Top NHL draft prospects get a sneak peek at their ultimate goal

DENVER—The world juniors in August?

“It’s going to be weird,” said Kingston Frontenacs centre Shane Wright, the projected No. 1 pick in next month’s NHL draft.

Wright was on Canada’s junior team in December when the tournament was cancelled after just two games, side-swiped by the spread of COVID-19 in Red Deer and Edmonton.

“I recall a lot of disappointment, a lot of sadness … but also pride, you know?” said the 18-year-old Burlington native. “Pride in your saying, ‘I made that team, I was part of that team.’ But obviously, we had two games. It ended way quicker than we’d have liked.”

The tournament has been rescheduled for Aug. 9 to 20 in Edmonton, less than five months before the next one: starting Dec. 26 in Moncton and Halifax. Elite teenage hockey players could have a lot on their schedule, although the draft — July 7 and 8 in Montreal — will dictate their immediate future to a large degree.

“It’s obviously on the radar,” Wright said of a possible return to the world juniors. “Any time you can play for your home country … it’s never something you can really pass up too easily. We’ll see what happens.”

Wright, centres Conor Geekie and Matthew Savoie of the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice and winger Cutter Gauthier of the U.S. development program were invited to Ball Arena on Saturday, to take in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final between the Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning.

“You work to be in the Stanley Cup finals and … have the opportunity to win a Stanley Cup,” said Wright. “It was definitely inspiring to see those guys here, see how hard they worked and see what it takes to make it at this level.”

Geekie and Savoie have been invited to the Canadian under-18 team’s summer development camp, starting July 25 near Calgary. It will include combined practices and intrasquad games with the national junior team on Aug. 2 and 3. With two world junior tournaments in the coming months, Geekie hopes he gets into one of them.

“That’s definitely on the bucket list,” he said. “Sitting around with family at Christmas, that’s everyone’s goal: to be able to play for your family and play for Canada as well.”

Canada won both of its games in the cancelled event, with defenceman Owen Power (drafted No. 1 by the Buffalo Sabres last year) and centre Connor Bedard (the likely No. 1 next year) providing much of the offence. Wright was underwhelming, with one assist. He has been the projected top pick since he was 16, even though he barely played last year because of the pandemic and got off to a slow start this season. Some scouts now wonder if Wright will go first overall.

NHL Central Scouting has centre Logan Cooley of the U.S. development program second to Wright, Gauthier third, Savoie fourth and Geekie fifth. Finnish winger Juraj Slafkovsky is the top European prospect and a possible No. 1.

Wright ultimately put up a respectable 32 goals and 96 points, eighth in the OHL scoring race.

“I have my own opinion, what I think and where I believe I should go, but at the end of the day it’s out of my control now,” said Wright.

The Montreal Canadiens hold the first pick, and general manager Kent Hughes took Wright out for dinner at the recent prospects combine in Buffalo.

“I really enjoyed the dinner, really enjoyed getting to know their management and their staff … They’re going to build a winning franchise, and I would also like to be part of that,” said Wright.

The August world juniors will start from scratch without Russia, banned following the invasion of Ukraine. The same age group (players born 2002 or later) will be eligible. Canada will play in Group B with Finland, Czechia, Slovakia and Latvia.

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