Maybe it was meant to be that defenceman Ian Mitchell is in the Canadian junior hockey team training camp in Victoria, which concludes with pre-world championship games at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre tonight against Switzerland and Friday against Slovakia.
It isn鈥檛 lost on Mitchell he is in the hometown of Colorado Avalanche blue-liner Tyson Barrie, the player he grew up idolizing, and who this week recorded his 207th career assist to tie him with John-Michael Liles on the all-time Colorado-Quebec franchise list for defencemen.
鈥淚 modeled my game after Tyson Barrie because I鈥檓 a smaller and mobile puck-moving defenceman and play a similar style game to him,鈥� said the five-foot-11, 175-pound Mitchell.
It also doesn鈥檛 hurt that as a University of Denver player in the NCAA, Mitchell gets to watch his fill of Juan de Fuca minor hockey-graduate Barrie, either live across town at the big NHL rink, or on TV during the plethora of Denver in-market Avalanche games.
Mitchell has yet to meet Barrie but has a chance to best his role model, and 2011 world junor silver-medallist Island product, if sa国际传媒 wins gold on Jan. 5 at Rogers Arena.
Mitchell is the lone player on the Canadian team for the IIHF 2019 world junior championship tournament not from the Canadian Hockey League major-junior ranks.
鈥淚 took the road less travelled and am excited to get this opportunity,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 was a smaller guy growing up and thought the Junior A [Spruce Grove Saints of the AJHL] and NCAA route was best for me,鈥� said the native of Calahoo, Alta.
鈥淎nd schooling was very important in our household.鈥�
The path less taken certainly hasn鈥檛 hurt the Denver sophomore. Just ask the Chicago Blackhawks, who selected Mitchell in the second round of the 2017 NHL draft, and have him projected on their blue line of the future.
鈥淚t all worked out,鈥� said Mitchell, of his career decisions.
Meanwhile, Island fans will get to see the crease tandem considered the strongest in years for sa国际传媒 in the world junior championship when Vancouver Canucks prospect Michael DiPietro gets the start tonight against Switzerland and Toronto Maple Leafs-signed Ian Scott the nod Friday against Slovakia in the pre-tournament games at the Memorial Centre.
As goes goaltending, so goes the fate of club teams in the playoffs and national teams in world championships.
Defending gold-medallist sa国际传媒 seems well served in that regard for the 2019 world juniors with DiPietro of the Ontario Hockey League鈥檚 Ottawa 67s and Scott from the Western Hockey League鈥檚 Prince Alberta Raiders.
鈥淓very goalie is different said Canadian head coach Tim Hunter. He cited DiPietro, who was signed by the Canucks to an entry-level NHL contract in May, for his competitiveness and Scott for his calmness.
鈥淢ichael [DiPietro] is so competitive that he will stick in to challenge three or four rebounds during practice, while I have to get the next drill moving,鈥� said Hunter.
鈥淚an [Scott] is calm in net. Teammates see that and get a sense of calmness. That is important.鈥�
But there can only be one No. 1 in net. That is a difficult decision on the national team because both these goalies are stars on their club teams and top-rated in their leagues.
鈥淲e want to be fair with the pre-tournament starts,鈥� said Hunter.
鈥淲e鈥檒l make our assessments after that.鈥�
It will have to be done by Boxing Day, when sa国际传媒 opens the world junior tournament against Victoria Royals forward Phillip Schultz and Denmark at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
鈥淵ou learn how to deal with pressure and manage the stress level,鈥� said DiPietro, a Canucks third-round selection in 2017.
鈥淣o matter how big the stage, it only matters what happens on the ice. Anytime you put on the sa国际传媒 jersey is exciting. I鈥檓 excited but not overthinking it. [The pre-tournament] is just the next step in the process.鈥�
sa国际传媒, which opened camp last week at The Q Centre, closed the CFB Naden portion of camp Tuesday in Esquimalt.
鈥淚t鈥檚 great we could play a small part in sa国际传媒鈥檚 gold-medal dreams,鈥� said Kevin Zalba, the Naden arena and fields facilities manager.
ICE CHIPS: Forward and first-round Los Angeles Kings draft pick Gabe Vilardi, selected 11th overall in 2017, was ruled out of the world junior tournament for sa国际传媒 because of injury.
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