHL Network.
Team Canada Lives Up to Hype
On paper, Canada should probably win just about every WJC. Yet—by their standards—the Canadians had a bit of a down decade, earning three gold medals between 2010 and 2020, including last year’s championship. Another win tonight would prove that the dip in dominance was simply an anomaly.
In this WJC, Canada has lived up to its pre-tournament billing in every way. Despite its best player and captain, Kirby Dach (CHI), fracturing his wrist in an exhibition game and forcing him out of the competition, Team Canada has dominated every game it has played to this point. In fact, the star-studded squad has outscored its opponents 41-4 in six games, and netminder Devon Levi has allowed zero goals at even strength.
You read that right. Canada has not yet allowed an even-strength goal in this tournament.
Speaking of Levi, goaltending was perhaps the one area coming into the WJC in which Canada did not appear to hold an advantage over the field. Russia’s Askarov and USA’s Spencer Knight received the bulk of the ballyhoo, while our neighbors to the north questioned who would get the nod in their nation’s goal crease.
Levi—an unheralded seventh-round draft pick of the Florida Panthers—has answered any and all questions to this point. The Northeastern University freshman has stopped 120 of 124 shots through Monday’s semifinal, good for a .975 save percentage. Still, one could argue that he hasn’t been tested that intensely, as Canada has allowed few grade-A scoring chances.
Meanwhile, after losing the odds-on favorite for tournament MVP in Dach, Dylan Cozens (BUF) took the reins as the offensive leader and shined from the jump. Cozens—who has traded off wearing what was supposed to be Dach’s “C” with stud defenseman Bowen Byram (COL)—is tied for the WJC scoring lead with 16 points (8-8-16).
Connor McMichael (WAS), Quinton Byfield (LAK), Alex Newhook (COL), and Peyton Krebs (VGK) are other players that we at Sound Of Hockey have noticed as particularly outstanding on a roster full of potential future NHL superstars.
The Americans Are No Slouches
So if Cozens is tied for the tournament scoring lead, then who shares that honor with him? Why, it’s none other than USA’s Trevor Zegras (ANA), of course!
Zegras has been incredible for the Stars and Stripes, scoring from everywhere, setting up teammates, and finding ways to be dangerous just about every time he’s been on the ice. In all, Zegras has six goals and 10 assists, and if USA shocks the world Tuesday, he has all but secured the tournament MVP award.
Others that have wowed for the Americans have been Cam York (PHI), Matt Boldy (MIN), and Cole Caufield (MTL).
Local Pacific Northwest hockey fans have been clamoring to see Everett Silvertips goaltender Dustin Wolf (CGY) receive a real chance to show what he can do on this global stage. He frankly has been buried on the bench behind Knight, despite not giving up a goal in a game and a half during the preliminary round. USA head coach Nate Leaman has clearly hitched his wagon to Knight, though, and almost certainly will give the start to the 2019 first-round pick of the Panthers.
In fairness to Knight, he has played very well in this tournament, aside from a couple opening-game blunders against Russia that landed him on the bench. Knight boasts a .922 save percentage and was named one of USA’s three best players of the tournament following Monday’s semifinal.
But Do The Americans Actually Have a Chance?
It’s not quite USA versus USSR in the 1980 Winter Olympics, but Canada will be heavily favored on Tuesday. The US will have to play a close-to-perfect game and will still have to get some breaks to beat the Canadians.
So how can they actually do it? Most important for Team USA is that it wins the special teams battle. On Monday, the Americans took five penalties against Finland and relented two power play goals. They aren’t going to score much at five-on-five against Canada, but they do have the best power play in the tournament with Zegras, Kaliyev, and Boldy forming a truly elite forward unit. As a team, USA has scored at a 43 percent clip with the manpower advantage.
Drawing power plays while playing a clean game and receiving stellar goaltending from Knight is how the Americans can pull this off.
Still, it’s a huge long shot.
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at Sound Of Hockey and the host, producer, and editor of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is an inconsistent beer league goalie who believes that five players have to make a mistake before the puck gets to him. Follow him on Twitter @DarrenFunBrown or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
That probably wasn’t the start the Americans wanted in the World Junior Championship. The first WJC game for Team USA against Russia on Christmas Day ended 5-3 with the Red Machine getting the better of the play for most of the evening.
USA was sloppy with its puck management, committing dangerous turnovers it its own end and at both blue lines, and that really was the ultimate difference in the game.
If you’re rooting for the Stars and Stripes in this tournament, though, there was some silver lining. After falling behind 4-1 in the second period, Team USA did fight back to make it a one-goal game before conceding an empty net goal in the closing minutes.
So, there’s some fight in the Americans. Even in a game with careless puck play and as high as a three-goal deficit against a talented team with the world’s best under-20 goalie, there was still a chance for victory late in the game. And that is something upon which to hang your red, white, and blue hat.
Despite the disappointing American performance, it was ridiculously fun to drink a few glasses of Christmas cheer and watch elite-level hockey. Here are the three things we learned from USA’s opening loss to Russia.
Thing 1: America’s Got Talent
Montreal Canadiens’ draft pick, Cole Caufield, got minimal playing time in the opening period Friday. Why? We have no idea.
The Wisconsin Badger was dangerous every time he touched the puck and looked faster and more shifty than anybody else when he was in control. The problem was that he didn’t get that many looks, and when he did, it was too frequently on the perimeter and trying to create opportunities for himself.
Caufield loves finding a quiet spot on the ice away from the puck and then quickly striking when a teammate finds him through a seam. That didn’t happen Friday.
Trevor Zegras (ANA) also showed why he’s considered one of USA’s top offensive threats with a late power play rocket off the post and in.
Meanwhile, Matt Boldy (MIN) was strong everywhere on the ice and Cam York (PHL) had USA’s first goal and added an assist.
There are kinks to work out for Team USA if it wants to have a chance in this WJC, and Russia exposed that. But there is real talent here, and despite the loss, there’s no reason to think USA can’t end up on the podium on January 5th.
Thing 2: Goaltending Controversy?
While Russia’s Yaroslav Askarov (NSH) has earned top billing for goalies in this tournament – and showed why on Friday with some remarkably athletic saves – Spencer Knight is one of the other netminders that has received plenty of hype and praise, including from yours truly.
Yaroslav Askarov’s legs move quicker than Ginsu knives
It probably wouldn’t have looked that bad for the Florida Panthers’ first-round draft pick, if it weren’t for his puck play outside of the crease. And frankly, Knight made a good pass on one of the his two gaffs before defenseman Jake Sanderson (OTT) turned the puck over and hung Knight out to dry.
This one was pretty bad, though, and this goal – Russia’s fourth – landed Knight on USA’s bench.
In all, Knight was credited with just four saves on eight shots Friday. Oofda.
In came Everett Silvertip and friend of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast, Dustin Wolf (CGY). The 2019-2020 CHL Goalie of the Year came on in relief and looked solid, stopping all eleven shots he faced, including two Russian breakaways.
Knight has long been considered the de facto starter for USA, but the team would have had a better chance to win if Wolf had played the whole game.
One has to wonder now if Wolf will get more chances to start as we get deeper in the tournament. He has already been named the starter for Saturday’s contest with Austria.
Dustin Wolf (CGY) will start for Team USA tonight. #WorldJuniors
While USA head coach, Nate Leaman, has maintained all along that he plans to use both Knight and Wolf in the WJC, the preliminary round games are absolutely auditions for the quarterfinals and beyond.
Thing 3: Execution Wins Games
Execution was the achilles heel for Team USA against Russia, and that has to improve as we move along in the WJC. Turnovers in bad spots on the ice ultimately did them in against a more opportunistic and more crisp Red Machine.
A sequence four minutes into the second period summed up the contest pretty well. Bobby Brink (PHL) found himself with the puck on his stick in the slot and a gaping net in front of him, with Askarov nowhere to be found.
But Brink shanked a snap shot wide of the net. A goal there would have given USA a 2-1 lead.
Just seconds later, Maxim Groshev (TBL) hit Zakhar Bardakov with a glorious stretch pass that Bardakov promptly deposited behind Knight.
The US goes right back to work at 6:30PM Pacific on Saturday against a lesser opponent in Austria. Perhaps that will be a chance for the Americans to ramp up the execution that escaped them on Friday.
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at Sound Of Hockey and the host, producer, and editor of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is an inconsistent beer league goalie who believes that five players have to make a mistake before the puck gets to him. Follow him on Twitter @DarrenFunBrown or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
Team Canada, the hockey powerhouse of the world, is a perpetual bet to bring a stacked roster to the World Junior Championship time after time.
This year is no exception.
Twenty first-rounders make up a roster with 24 drafted prospects in all — including a tournament-high seven in the Top 10 — for Team Canada in the 2021 WJC.
Here’s how Canada’s roster shakes out.
Forwards
Team Canada posted a photo of its line combinations for a practice on Dec. 18, and it included the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft on Canada’s fourth line.
OK, Quinton Byfield probably won’t be a fourth-liner for the entire tournament. But it’s a testament to how deep and talented Canada’s forward group is.
It starts with Kirby Dach, who was loaned by the Chicago Blackhawks to Canada for the tournament. Dach, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, was playing on a national stage as recently as August.
Playing against Cole Caufield (USA forward and Canadiens prospect) and Vasili Podkolzin (Russia forward and Canucks prospect), as talented as they are, might just be a slight drop-off from playing against Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Byfield, Dach, Dylan Cozens (Sabres first-round pick), Connor McMichael (Capitals first-round pick) and Dawson Mercer (Devils first-rounder) round out Canada’s returners up front from last year’s tournament in the Czech Republic.
Notably, Canada has really strong depth at center with players like Dach, Byfield, and Cozens highlighting the roster. It will allow guys like Peyton Krebs, a Golden Knights prospect and a former Winnipeg Ice star, and Connor Zary, a Flames first-rounder and a Kamloops Blazer, to move to the wings.
Defensemen
Canada’s options on the blueline are also strong.
Bowen Byram, the No. 4 overall pick by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2019 NHL Draft, headlines the group. The former Vancouver Giants star will likely link up with Jamie Drysdale, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft by the Anaheim Ducks, as Canada’s top pairing.
Both Byram and Drysdale are also expected to be primary fixtures on Canada’s power play.
Canada also features two shutdown defensemen from the Western Hockey League in Prince Albert’s Kaiden Guhle (No. 16 overall to Montreal in 2020) and the Brandon Wheat Kings’ Braden Schneider (No. 19 overall to the New York Rangers).
Goalies
Ironically, Canada may rely on its only undrafted player to handle its crease for the 2021 WJC.
Taylor Gauthier, who plays for the WHL’s Prince George Cougars, has been in the Hockey Canada program since he was 16-years-old and tended goal for the Maple Leaf in the country’s gold medal finish at the 2018 under-18 Hlinka-Gretzky Tournament in 2018.
Devon Levi, a seventh-round pick by the Panthers in 2020 who plays for Northeastern University, and Dylan Garand, a fourth-round pick by the Rangers in 2020 who plays for the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, are Canada’s other options in goal.
It’s unclear right now which one Canada will lean on in Edmonton.
This is perhaps Canada’s only weak spot on its roster, whereas other medal favorites, the United States and Russia, are well set up in the crease. USA boasts the Spencer Knight-Dustin Wolf tandem and Russia will go with super prospect Yaroslav Askarov.
Forward to Watch: Dylan Cozens
The Sabres prospect put up nine points for Canada last year as an underager and could be in line for another huge tournament. Cozens is projected to center Canada’s top line with Dach and fellow Buffalo first-round draft pick Jack Quinn. His combination of length (Cozens is 6-foot-3), speed, and shooting ability should be a spectacle.
Defensemen to Watch: Thomas Harley
The Stars prospect (No. 18 overall pick in 2019) is a highly-skilled rearguard who will be leaned upon to create offense for Canada. He spent last season with the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League but played in one playoff game with the Dallas Stars during the 2020 playoffs.
Newcomer to Watch: Cole Perfetti, Forward
It’s hard for folks out west to watch the talented junior players in the east, so the WJC will be a terrific chance to get a glimpse of the Winnipeg Jets first-rounder (No. 10 overall). Perfetti, who plays for the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit, is a lethal player on the rush with a quick release on his shot and superb puck handling and totaled 111 points in 61 games last season.
But there is Canada assistant coach Mitch Love, who is a cult hero in Everett Silvertips lore. Dylan Holloway is also a former Silvertips draft pick but decided to play at Wisconsin instead.
Expectations
There’s no reason Canada can’t hold a “gold-or-bust” mantra heading into Edmonton.
Canada has elite top-end talent and astounding depth, two ingredients for a championship. Canada’s goaltending is something to keep an eye on, but the Canadians are the odds-on favorites in 2021.
