Columnist image

TSN Director of Scouting

| Archive

Each day throughout the World Junior Hockey Championship, TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button brings important issues and topics surrounding the tournament to the forefront.

HB1: Canada has to find a way to utilize the middle of the ice better than it demonstrated against USA if it hopes to repeat as World Junior champions. That was a big part of Canada’s championship strategy in 2015, but wasn’t evident in Game 1 of the 2016 tournament. Three of the four goals against could be attributed to failed Canadian attempts to move the puck out of the zone along the boards. 

HBI 2: There was mayhem, intentional or not, on Day 1 as four players were ejected and a series of Swedes left the ice in various stages of duress – most significantly superstar junior William Nylander. The Swedes were indignant over the hit administered by Switzerland’s Chris Egli. Nylander skated off the ice gingerly – wobbling as he approached the bench – and there were Swedish calls for a suspension to Egli. Nylander leads the AHL in scoring and would be the first 19-year-old in league history to win the scoring championship.

HBI 3: Presumptive No. 1 pick Auston Matthews, tournament headliner of the 2016 NHL draft class, didn’t dominate vs. Canada but he did put the nail in the coffin for the Americans with the insurance goal in USA’s 4-2 win. Finnish wingers Jesse Puljujarvi and Patrik Laine, consensus top 5 selections, won the day, though. Puljujarvi piled up two goals and an assist, and Laine, one goal, albeit, against weaker opponent Belarus.