BETTER THAN CANADA?
Andre Burakovsky didn’t wait for the World Junior Hockey Championship to begin before giving the tournament’s meatiest quote.
The Swedish forward made headlines last week when a translated quote saw the Washington Capitals’ first rounder say the Swedes “have a better team on paper” than Canada.
Whether one can take a Google translation to the bank is up for debate, but the story also indicates Burakovsky said Canada did not have a “skill player.” That quote is a head scratcher considering the most skilled junior not yet drafted is a teammate of his in Erie, Canada’s 16-year-old phenom Connor McDavid.
There are clearly differing thoughts when such statements are made, and perhaps none sums it up better than this one:
Canadian players had their chance to make Burakovsky eat his words in a pre-tournament game on Sunday. Instead, Burakovsky scored the game-winner in a two point effort in a 3-0 win over Canada. The Swedes captured gold in Alberta two years ago and silver last year in Russia. It may be hard to argue the point considering their team is loaded for this tournament, and even more so now with NHLers Elias Lindholm and Filip Forsberg both being loaned.
This is still Canada, however, which means even an exhibition loss is met with hands resting on panic buttons across the country.
The far greater loss for Canada is the potential of losing Mathew Dumba to suspension. Dumba was tossed from Sunday’s game for a knee-on-knee hit, which will be reviewed. Canada could start the tournament with just five defencemen since seven are on the roster and if Dumba is suspended, he’ll watch alongside Griffin Reinhart who has three remaining from his suspension last year.
LEADERSHIP, FINAL ROSTER SET
Even with NHLer Dumba and returnee Jonathan Drouin on the roster, Hockey Canada made a somewhat surprising decision to hand the captaincy to Scott Laughton on Thursday. Laughton, who served as captain of Team OHL in the Subway Super Series, isn’t even captain of his club team in Oshawa.
The Philadelphia Flyers’ prospect has three traits that make him an ideal choice as captain, our Gare Joyce writes.
Dumba and Drouin were named the two alternates.
https://twitter.com/HC–Men/statuses/413682296936751104
Meanwhile, the final three cuts were made following the first two exhibition games. Damon Severson will rejoin the Western Hockey League’s top team in Kelowna while Vancouver Canucks first rounder Hunter Shinkaruk was returned to Medicine Hat. Baie-Comeau Drakkar captain Felix Girard was the final cut on Sunday, meaning the final 22 is set for Boxing Day.
McDavid becomes just the sixth 16-year-old to make the world junior team, following in the footsteps of Sidney Crosby in 2005, whose coach was, coincidentally, Brent Sutter. With an assist like Friday’s against Finland, it’s easy to see why McDavid made the team.
QMJHL TRADING PERIOD OPENS WITH FRENZY
Unlike the WHL and the OHL, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League isn’t open for trading year round. With the exception of overagers and Europeans, players can only be dealt once the trade period is open, as it was on Sunday.
According to a report, the biggest deal can’t formally be announced until after the world juniors since it involves Canadian forward Charles Hudon heading for Baie-Comeau. The report indicates the Drakkar, who were last year’s league runners up to Halifax, sent three first-round picks to Chicoutimi in the deal. It’s a major move considering the Drakkar are second overall in league standings and return a large core from the team that came up short in last year’s league championship series.
Hudon is this deadline’s biggest name. The Montreal Canadiens prospect will give the Drakkar a gifted offensive forward they can match against other teams’ best, unlike last year when they couldn’t go blow for blow with Drouin and Nathan MacKinnon.
Twelve deals were consummated on Sunday, a day after the final games were played before the holiday break. The biggest came from the Maritimes as the Charlottetown Islanders dealt Yan Pavel Laplante and Julien Leduc to Victoriaville for a pair of first round picks in 2015 and 2016, along with a fourth in 2014. The Islanders also dealt Matt Bursey to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, the same team that beat them 6-2 on Friday Night Hockey.
A change in scenery could be a positive move for all involved. Laplante is like the Energizer bunny, constantly in motion and providing energy to a team that could use a lift on the ice and in the standings.
The youth movement is in full swing for the Islanders, a franchise under new ownership and a rebrand within the last half year. It’s clear Charlottetown is building around a talented group of youngsters, such as rookies Daniel Sprong and Alexandre Goulet.
The next most notable deal includes the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles acquiring sophomore defenceman Loik Leveille from Chicoutimi. These two teams hooked up in a blockbuster shortly before the season when Cape Breton sent first overall pick Nicolas Roy to Chicoutimi for a trio of first round picks. The Sagueneens re-acquired their 2016 first rounder in the Leveille deal, and are rumoured to acquire another three in the Hudon deal.
The Quebec Remparts, meanwhile, are trying to judge whether they should go for it this season considering their contender status. The rub is that they’re one of two teams bidding to host next year’s MasterCard Memorial Cup, and going for it this year could mean weakening a potential host team next year. There’s no doubt since Kurt Etchegary returned, this is a different team.
NEW RINK IN GATINEAU?
The intimate environs of the Robert Guertin Centre could soon be missed, as the Gatineau Olympiques may finally get their wish of a new state-of-the-art facility.
A $63.5-million facility could opening in December, 2015. The Olympiques, meanwhile, would look to host the MasterCard Memorial Cup in 2017.
This would be great news for the Olympiques and the QMJHL, as one of the league’s most iconic and successful franchises is in dire need of a more suitable facility.
– Time to put those armchair general managers to the test. The Saint John Sea Dogs are taking a unique approach to finding their next GM with an application on their web site.
– The Guelph Storm are minus four of their top players, including leading scorer Brock McGinn. Robby Fabbri is making the most of the opportunity, scoring the buzzer-beater to send Thursday’s game into overtime before sealing the victory with his hat trick in a 6-5 win over Sault Ste. Marie.
– Montreal Canadiens first rounder Michael McCarron is adjusting to life in the OHL.
– Niagara IceDogs goaltender Chris Festarini left the team just before the holidays.
– One Russian player agrees the Swedes are better than the Canadians.
– Portland’s Brendan Leipsic will sit seven games for his second suspension of the season.
