World Juniors Bound – Jake Neighbours
NAME: Jake Neighbours
WHL CLUB: Edmonton Oil Kings
HOMETOWN: Airdrie, Alta.
NHL CLUB: St. Louis Blues
Edmonton Oil Kings captain Jake Neighbours is ready to assume a leadership role for Canada’s entry at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Neighbours, one of five Oil Kings taking part in the tournament, was named one of Canada’s alternate captains in the lead-up to Canada’s preliminary round opener December 26 versus Czechia.
The product of Airdrie, Alta. has registered 18 points in 10 games with Edmonton this season since returning from the NHL. Neighbours, who was selected in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft, appeared in nine NHL games with the St. Louis Blues this past autumn, scoring his first NHL goal October 23 against the Los Angeles Kings.
The 19-year-old has held leadership positions while wearing the Hockey Canada crest before. In 2018, Neighbours captained Team Canada White’s entry at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, chipping in with six points from five appearances. He also served as an alternate captain for Canada’s silver medal-winning squad at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Neighbours registered his 100th career WHL assist December 8 versus the Winnipeg ICE. He is also the reigning WHL plus/minus award winner, finishing with a +29 rating from 19 appearances during the 2020-21 campaign.
