As Hockey Canada’s entry into the 2013 IIHF Under-18 World Junior Championship comes into view, the difficulty of putting together a highly competitive team with the Canadian Hockey League playoffs ongoing remains an issue.
Some of the biggest names, such as projected top-three NHL draft picks Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin, will not be available to head coach Don Hay and company as they are busy in their respective runs to the MasterCard Memorial Cup.
Nevertheless, the group that will battle for gold in Sochi, Russia between Apr. 18 -28 will still have talent enough to count themselves among the medal contenders in the tournament.
Here are Canada’s top five players to watch at the 2013 IIHF Under-18 World Junior Championship.
1. Connor McDavid, Centre – Erie Otters (OHL)
When Sidney Crosby saw Connor McDavid play back in October, he said: “He looks like he’s got it all … When I watched him play, he reminded me of myself.” The 5-foot-11, 175-pound native of Newmarket, Ont., is a budding and elite offensive talent and was the Ontario Hockey League’s Rookie of the Year after spending most of the season as a 15-year-old. He put up 66 points in 63 games with the league’s second worst team and has all the speed, vision and puck skills of a future first-overall pick in the National Hockey League. He is the youngest player on this Team Canada, but he is also the most skilled. A further point to watch about McDavid is that Kingston Frontenac Sam Bennett, his line mate in minor midget two seasons ago with the Toronto Marlies, is also on the team and may provide Canada with some instant chemistry.
2. Josh Morrissey, Defenceman – Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
Calgary, Alta., native Josh Morrissey is in all probability the most exciting pure offensive defenceman in the upcoming NHL Draft. He was a big key this season in the resurgence of the young Prince Albert Raiders and will lead a trio of creative Western Hockey League blue-liners on this Canadian squad (along with Shea Theodore and Madison Bowey). Morrissey has certainly improved in the area of knowing how to use his exceptional skating ability and puck skills, without gambling and exposing his own end as much as he did last season (he had a plus-16 improvement in the plus-minus category this year over his rookie campaign in the WHL). At a solid 6-feet and 185 pounds, Morrissey is also unafraid to throw his body around. Morrissey will be keeping a blog during the tournament on Hockey Canada’s website.
3. Frederik Gauthier, Centre – Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL)
Frederik Gauthier is an absolute tank at 6-foot-5 and 215-pounds. The Oceanic rookie is a mature, two-way power forward that has decent touch around the net and a powerful skating stride, but his true love is competing physically. Head coach Don Hay will find he can play Gauthier in any situation he needs and it would not be a surprise if an NHL team takes the big Mascouche, Que., native in the first 15 picks of the 2013 draft. He’s not a fantastic passer and doesn’t have hands of gold, but he knows where to go on the ice to use his frame to contribute — evidenced by 60 points in 62 games this season.
4. Morgan Klimchuk, Centre – Regina Pats (WHL)
There is a great deal of disagreement among scouts concerning where Morgan Klimchuk fits in the upcoming NHL Draft. But one thing is for sure: the shifty Calgary native has the speed and quick release that can translate anywhere. The 5-foot-11 and 180-pounder scored 36 goals and 76 points this season on a very poor Regina Pats team, and has increased his production by 30 points from his rookie campaign. Klimchuk loves to attack defenders wide with his tremendous burst and it should be exciting to watch him feed off the best of his peers. Coach Hay will love his character level and strong penalty-killing abilities as well.
5. Shea Theodore, Defenceman – Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
Slated to go late in the first round of the upcoming NHL Draft, Shea Theodore is a gifted skater with an all-around tremendous offensive game. He reads the ice very well, is an exceptional passer and has that uncanny ability to get pucks through from the point. The native of Aldergrove, B.C. parlayed those skills this season to finish second in scoring among draft eligible WHL defenceman (behind a certain Seth Jones). The 6-foot-2 and 185-pounder looks a good bet to quarterback Canada’s power play at the tournament and although he had a poor plus-minus this season at minus-24 (so did almost everyone on the Seattle Thunderbirds; second worst team goals against in the WHL), he should thrive with better talent around him.
Notes:
There are eight players on the roster from the QMJHL, six from the OHL and seven from the WHL … Guelph Storm linemates Hunter Garlent and Jason Dickinson will both be on this team, as will P.E.I. Rocket linemates Yan-Pavel Laplante and Alexis Pepin … The Rimouski Oceanic have the most players with three in hulking defenceman Samuel Morin and Philippe Desrosiers to go along with Gauthier … Find the full roster here … Kootenay Ice forward Sam Reinhart will captain the team, as he did at the Ivan Hlinka Tournament this past summer … Find the tournament schedule here