Canada’s selection camp for the World Junior Championship has restarted today after a two-week pause due to positive COVID-19 test results. While the action is back on with practice today and an intra-squad game tomorrow, things will be cut short for several players this week. As Bob McKenzie of TSN reports, the final 25-man roster is expected to be finalized by Friday and it will not include the two unnamed players who originally tested positive. Those two, plus another three players for an unspecified reason, will not be included in the return to play protocols and instead sent home. (UPDATE: Those players are Matthew Robertson, Ridly Greig, Daemon Hunt, Mason Millman, and Xavier Simoneau)
Even with these exclusions and the absence of Alexis Lafreniere, Canada remains a powerhouse upfront and a favorite for the tournament. The group, which includes Chicago Blackhawks forward Kirby Dach, should be loaded with offensive talent and has a stable of elite puck-moving defensemen to quickly get it up to the talented forwards. As we wait for NHL hockey to resume (hopefully next month), the World Juniors should be a spectacle to behold.
- Unfortunately, another Blackhawks prospect won’t be able to go. The German team has ruled out Lukas Reichel and Nino Kinder from the tournament after testing positive for COVID-19. Reichel, selected 17th overall by the Blackhawks earlier this fall, played in the tournament last year and was one of Germany’s better players, scoring five points in seven games. Kinder meanwhile also participated a year ago, but was limited to just two points in seven games and went undrafted.
- Not only has Sweden lost several top players already, but today they announced that head coach Tomas Monten and assistant coach Anton Lundberg have also tested positive. The issue has always been getting these players and staff to the starting line in the Edmonton bubble, something that is becoming more and more difficult by the day.