The Week That Was – Perfetti, Schneider headed to World Championship
Each week, CHL.ca goes coast to coast to highlight the top stories from around the league.
Back in Red and White
After finishing as runners-up at this year’s World Juniors, former Team Canada teammates Cole Perfetti of the Saginaw Spirit and Braden Schneider of the Brandon Wheat Kings are getting another shot at international supremacy.
Named to the Canadian rendition that will compete at the 2021 World Championship in Latvia, pulling on the Great White North sweater has become a familiar refrain for the pair who aside from the most recent World Juniors have also skated in national showcases like the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
“It is crazy to think about. To (play in the World Championship) before I even have my first NHL camp, it is crazy,” Perfetti told Russ Hobson of Global News. “It has always been a bucket list tournament for me. So to be able to do it, especially as a 19-year-old, and get the chance to play in this tournament is pretty special.”
The @NHLJets, in conjunction with Hockey Canada, announced today that forward Cole Perfetti will join Canada’s men’s national team for the 2021 IIHF World Championship.
DETAILS >> https://t.co/LJq48a2I0q#GoMooseGo pic.twitter.com/Vobu2BG2aK
— Manitoba Moose (@ManitobaMoose) May 14, 2021
A 2020 first-round selection of the Winnipeg Jets, Perfetti played on loan this season with the club’s minor-league affiliate, the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, where he finished second in team scoring with nine goals and 17 assists for 26 points across 32 appearances.
“Obviously the hockey is going to be really hard, but if I can just carry the confidence that I had from the Moose and continue to play the way that I did, I think we are a very skilled team, a pretty young team,” Perfetti added. “A lot of these guys, I think it is their first opportunity at the tournament.”
Prior to the 2020-21 campaign, Perfetti skated two seasons in the OHL, notching 74 points as a freshman to finish as the most prolific rookie scorer, then following up that performance with 111 points in 61 outings to sit second in league scoring and just nine points shy of top spot.
As for Schneider, he joins the Canadian squad following an abbreviated campaign with the Wheat Kings in which he captained the club to a first-place finish in the WHL’s East Division while also finishing tied for third in team scoring with 27 points counting five goals and 22 assists coming in 22 contests, while also ranking just three points back of the WHL’s highest scoring rearguard.
Congratulations to our Captain Braden Schneider on being named to Team Canada for the 2021 IIHF World Hockey Championship!!
@bradenschneid @HockeyCanada #BWK pic.twitter.com/UWCFXpCc1W
— Brandon Wheat Kings (@bdnwheatkings) May 14, 2021
Chosen 19th overall by the New York Rangers in the 2020 Draft class, Schneider’s whirlwind year also included a brief two-game stint with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack that saw him record one assist, marking his first professional point.
In all, the Canadian roster also counts 16 other CHL alumni including Arizona Coyotes netminder Darcy Kuemper who was recognized as the 2010-11 CHL Goaltender of the Year while part of the Red Deer Rebels, plus a pair of 2017 Memorial Cup champions in Michael DiPietro and Gabriel Vilardi, who hoisted league supremacy with the Windsor Spitfires that spring.
The 2021 World Championship begins May 21, with Canada’s first contest coming that day against host Latvia before later facing off against the United States, Germany, Norway, Kazakhstan, Italy, and Finland in the preliminary portion. Canada has claimed the gold medal 26 times in tournament history, with its most recent win coming in 2016.
Signing in Seattle
Luke Henman has become the answer to a trivia question.
Signing on as the first-ever player with the NHL expansion Seattle Kraken, the move comes as the 21-year-old captain of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada closes out his QMJHL tenure spent entirely with the lone franchise and in which he finished with near point-per-game production in tallying 63 goals and 151 assists over 225 career contests.
The move to Seattle also reunites Henman with Kraken amateur scout Mike Dawson, who advocated for Henman’s 96th overall selection in the 2018 NHL Draft when he was previously a talent evaluator with the Carolina Hurricanes. Ultimately, the Hurricanes and Henman never came to terms on an entry-level contract, leaving him free to sign with the Kraken.
In addition to being a smart and skilled player, @lukehenman16 also brings a solid reputation and outstanding leadership qualities to the #SeaKraken organization.
Meet our first-ever player → https://t.co/psaea9cd15 pic.twitter.com/qrxIDtjnxk
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) May 13, 2021
“Our scouts have been watching players all year,” Kraken general manager and Soo Greyhounds alumnus Ron Francis said in a statement. “In this case, Mike Dawson has been a strong supporter for Luke … Luke has put up the numbers in the ‘Q’ and he is team captain. He has solid character. We do think he needs to get stronger. We are excited to sign him as our first player.”
Added Henman per Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times, “I have a lot of belief in my game. I know that I can contribute at the next level. There are a few morals I live by being a hockey player – to compete hard every day, be a good teammate, and a likable person. If you can do that, good things will happen.”
Henman is the first player to join the Kraken, who will choose the remainder of their lineup in the expansion draft set for July 21, which will see the club select one skater or goaltender from every NHL team save for the Vegas Golden Knights. As for Henman, the 2000-born forward will aim to earn a spot with the Kraken next season, but could also see further seasoning with the club’s AHL squad based in Palm Springs, Calif.