Fans of the Montreal Canadiens will only have one prospect from the organization to watch at the World Junior Hockey Championship in a few weeks.
Finnish Aatos Koivu received confirmation on Saturday that he has been left behind by his country. CH’s third-round pick in the most recent draft notably missed five weeks of activities this season due to mononucleosis and an abnormally swollen spleen, which must have affected his chances.
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Thus, the Swede Rasmus Bergqvist is the only hope from Montreal to have secured a position at the World Juniors. The defender, the penultimate player called up for the 2024 amateur auction, has shown great defensive qualities this season. He plays with AIK Skelleftea, in the Swedish Elite League.
Among the other players drafted by the CH, it is the absence of Ontarian Michael Hage which is causing the most talk. The forward was impressive with 17 points, including nine goals, in 14 NCAA games, but he was not invited to Canada’s selection camp.
Last year, four members of the organization took part in the prestigious tournament. Jacob Fowler and Lane Hutson (United States), Owen Beck (Canada) and Filip Mesar (Slovakia) were selected.
