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Canada Wins 2021 IIHF World Championship

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The 2021 IIHF World Championship came to an end today with Canada taking home the gold medal in a win over Finland. The Canadians won 3-2 in overtime against the Finns, on an Ottawa connection no less between Connor Brown and Nick Paul, to finish off an unlikely run. Though it sounds strange, no one expected Canada to come out on top after several early losses in group play and just narrowly making it into the playoff rounds. However, they proved that they should never be counted out, becoming the first team to ever win the tournament after losing their first three games.

The United States won the bronze medal earlier in the day, defeating Germany 6-1. The Americans actually exited group play with the points lead in the tournament, but due to Canada’s struggles it led to the two hockey powers clashing in the semifinals with Canada coming out on top. Germany continues its rise as a hockey nation, finishing fourth but nearly reaching the final with a 2-1 loss to Finland in the semis.

Other countries that impressed included Slovakia, which reached the playoff rounds behind 12 points in group play, and Kazakhstan, who totaled 10 points in group play and would have reached the next round – knocking out Canada – if not for a surprise regulation loss to Norway. Every nation in the 16-team tournament other than Italy picked up at least one win and four points. It was a tournament to forget for Sweden though; the elite hockey country only notched 10 points in group play and missed the cut.

Individually, it is no surprise that most of the leading scorers of the tournament were impact NHL players from the top teams in the tournament. Brown led the way with 16 points, while Canadian Andrew Mangiapane of the Calgary Flames was named MVP as one of the top scorers and sharing the lead in goals. American Conor Garland of the Arizona Coyotes finished second in points and Canadian Adam Henrique – who centered a line with Brown and Mangiapane – also among the leading scorers. However, two additional players in the mix will come as a surprise. Boston Bruins property Peter Cehlarik of Slovakia tied Mangiapane and Henrique with 11 points and Arizona Coyotes prospect Liam Kirk tied Mangiapane for the tournament lead with seven goals. In net, Calvin Petersen of the Los Angeles Kings was stellar for the U.S., recording a .953 save percentage and 1.29 GAA, but unheralded Finnish netminder Jussi Olkinuora was just as good. The former University of Denver standout and AHL/ECHL veteran has quietly been putting up impressive numbers for five years in Europe in the Liiga and KHL and may very well be on NHL radars now.

Gerard Gallant Named Head Coach Of Team Canada

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He’s been away from the NHL for a little while, but that doesn’t mean Gerard Gallant has forgotten how to coach. The veteran bench boss has been named the head coach for Team Canada at the upcoming 2021 IIHF World Championship. Gallant will be joined by assistants Mike Kelly and Andre Tourigny. Hockey Canada CEO Tom Renney released a statement on the decision to bring in Gallant:

We are fortunate to lean on the professional and executive experience that all three gentlemen will bring as Canada gets set for the IIHF World Championship in Latvia. Gerard and Mike have worked together both at the NHL and junior level and have an understanding of what it takes to compete and win. André complements them with his extensive coaching résumé and recent experience at the World Juniors. We believe we have selected a group that will build on each other’s strengths and provide exceptional leadership, with input from Roberto [Luongo] and the Olympic management group, as our team prepares to compete for a gold medal.

This won’t be the first time that Gallant is behind the bench of Team Canada. He served as an assistant at the World Championship in 2007 and 2017 and was also an assistant at the 2016 World Cup. His last full-time coaching position was with the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2019-20 season when he was replaced midseason by Pete DeBoer.

While this could just be Hockey Canada taking advantage of a coach with nothing else to do, it’s easy to see this move for Gallant as a way to get back into the swing of coaching before taking a job next season. Very well respected around the league, his name has been linked to several upcoming vacancies including the Seattle Kraken, who have yet to name their first coach in franchise history. Gallant of course served as that pioneer for the Golden Knights, taking Vegas to the Stanley Cup Final in year one.

Kelly at one point served as an assistant for Gallant in the QMJHL and was actually the coach who took over the Saint John Seadogs when he left for a role with the Montreal Canadiens in 2012. Tourigny meanwhile was recently hired as a full-time coach by Hockey Canada, serving on several staffs over the next year.

The IIHF World Championship is set to start on May 21 in Riga, Latvia.

Roberto Luongo Named GM Of Team Canada

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After a year where almost every international hockey event was canceled, things are getting back to normal soon. The IIHF World Championships are scheduled for May 21 – June 6 in Riga, Latvia, where teams including many playoff-eliminated NHL players will represent their respective countries. Canada has announced its management team for the event today, with an interesting name at the top.

Roberto Luongo has been named general manager, with Shane Doan and Scott Salmond assisting him as part of the management group. Both Luongo and Salmond are part of the Olympic management group as well for Canada, meaning this is something of a test run for the bigger event. Tom Renney, CEO of Hockey Canada, released a statement explaining the decision:

Hockey Canada is excited to have Roberto lead our management group at the IIHF World Championship this year, and to continue to work with our entire Olympic management team as we continue to prepare for the 2022 Olympics. We are also fortunate to have Shane and Scott contribute as assistant general managers; both individuals bring a wealth of experience to Canada’s National Men’s Team. Roberto, Shane and Scott bring a strong combination of NHL and international experience, both on and off the ice, and they will complement each other as we work towards building a team that can compete for a gold medal.

Luongo certainly brings international experience. The former goaltender competed at two World Juniors, four World Championships, three Olympic Games and a World Cup over his long, exceptional career. He’ll now have to do his best work off the ice, selecting and convincing the best available players to compete in the spring tournament.

Calgary Flames Sign Connor Zary

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The Calgary Flames have signed one of their top prospects, inking Connor Zary to a three-year entry-level contract. Zary was the 24th overall selection in October’s draft and is currently playing with Team Canada at the World Junior Championship.

After spending the last three years with the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL, it’s not clear what lies next for Zary after the WJC is complete. With this contract he will be eligible to take part in Flames training camp and even be assigned to the AHL, should the WHL still not be up and running by the time the minor league kicks off its season in February. The question now becomes if Zary is ready for professional hockey, though he certainly looked like he didn’t have much more to prove at the WHL level last season.

In 57 games with Kamloops, Zary scored 38 goals and 86 points, regularly dominating the competition. Due to his late-September birthday, he was one of the oldest players eligible for the 2020 draft and is already 19. By the time the 2021-22 season rolls around, Zary will be old enough to suit up in the AHL even if everything is back to normal. With that in mind, perhaps the AHL is actually the best place for him anyway. The Flames will certainly get a better chance to evaluate his game in person when (and perhaps if) he joins training camp.

Kirby Dach Suffers Injury, Will Miss 4-5 Months

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December 28: The prognosis is in and the news isn’t great for the Blackhawks and their fans. Chicago has announced that Dach has undergone surgery on his fractured right wrist and the timeline for recovery is four to five months. According to the NHL’s revised 2020-21 schedule, only the earliest possible return would allow Dach to play in the regular season and even a potential playoff run might be out of the question if there are any delays to his recovery. Most likely, the Blackhawks will be without their young standout this season.

December 24, 11:30am: McKenzie adds to his report, tweeting that Dach suffered a fracture but more testing will be needed before deciding if surgery is needed. Speculating on the length of time Dach will miss, McKenzie suggests that a 4-8 week timeline would be for a normal fracture but if surgery is required it could be “considerably longer.”

December 24, 9:30am: Team Canada has lost its captain. The Chicago Blackhawks may have lost their young star. After taking an awkward hit yesterday during a pre-tournament game, Kirby Dach has been ruled out for the World Junior Championship according to Bob McKenzie of TSN. Though team doctors are still assessing the injury and the team has not yet officially announced it, McKenzie tweets that not only will he miss the WJC but Dach is also expected to miss NHL time.

This is a worst-case scenario for everyone involved. Team Canada has enough forward power to replace Dach and still be a favorite, but this is exactly the reason that some teams don’t want their top prospects going to an international tournament so close to the NHL season. Dach of course missed the event last year because he was already a full-time roster piece for the Blackhawks, but the team gave him the chance to go this year and wear the “C” for his country. Now, not only will Dach not get to play in a WJC, but he is going to miss some of his sophomore NHL season as well.

Blackhawks camp starts in just over a week, with games scheduled to start in three weeks’ time. We’ll have to wait and see how long Dach is out for, but given how effective he was in the postseason bubble, this is a big blow for Chicago. As an 18-year-old rookie, Dach scored 23 points in 64 games for the Blackhawks last season but came into the bubble even better, recording six points and generally looking like one of the most dangerous players on the ice in Chicago’s nine games.

Of course, the Blackhawks also announced that Alexander Nylander would miss several months yesterday after knee surgery, meaning two of the team’s young forwards are out for the time being.

Kirby Dach Named Team Canada Captain

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Though it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, Kirby Dach was officially named team captain today for Canada at the World Junior Championship. The Chicago Blackhawks forward has a full NHL season under his belt and is expected to be one of the most effective players in the entire tournament. He’ll be joined in the leadership group by Dylan Cozens and Bowen Byram, who have both been named alternate captains for the event.

The captaincy is often given to a returning player, but Dach actually didn’t get to play for Canada last year because he was too busy with the Blackhawks. The 19-year-old forward was picked third overall in 2019 and stepped nearly directly into the NHL, scoring 23 points in 64 games with Chicago. His play in the postseason bubble was even more impressive when he was one of the most dangerous players on the ice for the Blackhawks and recorded six points in nine games.

Cozens meanwhile returns to the WJC after dominating a year ago, scoring nine points in seven games for Canada to help them win the gold medal. The Buffalo Sabres prospect trailed only Alexis Lafreniere and then-captain Barrett Hayton in scoring for the team and should be another top player for Canada this year. An absolute freight train when he gets up to full speed, Cozens’ size, skating ability, and reach make him an incredibly difficult player to contain.

Byram will wear an “A” and likely anchor the top pairing for Canada after playing a lesser role last year at the tournament. The fourth-overall pick from 2019 has almost limitless upside at the offensive end and should be a big part of Canada’s quick transition game. Another excellent young defenseman in the Colorado Avalanche system, this WJC could certainly be his coming out party in front of the rest of the hockey world.

Finland Announces Final WJC Roster

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The Finnish entry to the 2020 World Junior Championship later this month has the tall task of likely being the only thing standing between Team Canada and a group play sweep in the weak Group A at this year’s tournament. The roster that will face this challenge has been finalized and contains a majority of NHL prospects, but lacks some top-end talent and depth this year. Below is the roster for Finland’s “Young Lions” squad:

F Samuel Helenius (2021)
F Roni Hirvonen (TOR)
F Roby Jarventie (OTT)
F Benjamin Korhonen (undrafted)
F Brad Lambert (2022)
F Anton Lundell (FLA)
F Matias Mantykivi (BOS)
F Henry Nikkanen (WPG)
F Mikko Petman (undrafted)
F Petteri Puhakka (undrafted)
F Mikael Pyyhtia (CLB)
F Juuso Parsinen (NSH)
F Aku Raty (ARI)
F Kasper Simontaival (LAK)

D Santeri Hatakka (SJS)
D Ville Heinola (WPG)
D Mikko Kokkonen (TOR)
D Topi Niemala (TOR)
D Kasper Puutio (FLA)
D Ruben Rafkin (undrafted)
D Matias Rajaniem (NYI)
D Eemil Viro (DET)

G Joel Blomqvist (PIT)
G Kari Piiroinen (undrafted)
G Roope Taponen(undrafted)

The Finnish team, though it includes 17 NHL draft picks, is missing a pair of head-scratching omissions. Patrik Puistola (CAR), who led the Finnish entry in scoring last year and was eligible to return this year, was not included on the roster. Neither was Aatu Raty, a presumptive top-ten and even top-five pick in the 2021 Draft, though his older brother did make the team. Though potentially a stretch selection at his age, 2022 top overall pick candidate Brad Lambert will be an intriguing prospect to watch for the Finns.

Among NHL property owners, the Toronto Maple Leafs lead the way with three selections, all of whom should play crucial roles. The Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets will each have two core players as well. Pittsburgh Penguins netminder Blomqvist projects to be a workhorse starter for Finland in the tournament.

Hockey Canada Cuts Seven From World Junior Camp

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The World Junior Championship is just a few weeks away and Team Canada has started making cuts. After sending home five players earlier this week who were deemed unfit to play because of COVID-19 tests or close contact, seven more were cut today. Brett Brochu, Tristan Lennox, Adam Beckman, Tyson Foerster, Hendrix Lapierre, Cole Schwindt, and Shane Wright will not be taking part in the tournament this year. That still leaves Canada with 34 players at their selection camp, meaning nine more will be cut before submitting the final roster.

The headline name here is Wright, though he was always a longshot to make the team this year. The 16-year-old would have been one of the youngest to ever play for Team Canada at the U20 event, but instead, he’ll have to wait a year and go as a 17-year-old next year. The potential first overall pick in 2022 was granted exceptional status to enter the OHL a year early and scored 66 points in 58 games for the Kingston Frontenacs. That earned him the CHL Rookie of the Year award and the honor of being the youngest player in OHL history to wear an “A” as an alternate captain.

One other name that may catch the eye is Lapierre, who was picked 22nd overall by the Washington Capitals this year. The 18-year-old forward was once considered to be in the running for the top few selections, but head and neck injuries have slowed his development considerably. He too will likely get another chance to go next year should he have a full healthy season with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens.

With two goaltenders cut today, one can assume that the position is set with the three names remaining in camp. Dylan Garand, Taylor Gauthier and Devon Levi will be the team’s goaltending trio, though no starter has yet been named. For all the firepower that the Canadians possess upfront and skill on the back end, the goaltending position is still something of a question mark without that star prospect. Gauthier wasn’t drafted at all, while Levi was a seventh-round pick out of the CCHL.

Prospect Notes: 2021 Draft, Team Canada, Merkley

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The focus for hockey fans right now is on the upcoming NHL season, but for many 2021 draft-eligible prospects, the concern is just trying to get on the ice at all. The OHL and WHL haven’t started yet, while the QMJHL is about to shut down for a month due to increasing coronavirus numbers. Several NCAA schools have shut down their hockey programs for the year, while overseas leagues are routinely dealing with outbreaks of their own. It makes determining a draft ranking exceptionally difficult, but Scott Wheeler of The Athletic (subscription required) tried anyway, putting together his top-64 today.

At the very top without much surprise is Owen Power, the University of Michigan freshman that has dominated at every level of minor hockey. Power has the size—he stands 6’5″ and is well over 200 lbs—and skating ability to be a difference-maker in the NHL, potentially at a very young age. That said, he doesn’t project to have quite the same offensive upside as someone like Rasmus Dahlin, which means he isn’t a sure thing for the first-overall selection just yet. The 18-year-old defenseman was in the middle of some controversy last month when his college team wouldn’t release him for Team Canada’s World Junior selection camp, meaning he (likely) won’t get a chance to show what he can do on the world stage. Still, playing (and dominating) at Michigan should be more than enough for scouts to form a strong opinion on the young defender and decide whether he’s worth that top spot.

  • Wheeler’s colleague Corey Pronman does his best to project what Canada’s roster will be like when the coaching staff cuts it down from 49 to 25 for the tournament later this month. Among his “locks” to make the team are Bowen Byram and Jamie Drysdale, who will return on defense and are a big reason why the loss of Power won’t really matter to the Canadians. Byram, the fourth-overall pick in 2019, and Drysdale, the sixth in 2020, could make up one of the most dynamic and skilled pairings in World Junior history should they play together for Canada. Both players can score at an elite level and skate among the best in the world, which should put them in the NHL before long.
  • One young forward that never managed to make Team Canada at the WJC is now trying to lock down a role in the NHL, as Nick Merkley’s loan with Assat in Finland comes to an end. The 23-year-old was a first-round pick in 2015 but has just two NHL games under his belt so far and is now with his second organization. In his 19-game stint overseas the New Jersey Devils forward scored 13 points, all of them after going scoreless in his first four. Merkley signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Devils in October, accepting his qualifying offer amount to try and prove he can hack it at the NHL level.

Hockey Canada Selection Camp Suspended

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Nov 26: The camp has been shut down for two weeks after it was determined that all players, coaches, and staff were considered close contacts to the positive tests. Under Alberta health guidelines, they must now undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine period.

Nov 24: After it broke that both the Vegas Golden Knights and Columbus Blue Jackets have had multiple players test positive for COVID-19 in recent days, more coronavirus news has hit the wire. Hockey Canada’s World Junior selection camp has suspended activities, including the postponement of an intrasquad game that was scheduled for today after two players tested positive for COVID-19 earlier today. Scott Salmond, senior VP of the national team, released this statement:

Hockey Canada confirmed earlier today that two players at Canada’s National Junior Team Sport Chek Selection Camp have tested positive for COVID-19, and have been placed in quarantine at the team hotel in Red Deer.

Upon learning of the positive test this morning, the decision was made to postpone the Red-White game scheduled for this morning at the Westerner Park Centrium, and to suspend all camp activities for today. As per Hockey Canada’s safety protocols, all players, coaches and staff members took mandatory COVID-19 tests upon arrival at camp and have continued to be tested regularly throughout the past ten days. For precautionary reasons, we will also ensure that all players and team personnel go through an additional test before resuming camp activities. The appropriate local and provincial health authorities have been made aware of the situation, and we will continue to work closely with Alberta Health Services. We will have no further comment at this time.

Though the actual tournament will be played inside a bubble, the selection camp does not have the same protocols. The group is just a week into their month-long preparation for the event, which was designed to give Canadian juniors a chance to get back on the ice while the WHL and OHL wait for their seasons to start.

The identities of the players that tested positive have not been, nor will likely be, announced.

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