LET THE GAMES BEGIN
World juniors ready to roll
It has become as much a part of Boxing Day lore in this country as frantic “One Time Only!” early morning sales, lingering eggnog hangovers and the first of seemingly endless leftover turkey lunches.
Indeed, the opening of the annual world junior hockey championship every Dec. 26 has become a holiday tradition in Canada. As such, the 2017 edition kicks off with four games including the always-riveting CanadaRussia clash.
As host cities Montreal and Toronto prepare for their openers, here are 10 storylines to follow over the next two-plus weeks:
1.
Who needs a pair?
Two years ago, due in large part to inflated ticket prices and a misguided promotional campaign, there were chunks of red empty seats sprinkled throughout the Bell Centre during the preliminary round of the 2015 tournament. Hockey Canada is righting that wrong, with ticket prices reportedly 30 per cent lower than in ’15.
2.
Rivalry renewed
It’s Russia versus Canada on Dec. 26 in Toronto. Two years ago, on the very same ice surface, these two countries cranked out a classic for the ages, with Canada barely hanging on for a 5-4 victory in the gold-medal game of the 2015 tournament. Now, they return to the scene of the crime in an opening day matchup. In the 24 months since, the names on both teams have changed, but the rivalry between them hasn’t.
3.
Star-spangled snipers
The Americans come north of the border flexing their goal-scoring muscles. Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Jeremy Bracco comes into the tourney having collected 51 points in 27 games for the Ontario Hockey League’s Kitchener Rangers — including a 26-game points streak — and leads a cache of skilled Team USA forwards that includes Clayton Keller, a magician with the puck.
4.
Friend or foe?
While the Russians play their preliminary round games in Toronto, a berth in the medal round means moving to Montreal, where Habs fans will get a firsthand look at defenceman Mikhail Sergachev, a Canadiens prospect. With the team having picked the Windsor Spitfires blue-liner ninth overall in the June entry draft, will there be more cheers than jeers for the hard-hitting Russian at the Bell Centre should his team advance?
5.
Whistleblowers
Scrums are as commonplace as 50-50 draws in junior hockey. But these kids will be quick to discover that the officials in an international tournament such as this have a penchant for tooting their whistles for the most minor of infractions. There will be no grey areas and, in most cases, no benefit of a doubt. As a result, expect frustration among players for what they perceive to be chintzy calls. In the end, the teams that most quickly adapt to the stricter enforcement should be the more successful ones.
6.
Strome syndrome
Picked third overall in the 2015 draft by the Arizona Coyotes, Team Canada captain Dylan Strome has racked up 296 career points with the OHL’s Erie Otters. Returned to the Otters last month by the Coyotes, one of the few remaining goals for Strome at the junior level is a world junior medal. It should be fun to watch this uber-talented, highly motivated kid try to make amends for Team Canada’s early exit at last year’s tournament, which continues to haunt him.
7.
Missing in action
Connor McDavid, Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk, Patrik Laine — all eligible players who won’t be in this tournament because they have entrenched themselves in the NHL. And no Nolan Patrick either, due to an upper-body injury. Keeping that in mind, we have to ask: Who will emerge as the stars in this tournament?
8.
Swiss bliss
The tournament took a hit when it was learned that Nolan Patrick and Swedish defenceman Timothy Liljegren — projected by some scouts to be the top two picks in the 2017 entry draft — would not take part. Still, there will be the presence of a potential top-five pick in Nico Hischier, who is attempting to become Switzerland’s sixth first-rounder in the past seven drafts. Hischier is averaging more than 1.5 points per game as a forward for the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
9.
Buzz killer?
As both the NHL and the Maple Leafs kick off their respective 100th-anniversary celebrations with the Jan. 1 Centennial Classic against the Detroit Red Wings outdoors at the Canadian National Exhibition, how much will this highly anticipated event siphon some of the buzz surrounding the world junior preliminary-round games at the Air Canada Centre, just down the freeway in downtown Toronto? Canada plays four games in six days at the ACC, finishing off with a classic clash against the Americans on Dec. 31 — the same day as the Centennial Classic Alumni Game.
10.
Finnish-ed product
He helped Finland win gold at the 2015 event. He was a tournament all-star with nine assists in seven games. He went on to hoist the Memorial Cup as a member of the London Knights. He was selected fifth overall by the Vancouver Canucks in June. And now, Olli Juolevi is back at the world juniors, this time wearing the C for Finland. This defenceman is accustomed to winning hardware, so no doubt he expects to strike gold again.