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32 World Junior A Challenge alumni start season on NHL rosters

List includes eight WJAC gold medallists and 17 first-round NHL draft picks

Jason La Rose
|
October 17, 2014
|

The World Junior A Challenge was well represented when the puck dropped on the 2014-15 National Hockey League season on Oct. 8, with 32 alumni beginning the year on NHL rosters.

Twenty-nine had spots on a 23-man roster, with another three starting the season on the injured list.

Russia, which has competed in all eight World Junior A Challenges, led the way with eight alumni in the NHL, followed by Canada West (seven), Sweden (seven), Canada East (five) and the United States (five).

The Canada West and United States contingents both included players who won gold at the World Junior A Challenge; Joe Colborne, Justin Fontaine, Riley Nash and Kyle Turris for the Canadians, and Beau Bennett, Matt Donovan, John Moore and Craig Smith for the Americans.

Nineteen of the NHL’s 30 teams had at least one alumnus on their 23-man roster or on the injured list, led by a trio of teams with three each – the Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers.

WORLD JUNIOR A CHALLENGE ALUMNI ON SEASON-OPENING NHL ROSTERS

Will Acton – Edmonton Oilers (Canada East, 2006)
Beau Bennett – Pittsburgh Penguins (United States, 2009)
Joe Colborne – Calgary Flames (Canada West, 2007)
Matt Donovan – New York Islanders (United States, 2008)
Jesper Fast – New York Rangers (Sweden, 2009)
Justin Fontaine – Minnesota Wild (Canada West, 2006) INJURED
Jimmy Hayes – Florida Panthers (United States, 2007)
Calle Jarnkrok – Nashville Predators (Sweden, 2009)
Evgeny Kuznetsov – Washington Capitals (Russia, 2008)
Johan Larsson – Buffalo Sabres (Sweden, 2009) INJURED
Elias Lindholm – Carolina Hurricanes (Sweden, 2011)
Hampus Lindholm – Anaheim Ducks (Sweden, 2011)
John Moore – New York Rangers (United States, 2008)
Vladislav Namestnikov – Tampa Bay Lightning (Russia, 2009)
Riley Nash – Carolina Hurricanes (Canada West, 2006)
Patrik Nemeth – Dallas Stars (Sweden, 2009)
Valeri Nichushkin – Dallas Stars (Russia, 2011)
Dylan Olsen – Florida Panthers (Canada West, 2008)
Dmitry Orlov – Washington Capitals (Russia, 2008) INJURED
Brandon Pirri – Florida Panthers (Canada East, 2008)
Justin Schultz – Edmonton Oilers (Canada West, 2008)
Jaden Schwartz – St. Louis Blues (Canada West, 2008)
Brendan Smith – Detroit Red Wings (Canada East, 2006)
Craig Smith – Nashville Predators (United States, 2007-08)
Reilly Smith – Boston Bruins (Canada East, 2008)
Cam Talbot – New York Rangers (Canada East, 2006)
Vladimir Tarasenko – St. Louis Blues (Russia, 2008)
Kyle Turris – Ottawa Senators (Canada West, 2006)
Andrei Vasilevskiy – Tampa Bay Lightning (Russia, 2011)
Slava Voynov – Los Angeles Kings (Russia, 2007)
Alexander Wennberg – Columbus Blue Jackets (Sweden, 2011)
Nail Yakupov – Edmonton Oilers (Russia, 2009)

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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