A Victoria-born goalie will be making his first-ever start for Team Canada at the World Junior Championships.
Victoria’s Dylan Garand, who signed a three-year entry-level deal with the New York Rangers on Christmas Eve, was announced as Canada’s starter against the Czechs in Edmonton on Boxing Day (Dec. 26).
The announcement comes after Garand stopped 14 of 15 shots for Canada in a pre-tournament game against Russia on Tuesday. Canada won that game 6-4.
Garand currently plays for Kamloops Blazers in the WHL. He was drafted by the New York Rangers (fourth round, 103rd overall) in 2020.
This year’s edition of the world juniors is being held at both Rogers Place in Edmonton and the Peavey Mart Centrium in Red Deer, Alta. Following their game against the Czechs, Canada will face Austria on Dec. 28, Germany on Dec. 29 and Finland on Dec. 31 to wrap up preliminary-round action.
Meanwhile, Kaiden Guhle has been named Canada’s captain.
Jake Neighbours and Cole Perfetti, who won gold at this year’s men’s world championship in Riga, Latvia, will serve alongside Guhle as alternate captains.
Guhle, a defenceman from Sherwood Park, Alta., and Neighbours, a winger from Calgary, are teammates on the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings, while Perfetti, a centre from Whitby, Ont., is in his second season with AHL’s Manitoba Moose.
Canada announced its 25-player roster on Dec. 12 following a four-day selection camp that included a pair of games against a team of U Sports all-stars.
All 10 teams will take part in one pre-tournament game. Canada plays Russia on Dec. 23 as a final tune-up before Boxing Day. Each team was initially supposed to play a minimum of two pre-tournament games, but that plan was scaled back.
Excited to have signed my 1st NHL contract with the @NYRangers thanks to all my teammates, coaches, family, billet family, and friends for making this possible #NYR pic.twitter.com/yZXZ5SxMj9
— Dylan Garand (@DylanGarand) December 24, 2021
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