NEUGSIE’S AROUND THE WORLD JUNIORS

By: Jamie Neugebauer
Voice of the ND Hounds

• A Sloppy No Surprise: I wondered before the tournament started about the quality of hockey we’ll get given the imbalance of games played of the different players and teams. The result has been a generally poor brand, though there is no reason to fear; as games start to matter, as teams have games together, it will get better! People freaked out that Canada only beat an organized, determined Slovakia 3-1, but I said it after the pre-tournament game against Russia: Head Coach Andre Tourigny wants the team to play a simple brand, get comfortable and confident, then open up the playbook later on. Have the Canadians played great? Nope. Have they needed to? Nope. They’re 3-0, and last I Checked, you can’t do better than that. Plus, I really liked what I was seeing in the second half of the Swiss game; if they keep going like that, the Finns are also in trouble on New Year’s Eve. It’s all about playing well in the semis and finals, because that is the first time this group will really be tested.
• Tournament Structure: Saw a lot of people hem and haw about how there are too many teams in the World Juniors after Canada’s 16-2 thrashing of Germany. “Ten is too many! Let’s go down to six!” I think that would be a huge, huge mistake. Sure, there will always be the weaker nations, but how can you not want to see Tim Stutzle, J.J. Peterka, Marco Rossi, and others like them at this event? And how can those nations improve if they aren’t playing against the best? Slovakia and Switzerland admittedly sent younger teams than they could have, knowing there was no fear of relegation in the Covid WJC, so that also contributed to some imbalance. I love the tournament as it is, and judging the event as a whole based on this crazy year is even more insane.
• McMichael’s Move: A spontaneous referendum erupted when during the Slovakia game, while up only 1-0, Canada’s Connor McMichael attempted a fancy between the legs move in alone, and was stopped by the Slovaks’ fine net minder Samuel Hlavaj in the process. Some said, “he should have just put it, don’t be a hot dog!”, others applauded a kid with that confidence, knowing a skilled guy like him probably had that move down to a science. I would have given the kid a talking to about it, but I wouldn’t have done anything to dampen his confidence (like benching or yelling at him). In the post-game comments, many Canadian players felt like the game was well in-hand despite the tight score line. Call me old fashioned though, I wouldn’t want a guy highlight-reel-hunting in a tight game. I guess he didn’t really feel like it was on the line! The Canucks used a couple excellent saves by Devon Levi to ultimately take the 3-1 win, so it was a moot point in the end.
• Canada’s Darling: Speaking of Levi, how good is he!? I tweeted before he started the first game that you should all remember this moment the next time you think “oh well, it’s ONLY Junior A!”. There are all sorts of outstanding talents at that level, and Levi had not played a game above it before getting the call for Canada. The Quebec-native spent a year with the powerhouse Carleton Place Canadians of the Central Canadian Hockey League (the Ottawa-area Junior A loup), and will feature for Northeastern University. He’s such a calm, composed, technically excellent and positionally outstanding goaltender that he never seems to need to make a desperation save, and very hard ones look very simple to him. He moves the puck so well too, and it’s no wonder that he has the confidence of all these first rounders in front of him now. The Florida Panthers, who took him in the seventh-round last year, have to be licking their chops.
• USA’s Love-Hate Relationship: I find it really interesting to monitor the ice-time of Montreal Canadiens first rounder and USA starlet Cole Caufield. Despite the fact the Americans have score 21 goals in three games, and own a 46 per-cent power play, Caufield has one goal, and his time has yo-yoed in all three. This all makes me wonder if while Coach Nate Leaman simply doesn’t trust him. USA Hockey is all about the team game, and Caufield really doesn’t fit that mould at present, no matter what he might say in the media. Soon-to-be Anaheim Duck and long-time Caufield buddy Trevor Zegras is absolutely flying (he and Dylan Cozens of Canada have been the two best players in the tournament), while Minnesota first-rounder Matthew Boldy is catching everyone’s eye, and many others are playing well; so Caufield being a no-sho isn’t exactly an American killer…but it is interesting.
• Look Out Savoie: I’ll be honest, I’m not sure to what degree people have locked Matt Savoie in as the No. 2 pick behind Shane Wright for the 2022 draft, but he can’t be comfortable right now with the way Finland’s Brad Lambert looks. Lambert, a late 2003 birth-year, is the son of Saskatoon, SK native Ross Lambert, an SJHL alumnus, and while Savoie has only played seven WHL games, Lambert has 18 against men in the top Finnish league, and this (and you’d assume next) World Junior experience. Lambert looks dynamic, fast, composed, strong, and so skilled! Would love to see him play for his sort-of hometown Saskatoon Blades, who own his CHL rights as luck would have it. I’m calling it as Wright-Lambert-Savoie in that order in a couple years, though so much can happen between now and then.
• Tourney’s Highest Riser: Speaking of impressive 2022 draft prospects, the fastest riser in the tournament so far has to be Slovakia’s early-2004 born behemoth forward Juraj Slafkovsky. He doesn’t have any points through three games on an offensively deficient Slovak team, but he’s looked dangerous every game, and is benefitting from a role rarely offered 16-year-olds at this event. When the 6-foot-4, 218-pound winger gets polish, experience, and half-decent skill to play with, you better look out! I’m sure a CHL team would be thrilled to import him as soon as possible. Remember the name! I love him!
• Details: The broadcasters have said it a number of times, but Ottawa Senators fans: get excited about Tim Stutzle. I am a fan of a guy who notices and pays attention to detail, and among many other elements of his skillset, the Sens No. 3 overall pick in the last draft does just that. Here’s an example from overtime in the German victory over Slovakia. Stutzle, who already had over 30 minutes of ice time as a forward in the game, noticed that late in a shift the Slovaks were taking a penalty. He was aware that his team had strong possession with the extra-attacker out, so he jumped off the ice quick to get a breather, to get some water, and to rest up to be a big part of the up-coming 4-on-3 power play. What happens? He comes right back out, is dominant, and assists on Mario Zimmermann’s winner. I love little things like that.
• SJ Commitments Note: The big news was out of Nipawin as the Hawks’ star goaltender, Ross Hawryluk, has committed to, and will depart immediately for Western Michigan University (NCAA Division I). Hawks fans will also have to say goodbye to excellent 20-year-old forward Michael Makarenko, who will join two other SJHLers (Max Messier of ND, and Liam McGarva of La Ronge) in Mequon WI at Concordia University of Wisconsin, right away in January. Makarenko is a kid I’ve been a huge fan of for a number of years, and I wonder immediately if he will try to jump to D1 after a year or two at that Division III school. Always cool to see SJ kids come together at the next level!
• Nothing To Know: Lots of people asking me if there is any news about an SJHL restart in the new year, especially in light of the B.C. government’s move to allow kids under 22 years of age to practice, and the potential end of their pause on Jan. 8 which allows their league to potentially get going in January itself. Nothing has changed in Saskatchewan as far as I know: we won’t know anything until Jan. 15, and even then, the Board of Governors will have to figure out what it will all look like if we’re allowed to play. The Covid numbers in our province the last week or so have been great, but the real test will come around New Years to find out how we did around Christmas, and then the next couple weeks from New Years and beyond. Keep those fingers crossed!

(Follow Jamie on Twitter at @Neugsie)