The Canadian Press
TORONTO—Canada’s junior team made four cuts yesterday—and one important addition.
The Vancouver Canucks gave forward Jake Virtanen permission to join Canada’s national junior team a little over an hour after Hockey Canada completed its first round of cuts to its selection camp roster.
Forwards Pierre-Luc Dubois, Michael Dal Colle, and Spencer Watson were cut from the team, along with defenceman Jakob Chychrun.
Virtanen is one of four players returning from last year’s gold medal-winning team, joining forwards Brayden Point and Lawson Crouse, as well as defenceman Joe Hicketts.
He’s the only member of Canada’s junior team with regular-season experience in the NHL.
“He brings a power-forward element,” Hicketts noted in the lobby of the team’s hotel in suburban Toronto.
“He’s a big, strong, smooth skater who can shoot the puck well.
“Anytime you can get a player of that calibre back, it helps the lineup,” he added.
Virtanen was in downtown Toronto playing with the AHL’s Utica Comets, who he had been assigned to on a conditioning stint, and will join Canada immediately.
The team will leave for Imatra, Finland late today for practices and exhibition games before the world championship tournament begins in Helsinki on Dec. 26.
The 19-year-old right-winger from New Westminster, B.C. and fellow rookie Jared McCann both made the Canucks’ roster on Nov. 1—passing their nine-game tryout period.
He has a goal and three assists in 19 games with Vancouver and had no points in two games with Utica.
“He brings size, skill, and a heavy shot,” noted Point.
“He’s a physical player so he brings it all for our team.”
The cuts came after the second of two exhibition games between Canada and a team of all-stars from Canadian universities.
Canada’s junior team now has 15 forwards, nine defencemen, and three goalies, with more cuts to come when the team is in Europe.
“I think right now there’s still guys that are worthy to be in the conversation,” said head coach Dave Lowry.
“The one priority is that we want to make sure that we’re getting it right,” he stressed.
“We have some decisions that we still think need more time and we’re prepared to do that.”
Samuel Montembeault made 33 saves as Canada blanked the Canadian Interuniversity Sport team 5-0 yesterday afternoon to conclude Canada’s junior selection camp.
Montembeault was added to Canada’s roster on Tuesday after Mackenzie Blackwood was suspended by the OHL for eight games.
The International Ice Hockey Federation honours CHL suspensions—forcing Blackwood to miss the first two games of the international tournament.
“Pretty great,” said Montembeault.
“I wasn’t supposed to be here at first, so just to come here and get a shutout was perfect,” he added.
Anthony Beauvillier led Canada with a hat trick while Dubois and Travis Konecny also scored.
Beauvillier’s three-game performance against the university all-stars helped earn him a trip to Finland with Canada.
“An honour, obviously. Just representing my country, representing Canada,” said Beauvillier.
“It’s a big tournament and it would be a dream coming true being part of that team,” he added.
Canada lost to the CIS all-stars 5-4 in a shootout on Saturday night.
In both games, Lowry elected to scratch some of the biggest names from Canada’s selection camp roster.
Top NHL draft picks Dylan Strome and Mitch Marner, along with linemate Lawson Crouse, did not dress.
Hicketts and fellow defenceman Haydn Fleury also were healthy scratches while Point sat out both games due to a shoulder injury.
Lowry said Point would be removing the yellow non-contact jersey for the practices in Finland, and will get in to some pre-tournament exhibition games.
