TSN SportsCentre reporter Mark Masters covers the 2022 World Junior Hockey Championship. Team Canada hosted an evening ice skating event in Edmonton on Monday ahead of a pre-tournament game against Sweden.
Mason McTavish campaigned with the Anaheim Ducks to let him play at the Summer World Juniors.
“It was a bit of a back-and-forth, but I expressed how passionate I was about coming here,” said the third overall pick of the 2021 National Hockey League draft. “I really want to win one of these. They’ve talked to me about it, the pros and cons and stuff like that, but I’m very passionate about coming out here and wearing the Maple Leaf.”
Nine players who were part of Team Canada in December will be absent this summer, including forwards Cole Perfetti, Jake Neighbors, Dylan Guenther, Xavier Bourgault, Mavrik Bourque, Justin Sourdif and Shane Wright, and defenders Owen Power and Kaiden Guhle .
The 2022 IIHF World Junior Championships will be held August 9-20 at Edmonton’s Rogers Place. Originally scheduled to run from December 26, 2021 to January 5, 2022, the tournament was canceled just four days into the event due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Some guys are injured and some guys are focused on the NHL and stuff like that, but for me it was an easy decision,” McTavish said of his return to Edmonton. “I want to win a gold medal for Canada.”
Last season, McTavish played in the NHL, American Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and the Beijing Olympics. The 19-year-old center also helped the Hamilton Bulldogs reach the Memorial Cup in Saint John, NB, where he played in the championship game on June 29.
“He’s been everywhere this year,” said Regina Pat’s phenom Connor Bedard, who rode Canada’s top line with McTavish. “He’s played in, I don’t know, eight different teams or whatever, so it’s really special that he comes here.”
“It was a joint decision,” McTavish said of his conversation with the Ducks. “They kind of agreed with that and I was so happy to hear that news.”
McTavish and Kent Johnson are the two players on Team Canada who have NHL experience. Johnson, the fifth overall pick in 2021, has played in nine games with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“Since I couldn’t finish in December, there was no way I could turn it down,” Johnson said. “I think the same for Mason. I’m glad we’re both here.”
“They could have very easily said, ‘No, we’re going to be in the NHL next year and that’s where we want to go,'” said Team Canada head coach Dave Cameron. “So a real, real appreciation for them and that’s why it was pretty easy to have these guys as part of the leadership group.”
McTavish will serve as captain while Johnson is an alternate.
“Probably the most impressive thing about Mason to me is that he has no ego,” Cameron said, “and in this day and age that’s not always the case. When people ask me about him, I say, ‘He’s just a hockey player.’ That’s all he’s interested in and that’s where all his time and energy goes.”
In a normal year, McTavish would be spending time on the golf course and gym in mid-August and not preparing for an intense international event.
“You can look at it both ways,” McTavish said. “Maybe you’re a little tired, but for me it’s a way of setting you up for success. It’s definitely something to build on when you go to an NHL camp.”
McTavish points out that the coach he usually works with in Ottawa, Sean Young of the ’67s, is also the strength and conditioning coach for the World Junior Team, which will help him maintain a familiar routine.
“Having a camp like this in August is kind of unheard of,” McTavish said. “It’s nice to be able to skate a lot now and play against the best young players in the world. Hopefully that can prepare me for the NHL.”
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Johnson produced just three assists and five shots during his April audition with the Blue Jackets.
“I felt comfortable at the professional level and looked at what could and couldn’t be translated,” he said.
The big snack?
“If I get off the wall, my IQ and passing translate pretty well,” the University of Michigan product said. “I just need to get off the walls. As I get stronger I can fight a little bit better when I’m on the walls. A little more power will help me get more separation.”
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Kamloops’ Dylan Garand and Edmonton’s Sebastian Cossa share time online Monday night. London’s Brett Brochu will be a healthy scratch.
“It’s probably the most difficult position to find in just one game before the tournament,” said Cameron. “We’re taking the same approach as last year, where we’re evaluating every day.”
In December, Garand and Cossa also shared the lonely pre-tournament game. Garand played well and got the call on Boxing Day. Cossa struggled and fell to #3 on the depth chart.
Garand has not played since May 31, when the Blazers lost Game 7 of their WHL third-round playoff series to the Seattle Thunderbirds.
“It’s hard to get used to the speed,” he readily admits. “You’re trying to fix those summer habits. Getting good habits at a fast level is the hardest thing to get back into.”
What is a summer habit?
“Be lazy,” he explained. “For example, a rebound goes into the corner and you don’t follow it with the same intensity. It’s been a while so those are the things to keep in mind.”
Garand might be a bit rusty, but he’s also full of confidence after being named the Canadian Hockey League’s best goaltender.
“I’m really proud of my development over the year,” said the New York Rangers pro. “I’ve worked really hard and that makes me even more ready to be back here in the summer to take the next step and make a difference at the tournament.”
Garand is now a more confident goalkeeper.
“I understand the game but also my game and what works for me and build my own personal foundation and stick with it and stay consistent,” he explained. “I definitely made the biggest step there.”
What is the basis of his game?
“Beating passes,” said the 6-foot-1 Victorian. “When passes are being played I like to be there quickly and make sure I’m in position. Dealing with traffic is also important. I work hard to see. If I can see the puck then I know I’m there have a good chance of stopping him.”
Garand is the only player returning from the 2021 team that won silver in the Edmonton bubble.
“It’s not like it’s my first start so I’m more comfortable,” he said. “I can focus on my job and do what it takes to win a gold medal.”
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Cossa, who is 6-foot-6, is also riding a wave of confidence after pushing the Oil Kings back to the WHL title.
“It was a good experience for me to complete this long playoff run and win a championship,” said the Detroit Red Wings prospect. “There were a lot of ups and downs in this playoff run.”
Cossa won the WHL postseason, 16-3 with a .919 save percentage. What is he doing better now than in December?
“I just keep my feet under me and tuned into every single puck,” he said. “My hands have also gotten better as a result.”
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Normally, Hockey Canada would hold a four- or five-day selection camp to determine the World Juniors roster, but they opted to just name the team this summer.
“There just isn’t enough time,” Cameron explained. “Well, one of the nicest things about this camp is that you don’t have to cut anybody.”
There were no cuts, but chemistry is an issue.
“We had some guys that we hoped would come back who had played together on their own teams like Bourque and Bourgault at Shawinigan,” noted Cameron. “We had Neighbors and Guenther in Edmonton. So we looked at that faster in terms of construction chemistry. We thought that could be an advantage, but there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Cameron has been tinkering with three forward lines in the last week. The only trio that has stayed in tact throughout the process is Kamloops’ Logan Stankoven between Johnson and Barrie’s Tyson Foerster.
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Zack Ostapchuk is one of the new faces on Team Canada this summer.
“It’s really special,” said the Vancouver Giants winger. “I heard there were a few injuries and I really wanted to be a substitute. I was surprised when they called me, but I was hooked. I was preparing to go to summer camp for the Halifax [2023 World Junior] Team and then they call you and tell you to go to the Edmonton team. It was a crazy feeling for a while. It’s almost unbelievable.”
Ostapchuk led the Giants in the playoffs with 23 points in 12 games.
“I had a good end of the year and a good run in the playoffs,” said the Ottawa Senators prospect. “I was able to add more pace, more power and more versatility to my game. I can play in any situation and I think that really helped me get into this team.”
Ostapchuk feels his biggest improvement came between the ears. After a slow start to last season (one goal and two assists in 10 games), the St. Albert, Alta. native had a moment of clarity.
“I slowed my mind down a bit and was relaxed and trusting my instincts,” he said. “I was just starting to think the game a little bit better, to be honest. It was just a confidence thing.”
Ostapchuk ran on the third line alongside Ridly Greig, a candidate for senators, in opening practice at the Canadian camp. He plans to start Monday’s game as the 13th forward.
“I can be a guy who is extremely difficult to play against,” said Ostapchuk. “I can be in our PK unit and be a guy that other teams don’t want to play against. I can close the top lines and skate with anyone. That’s what I can bring.”
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Expected Team Canada line-up for Monday’s pre-tournament game:
f
Roy-McTavish-Bedard
Johnson – Stankoven – Forester
Othmann-Greig-Dufour
Cuylle-Desnoyers-Gaucher
Ostapchuk
D
Sebrango-Zellweger
O’Rourke-Cormier
Seeley-Thompson
Lambos
G
Garand
Kossa
Scratch: Kidney, Del Mastro and Brochu
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