CHL talent has history of producing gems on American roster
If there’s one thing that always sets the American World Junior team apart, it’s the overwhelming presence of NCAA players taking up nearly the entire roster.
This year, the group of Kieffer Bellows, Logan Brown, Max Jones, and Kailer Yamamoto are the only four American players of 28 preliminary camp invitees who are not playing college hockey this season. On last year’s championship squad, there were just two skaters (Jeremy Bracco and Caleb Jones) who played outside of the NCAA, in addition to goaltender Tyler Parsons.
But if you’re looking closely, you’ll see that there’s a decreasing pool of American players opting for the main other competitor for to the NCAA in their country – the Canadian major junior route.
In the 2014-15 season, 171 Americans were playing in the Canadian Hockey League, the highest it’s been in the past decade. Six of these players ended up on the 2015 World Junior team. This season, there’s been just 118 Americans in the Canadian Hockey League, a drop of 30 from last year’s 148.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why there’s been this steady drop in American involvement in the Canadian junior program, and whether it’s indicative of just a short-term dip or long-term trend. In North American hockey circles, it’s an never-ending discussion as to what the best route for development is, and it’s not likely a debate that will be settled anytime soon.
But while it may not be the standard right now for many of America’s top young players to be playing Canadian junior hockey, let’s take a look at some of the top individual performances from those who do decide to play “north of the border” instead of opting for the NCAA route.
Matthew Tkachuk, 2016
London Knights, OHL
Now starring with the NHL’s Calgary Flames, Tkachuk’s 11 points in the 2016 event tied him for the team lead alongside Auston Matthews. In the bronze medal game against Sweden, Tkachuk scored twice while adding an assist to push the USA to their first medal since 2013. That same season, he’d also win both the OHL Championship and Memorial Cup while scoring 107 points playing alongside Mitch Marner and Christian Dvorak.
Patrick O’Sullivan, 2003-2005
Mississauga IceDogs, OHL
O’Sullivan played in three tournaments, a rarity for most players. Though he picked up eight points in seven games in the 2005 event, it was in the 2004 gold medal game where he etched his name in history. Held to just a lone goal and no assists through the tournament’s first five games, O’Sullivan netted a pair of third-period goals (including the game-winner) for the first ever gold medal in American World Junior history. He was one of four OHL players on the American roster.
Seth Jones, 2013
Portland Winterhawks, WHL
At the time of the 2013 tournament, the 18-year old Jones was auditioning for the potential #1 pick in the 2013 draft. On his way to a gold medal, Jones registered one goal and six assists during the tournament. Though he ultimately went fourth overall to Nashville, Jones has now established himself as a staple on the Columbus Blue Jackets’ top pairing after a blockbuster trade for centre Ryan Johansen.
Jeremy Roenick, 1988, 1989
Hull Olympiques, QMJHL
Though he was drafted to the NHL out of the high school Thayer Academy, Roenick spent part of the 1988-89 season in the QMJHL. He played just 28 games for Hull that season, eventually returning to the Chicago Blackhawks. Roenick led the entire 1988 tournament in scoring with 16 points in just seven games, beating out a legendary class that also featured John LeClair, Pavel Bure, Teemu Selanne, Mike Modano, Sergei Fedorov, and Alex Mogilny.
It’s hard to tell what exactly the future holds for where young American players will find themselves playing in the coming seasons. Is the NCAA dominance of the American roster eventually going to end one day? Or is the presence of American players slowly but surely evaporating from the Canadian Hockey League?
While the answers still might be murky right now, at the very least, it’s a noticeable trend that’s worth keeping an eye on.