HOCKEYNOW: BRAYDEN POINT LOOKING GOOD FOR WORLD JUNIORS
Courtesy: HockeyNow (via: http://www.hockeynow.ca)
By: Ryan McCracken
Moose Jaw Warriors captain Brayden Point all but punched his return ticket to the World Junior Championship with Team Canada after a standout performance at the CHL Canada-Russia Series, Nov. 9 and 10 in Kelowna and Kamloops, B.C.
The 19-year-old centre posted a goal and two assists as captain of Team WHL in a 7-3 victory over Russia in Game 1 and followed it up with a helper in the following day’s 4-2 win.
The third-round Tampa Bay Lightning prospect has been making his mark on the WHL this season as captain of the surging Warriors as well. Point sat atop the league for points with a staggering 16 goals and 23 assists in 16 games played prior to the Canada-Russia Series, while Warriors’ linemate Dryden Hunt follows up in second with 15 goals and 18 assists.
Point has only been held off the score sheet twice this season, both of which were shutout losses — 1-0 to the Kootenay Ice Oct. 14 and 3-0 to the Swift Current Broncos Oct. 24.
Point’s red-hot pace, and newly found chemistry with Hunt — a former Medicine Hat Tiger and Regina Pat — have helped the Warriors to a 10-5-2-1 record to start the year after finishing below .500 and outside the playoff picture last season.
While his current pace is taking the league by storm, it’s no surprise to see the Calgary product emerging as an elite member of the WHL, even at 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds.
Point has averaged more than a point per game since his sophomore season in 2013-14, when he posted 36 goals and 55 assists in a full 72 games, and last year he led the Warriors in scoring with 38 goals and 49 assists despite playing in only 60 contests. That, and his international resume is nothing short of impressive.
As a member of Team Canada at the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, Point posted a goal and three assists in his five games, including two helpers and MVP honours in Canada’s 4-0 win over USA for gold. In April 2014, Point joined Canada again at the Under-18 World Championships and put up a pair of assists in four games.
Last year Point got his first call to represent the WHL for the Canada-Russia Series and posted an assist in his two games against the Big Red Machine, then followed it up with two goals and two assists in his first trip to the World Junior Championship.
Pair all that with his performance against Russia this week and Point is sitting on 13 points in 20 games when lining up against an international roster, and he’s just heating up
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