Enjoying the camp life: All Three Jets set to play in WJCs

Of the 31 players
invited to camp, Winnipeg had the most prospects attending camp with three, all
of which survived the cuts in camp and have be selected to play for Canada in
this year’s tournament.

Both Josh
Morrissey and Nic Petan were members of last year’s team that finished without
a medal for the second year in a row, they without a doubt will be looking to
redeem themselves and their country in less than a week’s time.

It was announced
on TSN that Morrissey who was recently dealt to Kelowna Rockets had been
pairing up with Winnipeg-native Madison Bowey in camp and during the first
pre-tournament game and is expected to remain as Canada’s top pairing heading
into their first game against Slovakia on December 26.

The Calgary-native
is the lone defenceman returning from last year’s team which gave up 20 goals
in 7 games, which lead to a disappointing fourth-place finish for a second
straight year for Canada.

Morrissey in my
opinion should be Canada’s captain this year due to his leadership qualities he
showed as the captain of his former team, the Prince Albert Raiders, who he
captained for the part of two seasons.

Canada has shown
that they are willing to name returning players as captains over the star
player on the roster and Morrissey should be know difference. His experience in
last year’s tournament will prove extremely useful for a country looking for
their first gold medal since 2009.

Petan, like
Morrissey will looked to as a leader on this year’s team due to the fact that
he has played in this tournament before and was arguably one of Canada’s best
forwards last year.

As of right now,
Petan is on a line with centre Nick Paul of the North Bay Battalion and 6’4
draft eligible winger Lawson Crouse from the Kingston Frontenacs. But it has
been said that he may get some playing time with top draft prospect, Connor
McDavid and Curtis Lazar in the next pre-tournament game.

The Winterhawks
forward had four goals and an assist in his first tournament for Canada last
year in Malmo, Sweden.

Petan and
Morrissey join five other returnees from last year’s roster including McDavid,
Lazar netminder Zach Fucale, and forwards Sam Reinhart and Frederik Gauthier.

Unlike Petan and
Morrissey, Eric Comrie will be representing his country at the World Junior
Championships for the first time this year and even has a chance to be Canada’s
number one netminder when the tournament starts on Boxing Day.

Although he comes
into the tournament with no experience, Comrie’s numbers have been much better
than Fucale’s this season. But numbers don’t mean anything at this point. In
his first pre-tournament start Fucale allowed a pair of goals on 20 shots,
while Comrie is expected to start one of Canada’s remaining pre-tournament games.

Even if Comrie
doesn’t start Canada’s first game of the tournament, it is almost a given he
will start the following one. Playing both netminders in the round robin has
become a staple to Canada’s game plan over the past few tournaments.

Canada kicks off
their tournament Dec. 26 against Slovakia and plays its next game the following
day against Germany.

With all three
Jets making Team Canada out of camp are you surprised? Are there any other
players you believed should have also made the team? If so who? Did all three
deserve to make the team? Let us know in the comment section below.