Montreal Canadiens: How 5 Current Habs Players Fared at The WJC

Well, it’s that time of year again, the World Juniors are just around the corner, and for Montreal Canadiens fans, there is plenty to be excited about.

Well Owen Beck and Riley Kidney were unfortunately cut from Team Canada’s roster, Joshua Roy did make the team for the second consecutive tournament. And there will be a few other prospects representing their country as well, most notably Filip Mešár, the Habs 26th overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft.

So, with that in mind, I thought it would be a nice idea to look back at how some current players fared in their time at the World Juniors.

The Habs have had a ton of prospects represent their country on the world stage over the years,  but no tournament was as good for that as the 2019 World Juniors in Vancouver.

That tournament featured current Habs players like Nick Suzuki, Jesse Ylönen and Cayden Primeau. But it was actually a few former Habs that stole the show, with Ryan Poehling winning the tournament MVP leading the USA to a silver medal and potting five goals and eight points in seven games.

Meanwhile, Alexander Romanov finished the tournament as the best defenseman and won a bronze medal in the process. But this list only includes current members of the Canadiens, and for simplicity, it will also only include players who were members of the Canadiens organization when they participated in the tournament. And with that, let’s get to the list.

Carey Price

Carey Price’s future in the NHL may be a question mark, but as of today, he is still a Montreal Canadien. And we cannot make this list and not include his performance at the 2007 World Junior Championship. Price, the Canadiens 5th overall pick in the 2005 draft starred in net for Canada, backstopping them to the gold medal, and picking up MVP honours in the process. It was one of the many times in his illustrious career that Price dominated the competition on the international stage.

Price also took home the best goaltender of the tournament honours, finishing the competition with a .961 sv%, a 1.14 GAA and two shutouts. He was also 6-0. When given the opportunity to play with the best talent the country has to offer, Price always rose to the occasion. This isn’t to say he didn’t do this in the NHL as well, of course he did,  but he was never able to get the support he needed to win a cup in Montreal. But for Team Canada, when there was more than enough support, good luck.

The World Juniors in 2007 was just the beginning for Price. He dominated at this tournament, and he did so again at the 2014 Olympics, and then again at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. A tournament he posted a 1.40 GAA and .957 sv% after missing almost the entire 2015-16 season due to injury. It really is a shame that the NHL hasn’t returned to the Olympics since 2014, because Price surely would’ve had a chance to add more hardware to his collection.

Funny enough, well Price was deemed the MVP of the tournament, the most memorable moment from that tournament actually came from a different Team Canada player. This was the year Jonathan Toews showed everyone his prowess in the shootout, scoring three times to help propel his team to the Gold Medal game. Price also stood tall, but Toews certainly stole the show that night.

Kaiden Guhle

Kaiden Guhle played on Team Canada at the 2021 World Juniors, and was in the midst of leading the 2022 team before the tournament was abruptly postponed until August. At that point, Guhle was focused on making the Canadiens and did not join the team the second time around. Guhle was named the captain of Team Canada for the 2022 tournament, but obviously was not able to do that, which would’ve been cool to see play out, but ultimately I think Guhle made the right choice.

At the 2021 World Juniors, Guhle was a part of a very good Canada team, where he had two goals and and three points in seven games. Unfortunately, Guhle and his team came up short, losing in the Gold Medal game to the Americans, which featured a familiar face. Still, to make the team less than a year removed from being drafted is an accomplishment. To be invited back, in high regard, the next year is even better. What Guhle brings to the table was on display at the 2021 World Juniors, but I think his game has grown tremendously in the two years since.

Guhle has developed a better offensive game, and his poise with the puck has improved tremendously. He’s certainly lived up to his draft position thus far, and he has room for even more growth. Habs fans should be really excited about him. The World Juniors was really the first place we got to see him, and that remains true for many of this years prospects as well, which should make for a fun time watching the future of the organization tear it up.

Nick Suzuki

Nick Suzuki, like Jordan Harris, didn’t get to stick around until the very end at his lone World Juniors Championship. He and team Canada fell to FInland in overtime during the Quarterfinals. And well the tournament did end in disappointment, Suzuki still played well, dishing out three assists in five games. Even at this tournament, Suzuki’s playmaking abilities we’re on full display.

And, as Canadiens fans are well aware of, Suzuki has continued to make passes just like this at the NHL level, illustrating just how skilled he is with the puck on his stick. It’s unfortunate that his time at the tournament was short, but Suzuki was able to instead go on a long run in the OHL Playoffs, leading his team all the way to the Memorial Cup and taking home Playoff MVP honours in the process.

But the WJC, on national television was really the first time Habs fans got to get a closer look at Suzuki, one of their top prospects at the time. It was worth tuning in to see him and him alone, regardless of your allegiances. The same can be true for fans this year, with Filip Mešár, Lane Hutson, Joshua Roy, and quite a few more prospects all representing their countries this year. Suzuki showed glimpses of what he was capable of then, and it’s clear he’s blossomed into a fantastic NHLer. Suzuki came to this tournament, played relatively well, despite a disappointing ending, and he never looked back. The Habs management and fans alike hope some of this years crop can follow in Suzuki’s footsteps.

Cole Caufield

And finally, this list would not be complete without the inclusion of Cole Caufield, the Habs leading goal scorer. Caulfield made two appearances at the World Juniors, 2020 and 2021. The first tournament in 2020, Caufield and Jordan Harris teamed up but as previously mentioned, did not make it very far. Caufield had just one goal and two points in the 5 games he played, a disappointing statline for a prolific goal scorer. His lone goal was a nice OT winner vs Czechia.

Things went much better the second time around, as the Americans were able to capture the Gold Medal, with Caufield playing a much bigger role. Caufield had five points and two goals in seven games on a stacked American squad, and was a key part to their run to the championship. Well his stats don’t jump off the page, he was still great at the tournament. Remember, this is a seven game tournament, an incredibly small sample sizes. Good or bad, it’s important not to draw any major, or unfair conclusions based off one tournament. I don’t think anyone would argue that Caufield is a star.

Like Nick Suzuki, Caufield played well at this tournament, but got even better once returning to his junior/college team. Caufield finished his season with 30 goals and 52 points in 31 games and took home the Hobey Baker award for his efforts. He then signed his ELC with the Habs and helped lead them to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1993. But again, this tournament was where most Habs fans really got to see him for the first time.

So Habs fans, as you watch this tournament, just remember these kids are 18/19 years old, and that this tournament does not define them as a player. But, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy watching them, and look forward to what they can bring to the next level when the time comes. Regardless of what country you root for, I hope you guys enjoy the tournament as much as I will. Happy Holidays everyone!