Team Canada roster loaded with talent for world juniors

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It’s gold or bust heading into the tournament in Edmonton and Red Deer to be played in front of fans, albeit at half capacity due to concerns with the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Expectations are always high on Canada going into the world junior hockey championship.

Again, it’s gold or bust heading into the 2022 tournament in Edmonton and Red Deer, to be played in front of fans albeit at half capacity due to concerns with the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Canada has won the tournament a record 18 times and goes in with another stacked roster featuring, potentially, three first-overall selections in the NHL Entry Draft on the team.

Here is a breakdown of the Team Canada roster.

GOALTENDERS

Instead of inviting four or five goalies to selection camp, Canada decided to just bring the three who would be on the roster, hoping the extra practice time not having to share the net, would help at the tournament.

Goaltending has generally been a strength for Canada and this year the team has three capable puck stoppers in Dylan Garand, Sebastian Cossa and Brett Brochu.

Garand and Cossa will vying for playing time in the tournament, with Brochu expected to be the third-string goaltender, although things can change in a hurry.

Garand was one of three players on the roster last year, but played just one period behind Devon Levi. He stopped 14 of the 15 shots faced in splitting a 6-4 win against Russian with Cossa in Canada’s lone pre-tournament game Thursday.

Garand will get the start against Czechia in the tournament opener on Sunday.

DEFENCE

Canada’s defence is anchored by Owen Power, the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.

Power elected to return to play with the University of Michigan Wolverines and will be taking part in his first world juniors after missing out last year due to quarantine concerns.

Power is in the unique position of having an opportunity to win a world junior championship after winning a world championship title last spring.

“I’m super excited, it’s a dream of mine since I was a little kid,” Power said. “So just to have the opportunity to play for Canada at the world juniors is something that is really special to me and all the other guys.”

Along with Power, the Canada blue line also features first-rounders Kaiden Guhle, and Carson Lambos. Guhle was on the team last year and will captain this year’s squad. He was selected 16th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 2020.

Lambos, 18, was taken 26th overall by the Minnesota Wild in 2021. The Winnipeg product is currently playing for the Winnipeg Ice of the WHL.

Olen Zellweger, 18, a second-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in 2021, Lukas Cormier, 19, a third-round pick of the Vegas Golden Knights in 2020, and Ryan O’Rourke, 19, a second-round pick of the Minnesota Wild, round out Canada’s top six.

“I think we’re all good puck movers, we’re all very mobile,” Zellweger said. “I think breakouts and neutral-zone transition will be very efficient. Then with that, I think lots of guys can provide in the offensive zone when needed. All in all, we’re a very mobile and very smart group back there.”

FORWARDS

Up front, there are plenty of scoring options for Canada with eight NHL first-rounders, including Mason McTavish and Jake Neighbours, who both started the year in the NHL and scored their first goals.

McTavish, 18, was the youngest player in the NHL at the start of the season and had two goals and three points in nine games before being sent back to the Peterborough Petes of the OHL. McTavish had five goals in four games with Peterborough before joining Team Canada. He’s expected to light up opponents at the world juniors.

Neighbours, 19, had a goal and an assist in his nine games for St. Louis and has five goals and 18 points in 10 games with the Edmonton Oil Kings.

Canada’s top line features centre Shane Wright, 17, projected to be the No. 1 pick in this year’s NHL Draft, along with Cole Perfetti, who is a Winnipeg Jets first-rounder, who was also on the world championship roster last spring and is currently playing for the Manitoba Moose in the AHL, and Xavier Bourgault, the Edmonton Oilers first-round pick in 2021.

“We’re trying to balance the team, we’re trying to sort through what we think might be a good combination of different skill sets and things like that,” said Canada head coach Dave Cameron. “With Cole it’s good to have his experience back. Playing in the American Hockey League this year, he’s a high-end kid. Shane, for all the pressure that’s on him, he’s got the complete game going right now.”

The forward group also features Kent Johnson, who went fifth overall to the Columbus Blue Jackets last year, Dylan Guenther, 18, who went ninth to the Arizona Coyotes and Ridly Greig, who was selected 28th overall by the Ottawa Senators in 2020.

Rounding out the forward group is 16-year-old sensation Connor Bedard, expected to be the first-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Bedard is only the eighth 16-year-old to play for Canada at the tournament, joining a pretty exclusive list. The last player to do it was Connor McDavid who had a goal and four points in seven games as Canada was eliminated by Finland in the semifinal in Malmo, Sweden in 2014.

“It’s an amazing thing he’s done to make that team at such a young age,” McDavid said. “I remember it can be a little overwhelming at that age, you’re so young and you’re stepping into games on the big stage for the first time. With that comes the social media and lots of attention.

“I would say just for him to go in and have fun and maybe stay off of social media for that time, because it can be a little negative.”

Email: dvandiest@postmedia.com

On Twitter: @DerekVanDiest

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