To quote a line from the song “Limelight” by Rush, “All the world’s indeed a stage.” Halifax Mooseheads forward and the Tampa Bay Lightning’s prized prospect Jonathan Drouin will be the featured player in the drama that is the World Junior Championship. (Photo/Susan Ferlita)
On Monday, Drouin helped headline Team Canada’s 2014 world junior selection camp roster announcement. Drouin joins Moosehead teammate Zach Fucale as well as Sam Reinhart, Aaron Ekblad and Connor McDavid as part of the 25-player roster. The Lightning’s third overall pick this past June is the only returning forward for Canada.
The camp will take place in Toronto, Ontario on December 12-15 as two goaltenders, eight defensemen and 15 forwards will compete for 22 roster spots.
Last year at the WJC in Ufa, Russia, Canada finished fourth and left the tournament without a medal for the first time since 1998. Drouin, who was one of the squad’s youngest players was a bright spot on a team that was expected to win it all.
There is a sense of urgency in Canada as they have gone five years without winning the gold medal. The last time they struck gold was in 2009, which was the fifth straight time they won it all.
Drouin is arguably the top junior hockey player on the Canadian Hockey League circuit, leading the Mooseheads to the second-best record in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
With his individual silky-smooth skills, Drouin is ranked second in league scoring with 47 points (15 goals and 32 assists) in just 21 games. He’s played eight less games than future Team Canada teammate Anthony Mantha, who has 66 points on the season.
If Drouin had started the 2013-14 regular season in the “Q”, he’d certainly be going neck-and-neck with the Detroit Red Wings prospect (Mantha) in league scoring. Imagine those two on the same line! They could be junior hockey’s version of Brett Hull and Adam Oates or Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux…let’s stop there.
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