Moving away from the traditional New Years Eve matchup, Canada takes on rival USA in the first game of their 2016 World Junior campaign.
Making their debut for Canada today are Leafs prospects Mitch Marner and Travis Dermott. Behind the bench for the American side is another familiar face for Toronto fans, in former coach Ron Wilson.
The game sees the two Leafs prospects up against a few of their junior teammates- Marner against Christian Dvorak and Matthew Tkachuk of the London Knights, while Dermott will see fellow Erie Otter Alex DeBrincat on the other bench.
Marner on Dvorak: “He never really jokes around so my goal is to try & make him joke around a little bit, see if I can get him off his game”
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) December 26, 2015
Most teams at #WorldJuniors staying at same hotel; Dermott saw DeBrincat in lobby the other day; Travis: “It kind of builds up the emotion”
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) December 26, 2015
Canada
From yesterday:
Team Canada practice lines
Perlini-Point-Virtanen
Quenneville-Strome-Marner Crouse-Stephens-Konecny
Chartier-Beauvillier-Gauthier
Barzal
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) December 25, 2015
Team Canada practice D
Chabot-Hicketts
Fleury-Hickey
Sanheim-Dermott
McKeown
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) December 25, 2015
Strome and Marner have been a duo since the beginning of camp, it seems, but have had a rotating left winger. Meanwhile, Dermott’s been used with a number of partners. Expect these lines to change, as it is game one.
USA
Projected USA line combos: Tkachuk-Matthews-DeBrincat; Milano-Dvorak-White; MacInnis-Schmaltz-Boeser; Hitchcock-Eansor-Bjork; Donato
— Mike Morreale (@mikemorrealeNHL) December 26, 2015
USA def pairs: Werenski-Carlo; Belpedio-Borgen; Krys-McAvoy; Fortunato
— Mike Morreale (@mikemorrealeNHL) December 26, 2015
Starting Goalies
Canada: Mason McDonald
USA: Alex Nedeljovic
Puck drops at 1 pm.
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