Team Canada WJC Roster 2/2

[Seabass 593]

Team Canada WJC Roster 2/2

 

Last week I quickly went through all of the forwards that Team Canada has chosen to be on their roster this year. I typically give each player a short description/history lesson as well as bring up past statistics. This week I plan I doing much of the same but this time it'll be the team's defensemen and goaltenders. I apologise as originally wanted this article to be published before the WJC's start but I lost my original point task due to my laptop crapping out on me. Anyways here we go.

 

The Defense Corps

 

Blacker Velvet 

 

@Higgins

Velvet has been the example of consistency in the VHLM as he has managed to score 50 points in each of his 3 VHLM seasons. Last year he managed a career high 37 goals and 93 points playing for the Los Vegas Aces. He's going to have to pick up the pace this season in order to meet those career high numbers as he's on pace to hit 70 points for the year currently. Velvet brings to the team a solid offensive defenseman with a wealth of experience in the VHLM. His best tool at his disposal is his shot and Velvet may very well have the hardest shot in the tournament. His defensive play however has much more to be desired and I wouldn't expect Team Canada to use him much on the penalty kill, but expect Velvet to get a good chunk of powerplay time. Either way Velvet is bound to get a lot of playing time as he's expected to fill a role on team Canada's first pairing. 

 

Bo Burrows

 

@Walter Fizz
Burrows is an interesting player, he hasn't really been in the VHLM for very long as he's still on his rookie season but he managed to make enough of a impression on GM, Erik Draven. to be selected by Team Canada. Burrows plays more of a two-way kind of game and he's made quite the name for himself this year as a member of the dangerous Houston Bulls, who is well represented on Team Canada having 4 of their players  (Killinger, McDagg, Jass and Burrows) named to the team.  Burrows has been a mainstay on the Bulls 2nd pairing managing 25 points in 50 games and being +44 for the season. On Canada we figure Burrows will also be playing on the team's 2nd pairing while getting time on both to powerplay on penalty kill. With Burrows success' playing defensively with the Bulls, I expect Burrows to be featured on the team's top penalty killing unit as it doesn't seem to be Blacker Velvet's strong suit.

 

Hugh Jass

 

@TheFlash

Jass is the real starpower for team Canada. It only took the man 50 games with the Houston Bulls to be able to hit the 100 points mark, making him the only 2 PPG player on the roster. His 100 point also puts him at #5 on the VHLM's top scoring list, 2nd amongst defensemen. Even though Jass has been a PPG his whole VHLM career I wouldn't say he's a one dimensional offensive defenseman either. His +52 rating is good for 9th in the VHLM and good for first on the stacked Bulls team. He also managed to put up more than 100 hits and blocked shots as well. That proves  to me that Jass is the real deal and is bound to become a VHL star someday as there just nothing out there that Jass cannot do. There is no weak spot in his game at all and he already looks ready for the big leagues. I expect Jass to be featured on the team's 1st pairing playing alongside Blacker Velvet as I think Velvet's goal scoring prowess will be complimented well with Jass' puck moving ability. 

 

Jayden Zelinsky

 

@Jayden Zelinsky

Zelinsky is the only S69 tournament returnee on defense. Last year he managed to play more of a shutdown role and ended the tournament having played 8 games and scoring a single assist. But he's +3 plus/minus rating indicates to me that Zelinsky did his job in shutting down the opposition while he's on the ice, but I wouldn't expect very much offense from the man even this year. I expect Zelinsky to be used the same way he was used last year. He's going to have more of a shutdown role on the 2nd pairing with some time on the penalty kill.

 

The Goaltenders

 

Jaxx Hextall

 

@ROOKIE745

Hextall currently plays for the Minnesota Storm who is currently just tearing up the VHLM. Both the Storm and Hextall share a winning percentage of  84% as they have won a total of 42 games out of 50 for the year. Hextall has he's been very consistent in his play only allowing an average of just 2 goals a game and recording himself 8 shutouts for the year. He currently leads the VHLM in Wins, Goals Against Average and Shutouts making his selection by Team Canada, an easy one. Being one of the VHLM's elite goaltenders, you would have to be crazy to not include him on the team. On any other team, Hextall's VHLM success would guarantee him a starting position but unluckily for Hextall and luckily for the team, Canada has two star goaltenders that are expected to share the games. In the medal rounds it all will depend who is the hotter hand.

 

Jacques Lafontaine

 

@SlapshotDragon

Lafontaine came onto the scene last year with an incredible rookie campaign in the VHLM for the the Saskatoon Wild. His rookie campaign in S69 was so good that it trumps some of Hextall's great numbers for this season. In s69 he managed 68 wins and 4 losses which to me doesn't sound very real now does it? His rookie season also featured a league leading GAA (1.87). His season was so good that he got selected 4th overall in the S70 VHL draft by the Calgary Wranglers, the Toronto Legion ended up drafting Hextall 5 spots later with the 9th overall pick. The only issue with Lafontaine is that he hasn't gotten much playing time this season and has been gathering up dust sitting on the Wrangler's bench for the most past playing only the 4 games as their backup goaltender. It'll be a dogfight for the starting position come the medal rounds but will Lafontaine be able to shake off the rust? Only time will tell

 

 

As I went over the team's forwards last week, I noted that the team was rather strong along the wings but somewhat weak down the middle. So weak that the team would possibly have to choose one of the team's wingers to fill in as a center. However the key to team Canada's success will be the team's defense and goaltending as Team Canada seems to have a package of both the strongest defense corps and the strongest goaltending tandem of the tournament.  This tournament is definitely going to have fans on the edge of their seats as they are eagerly awaiting their first gold medal in over 6 years. The pressure is on and anything but a gold medal is considered a failure in Canada, will the boys be able to pull it off? We'll see soon enough. 

 

WORD COUNTER: 1200+ words

Mentioned: @Jbeezy76

Edited February 17, 2020 by Sebster03

[Jbeezy76 396]

Let’s win Gold !

[Seabass 593]

Claiming 2nd half of this pt.