D-man aces tough Texas test

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This article was published 10/05/2021 (1843 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DENTON Mateychuk had no plans to cut short his rookie season in WHL East Division hub but in this case, the interruption was welcomed.

The Dominion City product, a late call-up to the national U18 team when an injury sidelined Winnipeg’s Carson Lambos, was part of the Canada’s unbeaten effort that resulted in a world title in Frisco, Texas.

Canada beat Russia 5-3 in Thursday’s gold-medal game, although Mateychuk, the team’s youngest defenceman, did not play. He suited up for three round-robin games and one pre-tournament exhibition.

“Of course I wanted to be in (the games) but we knew it was best for the team to have the lineup that they had,” said Mateychuk, who played 16 game with the Moose Jaw Warriors before joining Team Canada. “We played well and the team comes first, right? So I was happy to contribute in whatever way I could.”

Mateychuk doesn’t turn 17 until July 12 and is not eligible for the NHL Draft until 2022. On a team stacked with draft-eligible players born in 2003, he was one of three underage players on the Canadian roster that included centres Shane Wright, a likely No. 1 overall pick in ‘22, and 15-year-old Regina Pats superstar Connor Bedard.

“It was a pretty cool experience and you’re playing against all those new international guys that I’ve never really played against — any of those ‘03-born players — so I think that experience helped, too,” said Mateychuk, whose only familiarity with his teammates had come from playing summer hockey with Wright in 2017.

He was also acquainted with fellow Manitobans Connor Roulette and Tyler Brennan.

“In those situations when you carry eight D you always need to prepare for an injury or suspension and Denton would have been a guy that, as an underage he’s probably not gonna move ahead of (Brandt) Clarke or (Olen) Zellweger in terms of playing the top on the power play, but could be real versatile because of his sense, he’s a great skater and could probably fit in in any situation,” said Hockey Canada’s director of player personnel Alan Millar. “So that’s how he ended up being the guy.”

Mateychuk said pre-tournament team sessions via Zoom while he was in quarantining in a Regina hotel room April 12-17 were crucial to Canada’s success.

“We’d be going over systems, trying to get that embedded before we got there and then we only had, I think, two practices before we had our first exhibition game so you know we didn’t have much time to get on the ice before we started games,” said Mateychuk. “I think that helped us prepare for the tournament and then once we once we got going, we understood how we wanted to play.”

Roulette, a Seattle Thunderbirds left-winger, figured prominently as a supporting player to Canada’s biggest stars. He scored two times and added three assists in six games for Canada.

“I think he scored 19 goals as a 16-year-old in Seattle, which is very impressive, but to come to our team and fit in the lineup where he did… played a strong two-way game, (in) details in terms of blocking shots, getting pucks out, getting pucks deep and an important minutes on the penalty kill and was a real good teammate,” said Millar. “I was really impressed with Connor.”

Brennan, a goaltender from the Prince George Cougars, did not see game action in Texas.

BIG DRAFT PLANS

Doug Gasper wasn’t working for the Brandon Wheat Kings in 2018 but the club’s newly installed GM is preparing to reap the benefits of some blockbuster futures acquired on that trade deadline day more than three years ago.

In one deal, Brandon shipped centre Tanner Kaspick and a prospect to the Victoria Royals in exchange for two unsigned prospects (Ty Thorpe and Jonny Lambos) and first-rounders in 2019 and 2021.

In another swap, then GM Grant Armstrong dealt all-star blue-liner Kale Clague to Moose Jaw for two roster players (Luka Burzan and Chase Hartje), a second-round pick in 2018 and first-rounders in 2019 and 2021.

The resulting impact on the 2021 draft, rescheduled from May to December, will be seismic. Since the overall WHL standings will be determined by winning percentages, the Wheat Kings will have two first-round picks belonging to teams who currently own the worst (Victoria) and fifth-worst (Moose Jaw) percentages. League play wraps up Wednesday.

Although a draft lottery format has yet to be announced, league sources suggest a lottery involving the seven lowest teams in the overall standings could determine a new order for the top part of the first round.

Brandon would also have its own first-rounder based on its fourth-overall finish while the Winnipeg Ice currently sits fifth in winning percentage.

“From what we can tell with the limited time we had (scouting) last year… I think the first round will be real good quality and I think maybe even a little bit into the second but it’s not as deep going into the middle of late rounds as it’s been some years,” said Gasper. “But it’s still a pretty good crop.”

Berkly Catton, a forward from the Saskatoon U18 Contacts, is being touted as a possible No. 1 overall pick for 2021. Defenceman Jonas Woo, a Winnipegger and the younger brother of Vancouver Canucks prospect Jett Woo, is believed to be the top Manitoban.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14