For some, Black Friday signals the start of the Christmas season. For others, the signal is Hockey Canada releasing the World Junior Selection Camp roster. That roster was released today.
This year the tournament is in Buffalo and the Selection Camp is in Toronto, starting in a couple weeks.
Just three players return from the 2010 squad that won silver in January. All three are defensemen: Calvin de Haan (NYI) and Jared Cowen (OTT) are looking to play in their second tournament each, while Ryan Ellis (NSH) is back for his third chance.
And while the returning players will have the inside track, it’s hard to say any of them are guaranteed a spot. By the end of the 2010 tournament, both de Haan and Cowen saw their ice time cut significantly, and they will be pushed in a very real way at camp by the likes of Eric Gudbrandson (FLA) and Brandon Gormley (PHX). I’ve seen quite a bit of Western League players Tyson Barrie (COL), Brayden McNabb (BUF) and Mark Pysyk (BUF), and all three have a very good chance of making this team.
Barrie played with Tyler Myers in Kelowna and was a key player when they won the WHL in 2009. Barrie drew plenty of four-letter words from my seat for his tough-as-nails two-way play. I see no way he doesn’t make this team and he will be a household name by the end of the 2011 tournament.
McNabb has led the Kootenay Ice to the CHL Top 10 this season. Pysyk’s Edmonton Oil Kings are a struggling team, but he’s played big minutes in the WHL for the last three seasons and both of these guys got an extended look at the Buffalo Sabres training camp in September.
All told, 17 WHL players were invited to camp and I’m very familiar with most of them. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is one of the few undrafted players invited to camp and having just watched him Friday night, I can safely say he should make this team if only to run the power play. He has great hockey sense and a wrist-shot that has scouts drawing comparisons to Joe Sakic.
Moose Jaw’s Quinton Howden (FLA) and Medicine Hat’s Linden Vey (LA) could fill roles as grinding types with lots of skill. They usually leave me trying to pull my hair out when they visit the Hitmen. Regina’s Carter Ashton (TB), Saskatoon’s Curtis Hamilton (EDM) and Swift Current’s Cody Eakin (WSH) also fit that description. Any of these five players would make a strong core for a checking line but would also fit in on a second line.
Ryan Huska won’t spend any time on the ice, but is one of the assistant coaches this year. Huska is highly regarded in WHL circles, and is one of the top coaches in the CHL. He keeps the Kelowna Rockets near the top of the WHL standings at all times and has a knack for developing NHL-ready players.
No matter which players make it out of the selection camp, this year’s team will face a lot of pressure to get back to the top and there’s certainly enough talent here to do that.
Let Christmastime begin.
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