Injured Sudbury forward John McFarland was a surprising omission on Canada's selection camp roster.
"Past results don't ensure future gains" isn't just an old stock market saying.
John McFarland seemingly became victim in the ultimate case of 'what have you done for me lately?' The injured Sudbury Wolves forward was a surprising omission on Hockey Canada's selection camp roster named Monday.
After being just one of three 17-year-olds to earn a camp invitation last year, McFarland was considered a lock to at least earn another camp try-out. Not so, Hockey Canada head scout Kevin Prendergast said, as the product of Richmond Hill, Ont. will continue to rehab his injured leg with the knowledge he won't participate in the world juniors.
Prendergast basically offered a simple, "thanks, but no thanks" when asked of McFarland's omission.
"McFarland was a player that was on the radar for us," Prendergast said. "At the end of the day, we looked at what our team was going to look like. Unfortunately, John wasn't one of the picks that we felt would help us at this point."
Ouch.
Prendergast's explanation also closes the door on whether McFarland's injury played a part in the decision. McFarland missed out on the second Ontario Hockey League game of the Subway Super Series, coincidentally played in his junior club team's rink, and has not played since Nov. 12.
What McFarland's omission does say is just how far his fall from grace has taken him. The former first-overall pick in the 2008 OHL priority selection was once considered a blue-chip prospect and surefire eventual candidate for the annual world junior tournament.
His career hasn't exactly gone the way anyone would have expected. In the past year, McFarland went from a top prospect to one that Hockey Canada wouldn't even consider for their world junior squad.
McFarland, along with Tyler Seguin and Brandon Gormley, was cut from the team a year ago at age 17. Seguin would now be a no-brainer if the Boston Bruins allowed him to participate while Gormley, also currently injured, did receive another invite.
Since then, it's hard to fathom any other prospect's stock dropped further. Once considered a first rounder, McFarland watched and waited as his name went uncalled in the first 30 picks in Los Angeles. Visibly frustrated after the first round's final pick was unveiled, McFarland simply wiped his chin and walked out of the Staples Center.
He was eventually picked 33rd overall by the Florida Panthers.
The message was clear: NHL teams just weren't sure about the total package. After McFarland allegedly feuded with last year's head coach and general, Mike Foligno, the jury appeared to be out. McFarland was guilty until proven innocent, and he wasn't given the chance to clear his name at this year's selection camp.
An unspectacular season, upon which he has six goals and 10 points with a minus-5 in 12 games, may have been the final stone cast on his chances of wearing the maple leaf.
To be fair, Prendergast is in his first year as the national team's head scout and did not choose McFarland for last year's camp. Al Murray, who held the position a year ago, moved on to accept the director of amateur scouting position with the Tampa Bay Lightning last summer.
Prendergast made it clear last season's success didn't carry over when determining the players invited to their selection camp.
"We're looking at how they're playing this year and how they played in the summer, if they were invited to the (Hockey Canada) camps," he said. "I came in with a clean slate for everybody throughout the country to be part of this team.
"At the end of the day, we looked at the chemistry situation - the type of players that we needed to be competitive and to be winners. That's how we came about with the 39 names."
In spite of the turnover with Canada's head scout, one can't help but wonder if its head coach, Dave Cameron, felt the same way about McFarland. Cameron, the head coach and general manager of the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors, is very familiar with McFarland from the OHL as his Majors play in the same division as McFarland's Wolves.
If Cameron felt strongly that McFarland could be a valuable contributor to his team's cause, the forward would have had the chance to prove himself.
Only time will tell if McFarland's stock is a diamond in the rough or a dud.
Notes: The only other players invited to last year’s camp that weren’t invited this year (and presumably still available) are Gatineau defenceman Nicolas Deslauriers and Brandon forward Scott Glennie. Deslauriers is currently injured and Prendergast acknowledged his name was on the list until the injury
