Did your Christmas presents cost you a lot and you were planning to bank on a Canadian victory at the World Junior Hockey Championship to get back on track? Read this before continuing.
Let’s make one thing clear: your idea absolutely makes sense. Junior Team Canada has won the last two presentations of the event and four of the last six. We can say what we want about the globalization of hockey: after a five-year slump, between 2010 and 2014, during which it did not win gold even once, Canada once again became the leader leader on the international scene for junior hockey.
So, banking on Canada, based on the past, offers interesting prospects for success. But be careful, ÉCJ will not start the World Juniors on December 26 as the big favorite to win a third consecutive gold medal.
Significant absences
All countries are victims of it, talk about it to the United States who would have liked to count on Logan Cooley or to the Swedes who would dream of seeing Leo Carlsson pivot their first line, but Canada is without a shadow of a doubt the country most disadvantaged by the presence of its members in the NHL.
Luckily for them, they received some unexpected help as Boston Bruins forward Matthew Poitras joined the team in Sweden a week ago. His experience will be invaluable, especially since the other returned NHL player, Tristan Luneau, will miss the tournament due to a virus. Fraser Minten and Owen Beck also have brief NHL experience.
Tristan Luneau
Photo QMI Agency, Dominic Chan
But the fact remains that the best junior players in Canada play in the NHL and have remained there: Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Zach Benson, Shane Wright and Kevin Korchinski.
In the case of Bedard and Fantilli, we knew they would not return. As for Korchinski and Wright, they would obviously have brought an incalculable dose of talent but also the experience of last year’s championship. Only one ECJ player returns from last year, Canadian prospect Owen Beck, and he wasn’t even a regular player.
However, it happened six times that ÉCJ only counted on a returning player from the previous edition. They have won gold five times.
Sweden master of its own house?
The games are open as to who is the real favorite to start the competition, but Canada, the United States and Sweden are at the top of the list.
On the Swedish side, there is no denying: they are due! This country has not won gold since 2012 and in the following 13 tournaments they have won only five medals: three silver and two bronze.
Expectations are extremely high for the Swedes this year since this group, that of players born in 2004, is one of the most talented that the country has presented in recent years. Led by the powerful trio formed by Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Noah Ostlund and Liam Ohgren, they won the World Under-18 Hockey Championship in 2022. Players born in 2005, several of whom will be on the team, have for their part won silver at this same tournament last year.
Noah Ostlund
Archive photo, AFP
We cannot therefore ignore the Swedes, who will count on nine first-round picks on their team and as many returning players from last year’s tournament. In addition, we can bet that motivation will be increased tenfold due to the fact that the tournament is being presented at home.
We must not rule out Canada’s great rivals, the United States, who will count on a devastating attack, led by Cutter Gauthier, Jimmy Snuggerud, Gabriel Perreault and Will Smith as well as possibly the best goalkeeping duo of the tournament with Trey Augustine and CH hope, Jacob Fowler.
What if we went for a prediction
Doubts about Canada are justified…to a point. Certainly, several NHL players are absent and only one veteran is back from last year, but the team will still count on eight first-round picks in addition to Macklin Celebrini, who should become the very first pick of the next draft.
The question remains: does Canada have the same depth as some other teams, including Sweden and the United States?
Personally, I think they won’t be far away and will be in it until the end.
I started writing this text before it was known that Luneau and another defenseman, Tanner Molendyk, would miss the competition. At that moment, I saw Sweden winning against Canada in the final.
Especially without Luneau, I have to predict a Sweden vs. United States final, with a victory for the locals.
The ECJ calendar
December 26 8:30 a.m. c. Finland
December 27 1:30 p.m. c. Latvia
December 29 1:30 p.m. c. Sweden
December 31 1:30 p.m. c. Germany
The 2024 Junior Team Canada roster
Guardians
Mathis Rousseau | Halifax (QMJHL) | Not drafted
Samuel St-Hilaire | Sherbrooke (LHJMQ) | Not drafted
Scott Ratzlaff | Seattle (WHL) | Choice of 5e Sabers round in 2023
Defenders
Oliver Bonk | London (OHL) | Choice of 1time Flyers round in 2023
Jake Furlong | Halifax (QMJHL) | Choice of 5e Sharks round in 2022
Maveric Lamoureux | Drummondville (LHJMQ) | Choice of 1time Coyotes round in 2022
Jorian Donovan | Brantford Bulldogs (OHL | Choice of 5th Senators round in 2022
Denton Mateychuk | Moose Jaw (WHL) | Choice of 1time Blue Jackets round in 2022
Ty Nelson | North Bay Battalion (OHL) | Kraken 3rd round pick in 2022
Noah Warren | Victoriaville (LHJMQ) | Choice of 2e Ducks round in 2022
Attackers
Owen Allard | Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) | Not drafted
Owen Beck | Peterborough (OHL) | Choice of 2e Canadian round in 2022
Macklin Celebrini | Boston University (NCAA) | Eligible for the 2024 draft
Easton Cowan | London (OHL) | Choice of 1time Maple Leafs round in 2023
Nate Danielson | Brandon (OHL) | Choice of 1time Red Wings round in 2023
Jordan Dumais | Halifax (OHL) | Choice of 3e Blue Jackets round in 2022
Conor Geekie | Wenatchee (OHL) | Choice of 1time Coyotes round in 2022
Fraser Minten | Saskatoon (WHL) | Choice of 2e Maple Leafs round in 2022
Matthew Poitras | Boston (NHL) | Choice of 2e Bruins round in 2022
Carson Rehkopf | Kitchener (OHL) | Choice of 2e Kraken round in 2023
Matthew Savoie | Wenatchee (WHL) | Choice of 1time Sabers round in 2022
Matthew Wood | University of Connecticut (NCAA) | Choice of 1time Predators round in 2023
Brayden Yager | Moose Jaw (WHL) | Choice of 1time Penguins round in 2023