connor mcdavid celebration

Youth will be served

Team North America brings IIHF World Junior Championship success to World Cup of Hockey

David Brien & Wendy Graves
|
June 6, 2016
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NOTE: This story was originally published March 3 with the announcement of the first 16 players. It has been updated to reflect the full Team North America roster.

The Team Canada roster named for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey has no shortage of star power, and no shortage of IIHF World Junior Championship hardware – 14 of the 16 World Juniors alumni are gold medallists (17 gold medals in all), and the roster includes three MVPs and seven all-star team selections.

But the 23 players selected for Team North America aren’t without their own impressive international accomplishments; 20 played at the World Juniors, combining for seven gold medals, one silver and three bronze, an MVP selection, and six all-star team berths.

Here’s a closer look at the under-24 stand-outs headed to the World Cup:

SEAN COUTURIER
2011 WJC – 7GP 2G 1A 3P (silver medal)

A highly-touted scorer during his junior days – he was the QMJHL scoring champion in 2009-10 – Couturier played more of a defensive role at the World Juniors in Buffalo, contributing three points in seven games to help Canada to a silver medal. The Bathurst, N.B., native finished +6, second among Canadian forwards, with zero penalty minutes, playing minutes in every situation for head coach Dave Cameron.

JONATHAN DROUIN
2013 WJC – 6GP 2G 2A 4P
2014 WJC – 7GP 3G 6A 9P

The second-youngest player on the roster, Drouin recorded points in three of four preliminary round games at the 2013 World Juniors, including a goal and an assist in the opener versus Germany. He more than doubled his point total the following year and once again had his best game in the opener against the Germans, setting up Anthony Mantha for all three of his hat-trick goals.

AARON EKBLAD
2014 WJC – 7GP 1G 1A 2P

One of two Calder Memorial Trophy winners on the North America roster (along with MacKinnon), Ekblad helped anchor the Canadian blue-line in Malmö; he scored a shorthanded goal in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Czech Republic and recorded an assist two days later against Slovakia. He saved his best for last, picking up Player of the Game honours in Canada’s 2-1 bronze medal game loss to Russia.

NATHAN MACKINNON
2013 WJC – 6GP 0G 1A 1P

The youngest player on the Team Canada roster, MacKinnon played a bottom-six role in Ufa, chipping in just a single assist in six games as the Canadians’ consecutive medal streak at the World Juniors ended at 14. The 17-year-old – six months from being the first-overall pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft – was under the microscope in Russia, displaying his rare combination of speed and skill.

CONNOR MCDAVID
2014 WJC – 7GP 1G 3A 4P
2015 WJC – 7GP 3G 8A 11P (gold medal/All-Star Team)

After scoring once and adding three assists in seven games at the 2014 World Juniors, McDavid turned the 2015 tournament into his personal playground on home ice; he shook off the rust of a 44-day lay-off due to a broken hand, co-leading the tournament in scoring (along with teammates Nic Petan and Sam Reinhart), earning a place on the media all-star team and helping Canada end a seven-year gold medal drought.

RYAN MURRAY
2012 WJC – 6GP 0G 3A 3P (bronze medal)

Murray was the youngest member of a solid defensive corps in Calgary and Edmonton that – outside of a wild 6-5 semifinal loss to Russia – allowed just five goals in five games en route to bronze, Canada’s 14th consecutive medal at the World Juniors. The White City, Sask., native had three assists in three games, adding to his international résumé before Columbus took him second overall in the NHL draft the following June.

RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS
2013 WJC – 6GP 4G 11A 15P (Best Forward/All-Star Team)

Joining Team Canada with the NHL in the midst of a lockout, Nugent-Hopkins wore the ‘C’ at the 2013 World Juniors after playing a full season in the NHL and at the 2012 IIHF World Championship. The Burnaby, B.C., native didn’t lead Canada to a medal, but led the tournament in assists and points on his way to the Best Forward honour and an all-star team selection.

MORGAN RIELLY
2013 WJC – 6GP 1G 2A 3P

Rielly will have a front-row seat to the 2017 World Juniors in Toronto, four years after helping Canada to within just a single goal of a 15th straight medal. The blue-liner had three points in six games, all coming in one game – one period, in fact; he picked up a goal and two assists in a span of 13 minutes of the second period to help Canada erase a two-goal deficit against Slovakia.

MARK SCHEIFELE
2012 WJC – 6GP 3G 3A 6P (bronze medal)
2013 WJC – 6GP 5G 3A 8P

Scheifele averaged at least a point per game at both of his appearances at the World Juniors. He had six points in six games at the 2012 tournament, including a goal and a helper in the bronze medal game to ensure Canada won a medal on home ice, and led the Canadians in goal scoring one year later with five in six games, two of which came in a win over Germany.

JACK EICHEL
2014 WJC – 5GP 1G 4A 5P
2015 WJC – 5GP 1G 3A 4P

JOHNNY GAUDREAU
2013 WJC – 7GP 7G 2A 9P (gold medal/All-Star Team)

JOHN GIBSON
2012 WJC – 1GP 0-1-0 4.00GAA .852SV% 0SO
2013 WJC – 7GP 5-2-0 1.36GAA .955SV% 1SO (gold medal/MVP/Best Goaltender/All-Star Team)

SHAYNE GOSTISBEHERE
2013 WJC – 6GP 1G 1A 2P (gold medal)

SETH JONES
2013 WJC – 7GP 1G 6A 7P (gold medal)

DYLAN LARKIN
2015 WJC – 5GP 5G 2A 7P

AUSTON MATTHEWS
2015 WJC – 5GP 1G 2A 3P
2016 WJC – 7GP 7G 4A 11P (bronze medal/All-Star Team)

J.T. MILLER
2012 WJC – 6GP 2G 2A 4P
2013 WJC – 7GP 2G 7A 9P (gold medal)

BRANDON SAAD
2012 WJC – 6GP 1G 5A 6P

VINCENT TROCHECK
2013 WJC – 7GP 3G 3A 6P (gold medal)

JACOB TROUBA
2012 WJC – 6GP 0G 2A 2P
2013 WJC – 7GP 4G 5A 9P (gold medal/Best Defenceman/All-Star Team)

For more information:

Esther Madziya
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 284-6484 

[email protected] 

Spencer Sharkey
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 777-4567

[email protected]

Jeremy Knight
Manager, Corporate Communications
Hockey Canada

(647) 251-9738

[email protected]

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