(above) DU's Patrick Wiercioch participates in a drill while Team Canada coach Pat Quinn looks onOne scout, in Ottawa for the world junior tournament, said Friday that of the 38 players vying for spots on Team Canada, Wiercioch was the most improved player last year.Edit: Patrick Wiercioch was not selected for inclusion on the Team Canada Roster that was released today.
Deciding who should be on his team after three days of selection camp was harder than head coach Pat Quinn thought it would be.The head coach of Canada's junior hockey team and his assistants had to decide Sunday which 16 players will go home Monday morning and which 22 would stay and play for Canada at the world junior hockey championship in Ottawa.
One of those players was University of Denver Freshman Patrick Wiercioch. By all accounts Wiercioch played well, but he was competing for 7 of the 14 defensemen spots against some of the best young hockey players in the world. By all accounts Wiercioch made an outstanding showing and will be eligible to make the team next year.
"Somehow we'll have to some conclusions on this thing and some of the things didn't really sort themselves out as well as we'd hoped for," Quinn said Sunday following the third and final intrasquad game of selection camp.
"But that's the job but we're going to go and do it." [rest of article]
7 comments:
According to posters over on HF Boards, the team will be announced tomorrow morning at 6 AM ET, 5 AM CT, 4 AM MT and 3 AM PT.
Here is one poster's view of Patrick:
"I came into camp this year expecting wiercioch had no chance, and that they were feeling him out for next year. With the camp he's had though, and the skills he has demonstrated in denver this year, combined with Cuma's injury, i think he's probably a favorite for a 6/7 spot."
Another poster picked the team he thinks will make it and Patrick was in his 3rd defense pairing.
Based on their observations Patrick might make the team.
Boyz won't sleep too well tonight.
I guess the coaches won't sleep at all.
Good luck to Patrick. Fingers crossed.
Either way, we win.
Patrick if he makes Team Canada, is a boost to the DU program as well as to him.
If he isn't selected, DU gets him back for the Denver Cup and the key PWR rankings boost that is on the line.
Something is wrong with the Team Canada roster link.
The QCC
Got the link fixed. Thanks.
Almost certainly Wiercioch will be invited to Canada's Camp next summer and will have a great shot at making the team next year.
Joe Colborne will also probably be invited to the Team Canada camps next year as well.
I would think that Drew Shore & Matt Donovan might get invited to Team USA's summer camp, with Wrenn, Murray & Phillips being considered as outside chances for Team USA or perhaps 2010 invitees.
Team Canada must have some scary good defensemen.
Glad Wiercioch will be back for the Denver Cup.
You got that right.
4 NHL 1st Round Draft choices were cut from the Team Canada today. Plus they had another 8 players that were eligible, that are playing NHL or AHL hockey that were not released by their teams for the Tourney.
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