McKenna determined to work his way up Canada's lineup
Published
Team Canada skated at TD Place in Ottawa on Thursday.
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Medicine Hat Tigers phenom Gavin McKenna will start as the 13th forward when Team Canada faces Switzerland in its pre-tournament opener on Thursday.
"Definitely not something I'm used to, but it's something I got to adjust to," he said. "I just gotta find my way, and work my way up the lineup. I kind of expected that. I just gotta show what I can do."
The message from Dave Cameron to his youngest player?
"It's a good team," Team Canada's head coach said. "There's a lot of guys in depth roles. Just go play with and without the puck."
"My game's an offensive threat so that will be my role here," McKenna said. "I obviously want to work both sides of the puck, for sure, but my role is definitely an offensive threat."
McKenna, who will celebrate his 17th birthday on Friday, leads the Western Hockey League in scoring with 60 points in 30 games. He set a national scoring record (20 points in seven games) while helping Canada win gold at the 2024 under-18 World Championship.
"Such a talented player and he's going to work his way up the lineup," said Lethbridge Hurricanes centre Brayden Yager, who is rooming with McKenna. "It's just kind of inevitable. Whenever he steps on the ice it's scary for the opposition and I think he's going to show that."
When the tournament opens on Boxing Day, McKenna will become the eighth youngest player to suit up for Canada at the World Juniors.
"It will sort itself out," Cameron said. "Guys will rise and reach whatever level."
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Team Canada named its leadership group at a meeting on Tuesday night. Yager will wear the 'C' with Oshawa Generals centre Cal Ritchie and Saskatoon Blades defenceman Tanner Molendyk serving as alternates.
"I was kind of speechless," Yager said. "I walked up there and obviously shook the coaches hands and shook Moly and Ritch's hand and congratulated them too. It's pretty cool to see the players coming up and everyone was genuinely happy for us three. Yeah, it was a really special moment."
Yager is one of four returning players from last year's event in Sweden where Canada finished a disappointing fifth.
"I didn't really know him very well coming into this tournament, and he's such an outgoing guy," McKenna said. "Everyone on this team likes him ... He leads by example, and he kind of pulls guys in."
Ritchie started the season in the NHL playing seven games with the Colorado Avalanche.
Molendyk made Team Canada last year, but sustained a wrist injury in a pre-tournament game and missed the event. He lists his mother as his leadership role model.
"She's always calling me and telling me how I can be a better person," he said.
How did she respond to the news on Wednesday night?
"I texted her, because we were in the meeting still, and I was like, 'Mom, I got an 'A.' She FaceTimed me four times while we were sitting in the meeting and then she texted me, 'Can you FaceTime me?' Yeah, she’s excited."
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As part of a team-bonding trip to the Canadian Forces Base in Petawawa this week, the players and Hockey Canada staff got a chance to ride in Chinook helicopters.
"That helicopter ride was unbelievable," said Molendyk. "They were flying through the trees at probably like 50 feet above the [ground] and you're sitting and trying not to throw up because it's so scary. The plane is completely sideways, and everyone is laughing. All the army guys are just laughing because they know we're all going to throw up."
Did anyone actually throw up?
"We had a guy throw up," confirmed London Knights defenceman Oliver Bonk.
Bonk declined to say which of his teammates lost their lunch.
"It was so insane," Bonk added. "They open the backdoor and I had the first seat looking out. They're flying and doing these hard bank turns and things like that. It was just an airplane seatbelt and you're sitting on this long bench with 15 guys. You're just buckled in and enjoying the ride."
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Owen Sound Attack goalie Carter George and Brandon Wheat Kings netminder Carson Bjarnason will see action between the pipes on Thursday as Canada's crease competition heats up.
Cameron describes the race to be the Boxing Day starter as "wide open."
George was the first goalie off the ice and appears to be in line to start the game. He backstopped Canada to gold at the 2024 under-18 World Championship.
"He's so calm in high-pressure situations," said McKenna. "He's the reason we won that game in Finland. He was unbelievable."
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After sticking with the same defence pairs all week in practice, Team Canada made a change on Thursday morning. Vancouver Canucks prospect Sawyer Mynio is moving up to the second pair beside Bonk.
"Just a smart D," said Bonk. "Kind of similar, plays like me. We get each other. We hang out. In Petawawa we hung out a lot and got to know him. I think we will gel well together."
Erie Otter Matthew Schaefer moved down to the third pair beside Barrie Colt Beau Akey.
Caden Price of the Kelowna Rockets will be the seventh defenceman.
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Ottawa 67’s forward Luca Pinelli, London Knights defenceman Sam Dickinson and Brampton Steelheads goalie Jack Ivankovic will sit as healthy scratches on Thursday. Cameron indicated all three guys will see action at some point in the pre-tournament games and in the actual tournament as well.
"We expect to use everybody through the whole tournament at different points," the coach said.
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Lines at Thursday's skate:
Nadeau - Ritchie - Cowan
Rehkopf - Catton - Martone
Howe - Luchanko - Cataford
Beaudoin - Yager - Gauthier
McKenna, Pinelli
Molendyk - Gibson
Mynio - Bonk
Schaefer - Akey
Price - Dickinson
George starts
Bjarnason
Ivankovic
Power-play units at Thursday's skate:
QB: Schaefer
Flanks: Cowan, Nadeau
Middle: Ritchie
Net front: Howe
QB: Molendyk
Flanks: Catton, McKenna
Middle: Rehkopf
Net front: Luchanko