Canada calls Morrissey

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/12/2024 (308 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BUFFALO — Josh Morrissey will be wearing the Maple Leaf in February.

The top-pairing defenceman was the lone member of the Winnipeg Jets chosen by Doug Armstrong and the Team Canada management team when the roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament was unveiled on Wednesday.

There will also be some significant Manitoba flavour on the team, as Winnipeggers Mark Stone of the Vegas Golden Knights and Seth Jarvis of the Carolina Hurricanes find themselves among the forward group and Elkhorn product Travis Sanheim of the Philadelphia Flyers is part of the defence corps.

Morrissey will be facing off against a pair of Jets’ teammates in games against the United States, as all-world goalie Connor Hellebuyck and sniper Kyle Connor were named to Team USA.

Morrissey has grown into one of the top defencemen in the NHL and he’s expected to play a key role on a Canadian blue line. He could be partnered with Alex Pietrangelo of the Vegas Golden Knights, Colton Parayko of the St. Louis Blues or even Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche.

Morrissey is up to two goals and 23 points in 26 games this season, while defending against the top offensive players of the opponent on a consistent basis.

Stone brings leadership and productivity, having led the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup in 2023.

The former Brandon Wheat Kings right-winger was off to a fantastic start to this season, recording six goals and 21 points in 13 games, before suffering a lower-body injury last month.

Jarvis, who had 33 goals and 67 points in 82 games last season, was a bit of a surprise selection — though his reputation for his responsible two-way play and tenacity were factors as he made the grade.

Sanheim is an outstanding skater that is able to play either the right or left side.

The 17th overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft is enjoying an excellent season with the Flyers, showing off his improved defensive zone play while contributing five goals and 15 points in 25 games and averaging more than 25 minutes of ice time per game.

He’s also an excellent transporter of the puck and his mobility figures to allow him to succeed on the international stage.

Hellebuyck, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner, is the presumed starting goalie for the U.S., which also features Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars and Jeremy Swayman of the Boston Bruins.

Connor, who is tied for the team lead in goals with 13 and is tops in points with 29 in 26 games, could find himself on a line with one of Jack Eichel of the Golden Knights or Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Finland’s roster includes a pair of former Jets’ forwards in Patrik Laine and Joel Armia of the Montreal Canadiens.

Team Canada’s roster has plenty of notable absences, including Jets centre Mark Scheifele, Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos and New York Islanders centre Mathew Barzal — which reinforces how deep this position group is.

Scheifele got off to an outstanding start to the season, piling up 12 goals and 26 points in his first 22 games before a recent slump coincided with what appears to be an upper-body injury.

During a recent road trip to Florida, Scheifele was praised by Team Canada head coach Jon Cooper for playing the best two-way hockey of his career.

After plenty of discussion and debate, the Canadian roster features a several players who could fall into more of a role player category.

Jarvis, Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Sam Bennett of the Florida Panthers and Travis Konecny of the Philadelphia Flyers all fit the description and still bring plenty of skill to go along with the intangibles, which left Scheifele and others on the outside looking in.

It’s important to remember that players such as Scheifele could still be considered as an injury replacements, should someone be sidelined sometime before the event begins in February.

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

X and Bluesky: @WiebesWorld