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Montreal Canadiens

Two Canadiens Prospects Now Probable To Play For Canada At World Jrs

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Montreal Canadiens prospects

The World Juniors are right around the corner and it seems like two Montreal Canadiens prospects may have punched their ticket to represent Canada this August.

As reported by The Athletic’s Corey Pronman, there is an expectation that many forwards that initially made Team Canada back in December 2021 will be opting out of the rescheduled tournament due to its proximity to NHL training camps. Players with legit NHL aspirations this upcoming season like Mason McTavish, Cole Perfetti, Kent Johnson and more may decide that it’s not worth the risk and give up their spot in the tournament to play it safe.

Pronman noted that, during the most recent 2023 Team Canada Summer Camp, five highly touted youngsters were kept on the sidelines during the scrimmages, despite not having any injury whatsoever. Of the group of five players, Montreal Canadiens prospects Joshua Roy and Riley Kidney were names included. Pronman believes both are likely to be on Team Canada’s roster when the tournament opens on August 9.

This isn’t a surprise for Joshua Roy, as he was one of the final cuts from the 2022 Team Canada Selection Camp. The QMJHL’s 2021-2022 leading scorer wowed scouts and fans alike with his MVP-like performance for the Sherbrooke Phoenix down the stretch and could be one of the players Hockey Canada calls on to replace any of their more seasoned players, should they decide to play it safe. He would be an ideal piece for Hockey Canada to bring in for the August tournament, and then again for the regularly scheduled 2023 tournament, being one of the most impactful players in major junior this past year.

Only three players that finished top-10 in the QMJHL scoring race are eligible for the 2023 World Junior Championships: St. Louis Blues’ Zachary Bolduc, Roy and fellow Montreal Canadiens prospect Riley Kidney, who finished 7th in scoring with 100 points Kidney. If Hockey Canada continues to have 19 and 20-year-olds opt out of the tournament, which is already the case with other national teams, a player like Kidney might be able to squeak in. His versatility, being able to play a responsible game at wing or at centre, all while being exceptional on the powerplay, make him a nice piece to add to Team Canada’s roster; while also setting him up for an even bigger role on the team during the 2023 World Juniors in December.

The expectation is for Team Canada’s roster to be released over the next week, and it will be interesting to see if both Roy and Kidney are indeed part of that list.