Rasmus Bergqvist will be the only player representing the Montreal Canadiens at the World Juniors, as most of the Habs' top prospects have recently aged out of the tournament or were left off their country's roster. Bergqvist's role with Team Sweden is unclear, but he will most likely be a complimentary defenseman, taking a role on the bottom pair or as the seventh guy. The most notable omissions from the tournament are Michael Hage and Aatos Koivu, but when considering their respective country's M.O., it isn't that surprising.
Hockey Canada is often reluctant to pick players who play in the United States with an NCAA team. They invited one NCAA player to their selection camp this year, returning player Matthew Wood. Wood had two goals and two assists in five games in last year's tournament but failed to make the cut for this year's team. It was another example in a long list of Canada snubbing NCAA players.
Could the new deal between the NCAA and CHL lead the way for more college players to make Hockey Canada rosters in the future? As reported on RG.org, players like Gavin McKenna and Michael Misa could make the move as early as next season, and it's unlikely that Hockey Canada would leave those players off the roster because they are playing in the NCAA. It's an unfortunate reality that players are being punished for not choosing the CHL route.
Aatos Koivu was also left off Team Finland's roster after performing well at this past summer's World Junior Summer Showcase. Koivu's bout with mononucleosis to start the year didn't help his case, as he has been trying to fight back into shape ever since the illness. He has just five points in 16 games with TPS in Liiga this season but also played six games in the U20 league, recording four points.
Koivu also played games with Finland's U20 team in November, recording a goal and two assists in four games against Sweden, Czechia, Switzerland, and Slovakia. Koivu has a 06 birthday, which will likely mean he will be a valuable contributor to his country in next year's tournament. However, Marco D'Amico of Montreal Hockey Now expected him to be a lock for this year's tournament in the team's bottom-six. The Finnish Ice Hockey front office leaving him off this year's roster is incomprehensible for most who know the Canadiens' prospect situation.