Briere ‘disappointed’ in Hockey Canada’s usage of prospects at World Juniors
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Philadelphia Flyers general manager Daniel Briere expressed his disappointment Tuesday over how Hockey Canada utilized prospects Jett Luchanko and Oliver Bonk at the recent World Juniors in Ottawa.
Team Canada finished a disappointing fifth after losing in the quarter-finals for the second straight year at the hands of Czechia.
Canada was sixth in goals scored in the tournament with 13 and struggled on special teams, finishing seventh on the power play (21.05 per cent) and sixth on the penalty skill (74.04 per cent).
Luchanko, who started the 2024-25 season in the NHL after being taken 13th overall by the Flyers in June, averaged 12:22 minutes of ice time through five games at the tournament, scoring one goal.
“We were disappointed in the role they gave him…probably the best skater in the World Junior tournament and he barely played,” said Briere in his midseason press conference.
The 18-year-old forward has 10 goals and 25 points in 20 games this season as captain of the OHL’s Guelph Storm.
While Bonk played a bigger role for Canada, leading the team in ice time with 21:50 minutes per game while notching a goal and an assist, Briere says Canada failed to play to the defenceman’s strengths.
“He had a big role, but they put in positions that is not really what is going to be his strength moving forward, which was really weird to us,” said Briere.
Bonk was drafted 22nd overall by the Flyers in 2023 and has six goals and 25 points in 28 games with the OHL’s London Knights this season. In 2023-24, he helped the Knights to an OHL championship.
Luchanko previously helped Canada win gold at the 2014 U18s while Bonk was a part of Canada’s gold medal winning team at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Flyers goaltending prospect Carson Bjarnason was also on the Canadian roster but did not play as the team's third goaltender.