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Guelph Storm goalie Nico Daws left Saturday's practice early with an undisclosed injury.

"I'll have to wait for the doctor to give us a full medical report," said Shawn Bullock, Hockey Canada’s director of men’s national teams. "They were going to take some time to re-examine him. I don't have anything formal from the doctors yet, but first indication was it doesn't look that serious."

Assistant coach Mitch Love also downplayed concern.

"Everything's fine from every indication we've gotten," the Saskatoon Blades bench boss said before breaking into a smile. "I think he just wanted to get warm, because that rink was cold today so I think he just wanted to go to the dressing room."

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Team Canada was actually down to just one goalie at one point in practice after the Portland Winterhawks’ Joel Hofer was stung by a shot to his glove hand and needed attention at the bench. Hofer, who eventually returned to the net and finished practice, said he was hit in the same sensitive area twice in a short period of time. 

"It was just kind of an unfortunate event," the Blues prospect explained. "Just a spot where I didn't have protection, but it's all good now. I'm feeling fine."

With Hofer at the bench and Daws in the room, Moncton Wildcats’ Olivier Rodrigue raced between the two nets as the team went through power play reps at each end of the ice. 

Team Canada has yet to officially designate a third goalie for the World Juniors. Daws and Hofer split Thursday's start against the Swiss sharing a shutout. 

"Still going through that process," said Love, "it's been a bit of a dogfight so far."

Canada wraps up its pre-tournament schedule on Monday against Finland in Ostrava. 

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Team Canada is down to its final 23-man roster after releasing Halifax centre Benoit-Olivier Groulx on Friday night. 

"Really, really tough day yesterday," said Bullock, "letting go of one of our athletes that's been a great Team Canada member for a long time within our Program of Excellence and a really heartfelt decision yesterday letting that gentleman go."

The move means 18-year-old Dawson Mercer will become the first Newfoundland native to play at the World Juniors since Luke Adam in 2010. 

"Once that final meeting was over, I felt relief," Mercer said. "Being from Newfoundland and then from a small town of Bay Roberts, you know, not many people are playing on the big stage from there. Being one of the slight few from Newfoundland to be here at the World Juniors, it’s a special moment and I’m sure they'll all be there supporting me back home."

The Drummondville Voltigeurs forward appeared to be an underdog throughout the process. He didn’t play for Canada at the under-18 level and wasn't invited to the World Junior Showcase in the summer. 

"He's kind of flown under the radar his whole career to get to this point," said Love, "which is a testament to him and it shows that no matter whether you go through the program or not there's still opportunity there and you have to continue to grow."

Mercer, who has 42 points in 26 games this season, didn't even have a secure place at the selection camp until the QMJHL Russia series. He scored in both games in early November. 

"He caught our eye," said Bullock, "caught our attention making elite plays at a high speed and his creativity, his ability to execute against the Russians really caught our eye."

Mercer continued to impress at the selection camp despite his draft-eligible status. With Owen Sound Attack forward Aidan Dudas still recovering from a left hand injury, Team Canada opted to bring an extra forward to Europe giving Mercer more time to make an impact and he scored the winning goal in the opening pre-tournament game against the Swiss. 

"I just wanted to make sure that I didn't let not being at the summer affect my game," Mercer said. "I brought my 'A' game to the Canada-Russia series and I wanted to make sure all the way up until here I kept my game consistent. That's a major factor in the game today is consistency. You don't want up and downs, you want to make sure you're bringing your top level every night and that's what I feel they're looking for within these tournaments."

Mercer has picked up a point in 22 of his 26 games with the Voltigeurs this season while serving as an alternate captain for the first time. 

"I knew I would be taking a big role there with my fellow teammates from last year," he said, "and then I wanted to set the tone right away for the young guys coming in and I just made sure I took that responsibility."

Mercer skated as the 13th forward at Saturday's practice, rotating in on a line with Connor McMichael, Akil Thomas and Raphael Lavoie. 

"Whatever they want me to do, any role, I'll take part," Mercer vowed. "One thing I know I can control is the compete level, every time I step on the ice I want to give it my all."

What will he bring to the line-up?

"Speed, compete, you know, do anything to win," he said. "That's my mindset right here for these next couple weeks and for my full year."

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Rodrigue breaks into a big smile when asked about the Nolan Foote shot. 

"That guy can shoot," the goalie says. "That guy can shoot. He has an NHL shot."

The Kelowna Rockets winger with a rocket of a shot is currently lining up on Team Canada's top line alongside Joe Veleno and Alexis Lafreniere and should get plenty of chances to unleash his howitzer. 

"He's always had that shot growing up," recalls Spokane Chiefs defenceman Ty Smith. "I played against him in bantam a few times and then in the Western League when he was 16 he was already firing it like a 19-year-old."

The origin story for Foote's shot starts at home. Father Adam Foote was a long-time NHL defenceman while older brother Cal Foote is a fellow Tampa Bay Lightning prospect and, like dad, a defenceman. 

"Just growing up shooting pucks, always had a rink in my backyard so I was always shooting pucks," Nolan explains, "and my brother and I were always giving each other passes and that sort of stuff and I always worked on my shot so that's where it came from."

Foote chose to be a forward for a simple reason: he loved scoring goals. And he's become pretty darn good at it with 15 in 25 games this season.

"We played against Kelowna (recently) in our building and he's a factor," said Love. "He's a big, strong kid, his release is very deceiving and he’s caught a lot of goalies off guard in the Western Hockey League, I can tell you that."

"It's really heavy," noted Hofer, "but the biggest thing for him is he gets it off pretty quick so if you're not ready he'll definitely make you look silly."

"I use a pretty whippy stick," Foote said, "and I lean a lot on it. I use a pretty big curve so that definitely throws goalies off as well."

Even in practice, Foote is a menace. Whether he hits the net or not, he’s doing damage. 

"You don't want to block it, but sometimes you have to," Smith said with a smile and a grimace, "so it's going to hurt. But he can put it in the corner too so it's pretty impressive, honestly. It has power and accuracy."

"He gets it off so quick," said Daws, "and it’s just an absolute rocket. He hit me in the head a couple days ago and I felt it, I’ll say that."

The six-foot-four, 200-pound Foote seems to have mastered the mechanics. 

"I just try and turn my wrist over," he said of creating power. "And for a one-timer I want to keep my blade down and keep it open. I don't want to come up too high on my one-timer and kind of just sweep it so it stays low. With my curve it tends to go high quite a bit so I try to keep it down."

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Lines at Saturday's practice: 

Lafrenière - Veleno - Foote
Byfield - Hayton - Cozens 
Foudy - Dellandrea - Dudas
McMichael - Thomas - Lavoie / Merc​er

McIssac - Smith
Bahl - Bernard-Docker
Byram - Addison
Drysdale

Daws
Hofer 
Rodrigue

Power play units at Saturday's practice:

Addison
Lafrenière - Veleno - Hayton
Cozens 

Smith 
Byram - Lavoie - Foote
Byfield