EVERETT — It has been two weeks since Team Canada fell 5-4 in a shootout to the United States in the World Junior Championship final, but since returning to the Everett Silvertips defenseman and captain Noah Juulsen hasn’t had too much time to dwell on it.
That’s because Juulsen returned just in time for Everett’s stretch of four games in five nights that began last Friday, and is busy preparing for this weekend’s three-in-three that begins at 7:35 p.m. Friday against the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds at Xfinity Arena.
“It was an unreal experience,” said Juulsen, who had a week to decompress back home in Abbotsford, B.C., before rejoining the Tips last week in Kamloops. “We didn’t get the outcome we wanted, but as time passes here you kind of look back on it, it was just a great experience and it’s something I won’t be able to experience again, but I’m thankful for it.”
It was particularly gratifying for Juulsen, who was among the final cuts from the 2016 Team Canada roster and was sent home after traveling all the way to Finland. Juulsen played in only one exhibition game during this year’s training camp as both he and Everett goaltender Carter Hart were named to the 2017 roster.
Juulsen said training camp didn’t exactly leave him feeling like he was a shoe-in to make the roster.
“It was kind of hard to tell when you’re there — you’re not really sure,” he said. “I only played one game and I thought I played well, but you’re not really sure what they’re looking for and what they want. When you’re sitting there watching it’s pretty nerve-wracking. You think, ‘that guy’s playing good’ and you’re not really sure how you did. So yeah, in the end making the team was a really good feeling.”
Team Canada won its first three preliminary round games before falling to USA in the final game of the opening round. Juulsen received regular minutes in every game, but Hart endured quite the odyssey at goaltender. He began the tournament as the starter and played two of the first three games. But Connor Ingram of the Kamloops Blazers started games two and four. That left plenty of time for internet speculation as message boards and social media were abuzz throughout the tournament about who Team Canada ought to start in net.
“The social media and the fans and the people, it’s always going back to the goalies and I think they did a great job kind of just zoning that out and playing their games,” Juulsen said.
“I think to tone that out you honestly have to delete those things for that time period and not worry about it,” Juulsen added. “You know, as a team we did a great job with that. We just zoned it out and we just focused on us for the three weeks we were there.”
Ingram got the nod in Canada’s 5-3 win over the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals, but he was pulled after allowing Sweden a quick 2-0 lead in the semifinals.
Hart, who has yet to speak with The Herald about the WJC, was perfect in relief as the Canadians came back to win 5-2 and reach the finals against the United States. He earned the start in that contest, a shootout loss in which Team USA scored the only goal among the 10 shooters.
“It’s tough, but they’re both really good goalies and I think at the end of the day it’s the coaches decision and staff, and I think they made the right decisions,” Juulsen said. “We got to that final game and Carter did a great job when he was in the net.”
All three of Canada’s knockout games were played at the Bell Centre in Montreal, a place Juulsen hopes to eventually call his home rink. It’s where the Montreal Canadiens, who have signed Juulsen after taking him No. 26 overall in the 2015 NHL draft, play their home games.
It was the kind of atmosphere Juulsen relishes, and he hopes Xfinity Arena can replicate as the U.S. Division-leading Tips continue their chase toward a division title and what they hope is a long playoff run.
“Heading into that final game, 22,000-plus people at that rink, just screaming and cheering for Team Canada was amazing,” Juulsen said. “And then to come back here and it’s a sold-out barn the other night here in Everett. It’s kind of the same atmosphere, and going forward I hope to look forward to more crowds like that during the future.”
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