EVERETT — One’s been there before. The other feels he should have been. And both are hoping to be given the honor of donning the red and white of Canada.
The Everett Silvertips’ Leland Irving and Zach Hamill began their attempts at reaching junior hockey’s biggest stage Monday with the opening of Team Canada’s selection camp for the World Junior Hockey Championships.
Both Irving and Hamill are trying to earn one of the 22 coveted spots on Canada’s team for the World Juniors, which take place Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in the Czech Republic. How they perform this week at the selection camp in Calgary, Alberta, will determine whether their desires are fulfilled.
“It’s an exciting time,” Irving, Everett’s 19-year-old goaltender, said prior to departing for Calgary. “It’s going to be an intense camp. From my past experience everyone’s going to be going hard and everyone wants to put that maple leaf on.”
Added Hamill, Everett’s 19-year-old playmaking center, “I’m feeling a couple different emotions. Obviously excited and nervous are the two that come up the most. But I think it’s going to be a competitive camp and a hard couple days of competing and feistiness.”
A total of 36 players are currently attending Canada’s camp, which runs through Friday. Irving is one of four goaltenders competing for two spots, Hamill is one of 20 forwards battling for 13 slots.
Both entered camp with a strong — but not certain — chance of making the team. And both feel they have something to prove.
Irving was a member of Canada’s team that won the gold medal last year. However, Irving spent the entire tournament as the backup to eventual tournament MVP Carey Price. This time Irving not only wants to make the team, he wants to be the man Canada counts on between the pipes.
“Any goalie would want to be the starter,” Irving said. “Just being there was quite an experience, but to be able to get the opportuniy to take the team on your shoulders and hopefully put another gold medal around our necks, that would be an unbelievable feeling. I think I got a foot in the door having played last year, but it’s really going to come down to who’s best at camp, I think.”
Hamill didn’t receive an invitation to last year’s selection camp, which he considered something of a slight. And while receiving an invite this year serves as measure of vindication, he’s hoping for more than just a week’s trial.
“Growing up watching World Juniors, it’s something I dreamed of as a kid,” Hamill said. “Now having the opportunity to go to camp and try out, I’m just hoping to go out there and work as hard as I can every time I have a chance to. If it happens, great. If it doesn’t, we’ll move forward.”
One thing that might hinder both Irving’s and Hamill’s chances is their play so far this season with Everett. Irving’s numbers — 2.71 goals against average, .904 save percentage — are down from the previous two seasons. Hamill has 34 points in 31 games, but that’s behind his pace from last season when he was the Western Hockey League’scoring champ.
But working in the favor of both Irving and Hamill is their participation in the Canada-Russia Super Series in August and September, during which a Canadian team considered to be a precursor to the World Juniors team overwhelmed the Russians. Hamill was not one of the team’s top forwards, but he still managed six points in the six games he suited up for. Irving played in three games and compiled an impressive 1.33 goals against average and .955 save percentage.
But Hamill cautioned against placing too much weight on the Super Series.
“It’s two totally different things, so no one’s spot is secure,” Hamill said. “I think everyone knows that everyone’s going there to compete for a job. Hopefully I can do the same kind of thing and compete as hard as I can.”
Should Irving or Hamill make the team, they will be unavailable to Everett until the second week of January at the earliest. But whenever they come back, Everett coach John Becanic expects them to be at the top of their game because of the experience.
“If Zach makes the team I hope his play is elevated so when he comes back he’s playing at a higher level; that he comes back with a little more motivation,” Becanic said. “Both guys when they come back their only focus should be the Everett Silvertips. The cloud of the World Juniors over their head is done, they’ve both signed their NHL contracts, now help Everett be a good hockey team.”
Around the WHL: Portland hired Matt Bardsley as its new director of player personnel. Bardsley had been the Winter Hawks’ scout for the Portland area. He fills the void left when previous director of player personnel Gord Loiselle left the team in the summer. … Walter Nachbaur, the father of Tri-City coach Don Nachbaur, passed away Sunday night in Prince George, B.C. Nachbaur has been on a leave of absence from the team to attend to his father. … Former Seattle right wing Radek Meidl is headed back to the WHL. Meidl, a 19-year-old from the Czech Republic, was released by Seattle in the offseason to make room for Finnish goaltender Riku Helenius. Meidl’s rights were picked up by the Americans, and he’s scheduled to join the team following World Juniors. … Moose Jaw center Jason Bast was named the WHL Player of the Week. Bast had two goals and five assists as the Warriors went 3-0.
League leaders: Points — Mark Santorelli (Chilliwack) 58; goals — Drayson Bowman (Spokane) 27; assists — Santorelli 40; penalty minutes — Benn Olson (Seattle) 116; wins — Tyson Sexsmith (Vancouver) 21; goals against average — Dustin Tokarski (Spokane) 1.79; save percentage — Jacob DeSerres (Seattle) .925.
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