World Junior notebook: Canada opens camp

VICTORIA, British Columbia -- Los Angeles Kings forward prospects
Gabriel Vilardi
and
Jaret Anderson-Dolan
didn't skate with teammates at the first day of Canada's selection camp for the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship, but they still have a good chance to make the team.

\[Complete World Junior Championship schedule\]
Vilardi, who was loaned to Canada by the Kings on Monday, and Anderson-Dolan skated on their own after the second practice Monday evening, and are day-to-day. Canada will play a three-game series against an all-star team of Canadian University players before making cuts on Friday afternoon, but it's unclear if either will be cleared to play.
"They wouldn't be here if we didn't believe they could make this team and contribute," coach Tim Hunter said. "Jaret has his cast off and he's been skating and feeling the puck, and Gabe is coming along."
Vilardi, picked in the first round (No. 11) of the 2017 NHL Draft, has battled a back injury since the summer, but stayed with the Kings to start the season. The 19-year-old was on a conditioning stint with Ontario in the American Hockey League, where he had one assist in four games, before being loaned to Canada for the tournament.
Anderson-Dolan, who was selected in the second round (No. 41) of the 2017 NHL Draft, had one assist in five games with the Kings to start this season, but broke his wrist on Oct. 27 in his second game back with Spokane in the Western Hockey League.
"It's always a concern when you have guys that haven't played, but I have been through this before," Hunter said, pointing to New Jersey Devils forward prospect Blake Spears making the team in 2017. "He won a silver medal, very much like Jaret Anderson-Dolan, with a wrist injury, cast off, working through the range of motion. Our doctors and therapists are great at getting guys ready to play."

Splitting the goalies

Canada has three goaltenders at selection camp, but that won't prevent them from getting a look at all three in games against the university all stars.
Hunter said two goaltenders will split the Canadian net, and the third will play the entire game for the university team Wednesday and Thursday. He wasn't yet sure how they would handle the final game on Friday afternoon.
"You want three guys to play great and make our decisions tough," Hunter said.
Vancouver Canucks prospect Michael DiPietro, who was picked in the third round (No. 64) of the 2017 NHL Draft, is considered a favorite after being one of the final cuts from last year's team. But Ian Scott, who was selected in the third round (No. 110) by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2017 NHL Draft, is having a terrific season with Prince Albert in the WHL, with a 23-2-1 record and .943 save percentage. And Matt Villalta, selected in the third round (No. 72) by the Kings in the same draft, is 14-4-0 with a .903 save percentage for Sault Ste. Marie in the Ontario Hockey League.
"We know what they're all capable of," Hunter said. "Michael (Dipietro) has got a little bit of a pedigree because he's won a Memorial Cup (with Windsor in 2017), but Ian Scott and Villalta have had great years to this point, they're trending in the right direction and we really like their games as well. A battle in the net is great."

Short on experience

Canada only has two players back from last year's gold-medal winning team, and, according to Hunter, that means the rest of the roster is wide open.
Max Comtois
had seven points (two goals, five assists) in 10 games with the Anaheim Ducks this season before being sent back to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and
Alex Formenton
had one goal in nine games with the Ottawa Senators before being sent back to the OHL.
"We have two returning players and there's a pretty good chance those guys are on the team, but the rest of the guys it is a battle and that's what we want," Hunter said.
Comtois opened camp on a top line with Vegas Golden Knights forward prospect Cody Glass, who was a late cut by Canada last year, and Florida Panthers forward prospect Owen Tippett. Formenton started on a second line with Montreal Canadiens center prospect Nick Suzuki and 19-year-old right wing Brett Leason, who leads the Western Hockey League with 64 points (28 goals, 36 assists) in 31 games and is a B-rated prospect by NHL Central Scouting for the 2019 NHL Draft.