World Juniors: Levi Makes Canada's Roster, Posts Shutout in Scrimmage

Devon Levi is making a case to earn some playing time at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Getting his first taste of competitive action at Canada's pre-tournament camp on Thursday, the 18-year-old goaltender seemingly stole the show, turning aside all 36 shots he faced to help lead Team Red to a 4-0 win over Team White in an instrasquad scrimmage at Westerner Park Centrium in Red Deer, Alberta.
"There's a lot of hard work that's gone into it, for sure," Levi, a seventh-round pick (212th overall) by the Florida Panthers in the 2020 NHL Draft, said of his development. "At the end of the day, I was just playing the game that I love. I put in a lot of extra work, but for me it wasn't 'extra work,' it was just more time to play the game I love and more ice time. I took advantage of that, and I think it paid off."
Making his clean slate even more impressive, Levi's stellar performance came just a few days after he'd spent roughly a month away from the rink. Following his mandated two-week quarantine after crossing the border, Canada's camp was suddenly halted for two weeks on Nov. 26 due to a COVID-19 outbreak.
Levi said he spent most of that time watching film and doing anything he could to remain ready to go.
"It was definitely not an easy challenge," Levi told
Sportsnet
. "I was away from the team around a month…I was just doing everything I can, watching film to stay fresh and be ready to hop on the ice."
Joining Taylor Gauthier and Dylan Garand as one of three goalies that Canada will carry into the annual tournament, Levi found out he'd made the roster earlier in the day from his parents, Laurent and Eta.
If you want to put a smile on your face, check out the clip of his reaction below.

"It was a huge relief and a dream come true, honestly," Levi told reporters. "Hearing that from my parents, who have been supporting me since I was kid to play for Team Canada, it was awesome."
Although he isn't household name quite yet, Levi's success shouldn't come as a surprise.
This past season, the Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec native was named both the both the CCHL's "Most Valuable Player" and the CJHL's "Rookie of the Year" after going 34-2-1 behind a 1.47 goals-against average, .941 save percentage and eight shutouts to lead Carleton Place to the best record in the CCHL.
A model of consistency, he allowed more than two goals in just five of his 37 appearances in 2019-20.
No stranger to international competition, Levi also took home MVP honors at the 2019 World Junior A Challenge after backstopping underdog Canada East on an improbable run all the way to a silver medal.
"I think that experience will help me with this tournament," said Levi, a freshman at Northeastern University. "I learned a lot from that tournament. I definitely took the next step in my game. I found something within me… I found a new gear. I think I'll be able to hopefully tap into that in this tournament."
Already living out a childhood dream, Levi has certainly put his name into the running for Canada's starting job between the pipes when the World Juniors finally get underway on Dec. 25 in Edmonton.
"It's awesome that I made the team, but the work has only begun," Levi said. "It was nice to hear my name, but now is when it really starts. Now is when the work for the gold medal starts. For me, it's not winning the starting spot, it's just contributing as much as I can and stopping the puck. I just want to win a gold medal…I just want to be able to contribute. Whatever the coaches decide, they decide."
\Featured image courtesy of Matthew Murnaghan/Hockey Canada Images*